The Only 2 Exercises You Need for Rear Delts
Summary
Most people train rear delts incompletely by relying on exercises that only hit one of the muscle’s three functions. This article breaks down the two exercises that collectively address all three rear delt functions — horizontal abduction, shoulder extension, and external rotation — for fully developed, rounded shoulders.
Key Points
- The rear delts have three distinct functions: horizontal abduction, shoulder extension, and external rotation. Most common exercises only address one.
- The standard rear delt fly is insufficient on its own — it provides horizontal abduction but misses extension and external rotation, and is often performed with an internally rotated shoulder at the top.
- Thinking of the movement as a rear delt row (rather than a fly) shifts focus to driving the elbows back behind the body, which introduces the critical extension component.
- Dropping the elbows into a “W” position at the top of the movement introduces external rotation — completing all three functions in a single rep.
- Sitting down during the dumbbell variation removes momentum and keeps the exercise isolation-focused.
- The second exercise — a wide-grip, high-pull row with a straight bar — allows for a much heavier load to be applied to the rear delts than isolation work typically permits.
- Training rear delts on both shoulder day and back day is practical and well-tolerated due to the muscle’s ability to handle higher training frequency.
- Face pulls, while popular, are better classified as a corrective exercise rather than a primary rear delt builder.
Exercise Details
Exercise 1: Seated Rear Delt Row (Often Called “Reverse Fly”)
- Target Muscles: Rear deltoids (all three functions)
- Proper Form Cues:
- Sit down to eliminate momentum and cheating
- Focus on driving elbows back behind the body, not flaring the wrists outward
- Drop elbows slightly at the top to form a “W” shape, with thumbs pointing back behind you
- Achieve horizontal abduction + extension + external rotation at the top of each rep
- Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Treating it as a fly by focusing on wrist/dumbbell path rather than elbow path
- Failing to get elbows past the plane of the body (loses extension)
- Internally rotating the shoulder at the top of the movement
- Sets/Reps: Not specified
Exercise 2: Wide-Grip High-Pull Row (Straight Bar)
- Target Muscles: Rear deltoids (primary), with reduced lat involvement compared to standard rows
- Proper Form Cues:
- Use a straight bar with a wide grip
- Pull high — bringing the bar up toward the upper chest/chin area
- Keep elbows slightly below wrist level at the top to encourage external rotation
- Focus on driving elbows back behind the body as far as possible
- Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Keeping elbows close to the sides — this shifts the load to the lats, not the rear delts
- Pulling too low, which reduces rear delt activation
- Sets/Reps: Not specified