Having defined and strong shoulders gives you a great presence. A wonderful exercise for the rear delts, the posterior part of the shoulders, is the bent-over rear delt fly. Read on to learn the muscles involved in bent-over rear delt fly, benefits associated with bent-over rear delt flyes, how to properly do bent-over rear delt raises, common mistakes when performing bent-over rear delt flyes, shoulder exercises for a rear delt workout, and watch the video on how to do bent-over reverse flyes.
What Muscles Do Bent-Over Rear Delt Flyes Work?
The shoulder has several muscles that attach to the scapula, humerus, and clavicle. The largest shoulder muscle is the deltoid, which consists of the anterior, middle, and posterior fibers. There are other muscles — the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis — that form the rotator cuff and are vital in the dynamics of the shoulder movement. Other muscles involved in shoulder movement are the supraspinatus, coracobrachialis, serratus anterior, pectoralis, trapezius, latissimus dorsi, teres major, and rhomboid major among others.
Many people tend to work out the front and lateral deltoid muscles and neglect the rear delts. For this reason, the rear delts can be among the weakest areas. Besides engaging lightly the lateral delts and core muscles, bent-over rear delt raises work the following muscles in the upper posterior chain:
- Rear Delts – located in the posterior part of the deltoids. This is a shoulder area that, sometimes, gets neglected, creating muscle imbalances.
- Trapezius – triangular muscles extending over the back of the neck and shoulders
- Rhomboids – muscles located in the upper back in between the scapulas
Benefits of Bent-Over Rear Delt Flyes
- Aesthetics: Well-rounded shoulders look great and complement a well-balanced upper body, giving you a more confident look.
- Strength: Bent-over rear delt raises help to strengthen the posterior deltoids, which translate into a sturdy upper back.
- Shoulder Health: The shoulder area is one of the most mobile spheres in the body. The wide range of motion permits great rotation, abduction, and adduction. Simultaneously, this versatility makes the shoulder area more prone to injury. Working out the, often neglected, rear dels, helps you maintain shoulder mobility, stability, and prevent injury. Additionally, they are safe for the shoulders and do not negatively affect the rotator cuffs.
- Hypertrophy: They help grow the posterior area of the shoulder, improving pulling and pushing abilities.
- Corrective: Bent-over rear delt flyes help correct imbalances. Those created when overworking the pectorals and anterior deltoids.
- Better Posture: Working out the upper posterior chain muscles helps keep you more straight and avoid a “hunched forward” appearance.
- Engages Multiple Muscles: Besides working the rear deltoids, rhomboids, and trapezius primarily, standing bent-over rear lateral raises engage the lateral delts, abs, lower back, and even the glutes slightly in order to help you maintain proper alignment.
- Easy & Versatile: They are not complicated and do not need a lot of equipment. You can use just a pair of dumbbells, cables, or bands. You can, also, perform different variations, raising both arms simultaneously, one arm at a time, or alternating arms.
How to Perform Bent-Over Rear Delt Flyes
- Get a pair of dumbbells
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, shoulders back, back straight, and your core tight
- Bend your knees slightly and bend over
- Let your arms hang underneath your shoulders and face the palms of your hands towards each other while keeping your arms slightly bent at the elbows
- Lift the dumbbells straight to the side until both arms are slightly higher than parallel to the floor and squeeze your shoulder blades together
- Keep your torso forward and stationary
- Exhale as you lift the weights and keep contracting at the top for a couple of seconds
- Lower the dumbbells slowly back to the starting position
- Repeat
Mistakes to Avoid during Bent-Over Rear Delt Flyes
- Avoid targeting other muscles: If you don’t have the proper form (bend your arms too much or point your elbows down), you are performing bent-over rear delt flyes incorrectly. You are supposed to feel the rear delts, not your back or biceps.
- Avoid very heavy loads: The rear deltoid is a small area and if you put too much weight, you may end up using momentum and/or working other muscle groups to lift the load.
- Avoid rounding your back: Keep your back straight so you don’t overstress or injure your back.
Bent-Over Rear Delt Flyes Video
Rear Delt Workout
Now that you know all the benefits of bent-over rear delt flyes and how to do them, you can complete your rear delt workout. You can perform Face Pulls as well as seated bent-over rear delt raises. You should also perform other shoulder exercises to target other delt areas: Shoulder Presses, Front Raises, and Later Raises.
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