Best Rear Delt Exercises: 7 Moves for Bigger, Healthier Shoulders

The rear delts, or posterior deltoids, are the muscles at the back of your shoulders, and they are one of the most neglected muscles in the gym. Most training hammers the front and side of the shoulder through pressing and lateral raises, leaving the rear delts underworked. The result is a shoulder that looks flat from the side, rounds forward easily, and is more prone to niggles. Give them a little direct attention and you get fuller, more balanced 3D shoulders, a stronger upper back, and better support for good posture. This guide covers the seven best rear delt exercises, how to do each with strict form, and how to fit them into your week.

What the rear delts do and why they matter

The posterior deltoid sits at the back of the shoulder and its main job is to draw your upper arm backwards and outwards, the movement you make during a row or a reverse fly. It works alongside the upper-back muscles (the rhomboids, mid-traps and rotator cuff) to pull the shoulder blades together and hold the shoulders back.

Because they only get worked hard during horizontal pulling and reverse-fly movements, the rear delts respond best to exercises that take the shoulder through that specific path. Research comparing shoulder exercises found that exercise choice makes a big difference to how much the different portions of the deltoid are recruited, so selecting the right moves matters more than piling on weight (shoulder exercises and deltoid activation, Journal of Human Kinetics 2020). The theme across all the best rear delt exercises is the same: lighter weight, strict form, and a real focus on feeling the back of the shoulder do the work.

1. Bent-over dumbbell reverse fly

The bent-over reverse fly is the classic rear delt builder and the first move to master. Hinge forward at the hips with a light dumbbell in each hand and a flat back, let the weights hang under your chest, then raise them out to the sides in a wide arc, leading with your elbows, until your arms are roughly level with your torso. Lower under control.

The single biggest mistake here is going too heavy and turning it into a row or a jerky swing. Use a weight you can control, keep a soft bend in the elbows fixed throughout, and squeeze at the top. A set of adjustable dumbbells is ideal because rear delts need small jumps in weight.

2. Seated reverse fly

The seated version removes the need to hold a hinge, which makes it easier to stay strict and isolate the rear delts. Sit on the end of a bench, lean your chest towards your thighs, let the dumbbells hang below you, and perform the same wide arc out to the sides. Because you are stable and folded over, it is very hard to cheat, so many people feel their rear delts better this way than standing.

Keep the reps slow and the weight light, and think about pulling your upper arms apart rather than lifting the dumbbells. A sturdy weight bench makes this and plenty of other accessory work easier at home.

3. Reverse pec deck

If your gym has a pec deck, running it backwards is one of the most reliable rear delt exercises going. Face the pad, grab the handles and pull them out and back in a smooth arc, squeezing your rear delts and upper back, then return under control. The machine keeps you on a fixed path, which makes it easy to focus purely on the muscle without worrying about balance.

It is a great choice for beginners and for higher-rep burnout sets at the end of a session. Set the seat so the handles are at roughly shoulder height and avoid yanking the weight with your whole back.

4. Cable or band rear delt fly

Cables and resistance bands keep tension on the rear delts through the whole range, which the muscle loves. Set a cable at shoulder height (or anchor a resistance band in a doorway), take the handle in the opposite hand so the cable crosses your body, and pull it out to the side and back, leading with the elbow. Do all your reps on one side, then swap.

The constant tension makes this feel different to dumbbells and is excellent for building the mind-muscle connection. A cable machine opens up a lot of this kind of work, but a single band does the job at home.

5. Face pull

The face pull is part rear delt exercise, part rotator-cuff and upper-back health move, which is why so many coaches program it. Using a rope on a cable or a band at head height, pull the handles towards your face while flaring your elbows high and out, finishing with your hands beside your ears and your shoulder blades pulled together.

It builds the rear delts while strengthening the small muscles that keep your shoulders healthy, making it one of the best all-round additions to any program. Keep the weight moderate and the movement smooth. We have a full face pulls guide if you want to nail the technique.

6. Rear delt row (wide-elbow row)

Most rows hit the rear delts a bit, but flaring your elbows out to about 90 degrees turns a row into a rear-delt-focused movement. Hinge over with dumbbells or a barbell and row the weight towards your chest or upper stomach with your elbows wide, rather than tucked in as you would for a back-focused row. You will feel it across the back of the shoulders.

This lets you use a little more weight than a reverse fly, so it is a good strength builder to pair with the lighter isolation moves. Keep your torso still and lead with the elbows.

7. Band pull-apart

The band pull-apart is the simplest rear delt exercise of all, and one of the best. Hold a light resistance band in front of you at chest height with straight arms, then pull it apart by driving your hands out to the sides and squeezing your shoulder blades together, before returning slowly. That is it.

It needs no gym, takes seconds to set up, and is perfect for high-rep sets, warm-ups, or a daily posture-friendly habit. Because it is so easy to do often, it is a great way to give the rear delts the frequent, low-fuss work they respond to.

How to program rear delt training

The rear delts are small and recover fast, so frequency and quality beat heavy loading. A simple approach:

• Pick one direct move (bent-over or seated reverse fly, reverse pec deck, or cable fly): 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps.
• Add one health-and-posture move (face pull or band pull-apart): 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 25 reps.
• Slot them in twice or three times a week on your pull, push or shoulder days.

Keep the weight light enough that you can feel the rear delt working on every rep. If you struggle to feel them, try a neutral grip (thumbs leading, palms facing each other), which one reverse-fly study found produced greater posterior deltoid activation than a palms-down grip (hand position and posterior shoulder activation, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 2013). As with any muscle group, the NHS advice to strengthen the major muscle groups on at least two days a week applies to your shoulders too.

Common mistakes to avoid

Using too much weight. This is the big one. Heavy reverse flies turn into rows and swings that work the back and traps instead of the rear delts. Go lighter than your ego wants.

Shrugging the shoulders. Letting your traps take over hides the rear delts. Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears throughout.

Rushing the reps. The rear delts respond to control. Slow the lowering phase and pause briefly at the top of each rep.

Only ever rowing. Rows involve the rear delts but rarely enough on their own. Include at least one dedicated reverse-fly or pull-apart movement.

Recommended reads

1. Face Pulls: how to do them and muscles worked
2. Lateral Raises: technique and variations
3. Best Dumbbell Exercises for a full-body workout
4. Best Adjustable Dumbbells UK
5. More workout and exercise guides