Genghis Fitness · Shoulder Workouts
Rear Delt Workouts: Best Exercises to Build a Complete Shoulder
Updated 2026 | By Team Genghis Fitness | 10 min read
Walk into any gym and count how many people are doing chest flyes versus how many are doing rear delt flyes. The ratio is somewhere around ten to one. That imbalance shows up directly in posture: rounded shoulders, forward head position, and a shoulder joint that is perpetually pulled forward by an over-developed anterior chain and a chronically weak posterior one.
The rear deltoid is the most undertrained major muscle in most gym programs. It is invisible in the mirror. It does not produce visible pump. But it determines shoulder health, posture, and long-term pressing capacity more than almost any other muscle. This guide covers exactly how to train it effectively.
Why the Rear Delt Matters More Than You Think
The posterior deltoid performs horizontal abduction and external rotation of the humerus. In practical terms, it pulls your arm backward and outward. It is the direct antagonist to the anterior deltoid and the pectorals, which pull your arm forward. Every bench press rep, every overhead press rep, every dumbbell fly contracts your front delt and chest without meaningfully loading your rear delt. Over time, this creates a dramatic strength imbalance that pulls the shoulder forward in the socket.
Research on shoulder muscle balance and impingement shows that the ratio of internal to external rotator strength is a key predictor of shoulder impingement syndrome. A well-developed rear delt and external rotator group directly counteracts the forward pull of heavy pressing and prevents the impingement that sidelines lifters for months.
The 6 Best Rear Delt Exercises
1. Cable Face Pull
The best rear delt exercise available. Rope attachment at face height, pull to face with elbows wide and hands finishing beside the ears with external rotation. This trains the rear delt and rotator cuff simultaneously. Do this before every pressing session as a warm-up and at the end as a finisher. Our detailed cable face pull guide covers setup and the exact cues that make this exercise work. For the complete cable shoulder training system, the cable shoulder workouts guide covers every exercise in the complete program.
2. Bent-Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly
Bend at the hip to 45 degrees or parallel to the floor. Dumbbells hanging straight down. Raise both arms out to the sides and slightly back, keeping a slight elbow bend. At the peak, your arms are parallel to the floor and your rear delts are fully contracted. The most common error here is using too much weight and turning it into a trap shrug. Light weight, full range, 2-second hold at the top.
3. Reverse Cable Fly (High Cross-Cable)
Both pulleys at the top. Grab left cable with right hand, right with left. Pull both out and back simultaneously with arms at shoulder height. The crossed starting position creates a deep loaded stretch on the rear delt that is impossible with dumbbells because it goes beyond the midline. Hold peak contraction for a full second on every rep.
4. Machine Rear Delt Fly (Pec Deck in Reverse)
Sit facing the pec deck machine. Grab the handles from behind (arms forward) and pull them back and to the sides. Many pec decks have a rear delt function built in, or you can simply sit facing in and grab the handles at shoulder width. The machine stabilizes the movement pattern, which is useful for mind-muscle connection development when you are first learning to feel the rear delt contracting.
5. Band Pull-Apart
Hold a resistance band at arm’s length in front of you, hands shoulder-width, palms down. Pull the band apart by moving both hands outward and backward until your arms are fully extended to your sides. The band naturally accommodates resistance, providing more tension at the peak contraction (arms out) where you are strongest. This is the best warm-up exercise for the rear delt before any pressing session.
6. Incline Prone Rear Delt Raise
Set an adjustable bench to 30 to 45 degrees. Lie face-down with a dumbbell in each hand hanging toward the floor. Raise both arms straight out to the sides. The incline position removes the lower back from the equation entirely (unlike standing bent-over flies where the back can assist) and creates a strict isolation of the posterior deltoid. This is the cleanest rear delt isolation movement available.
How to Program Rear Delt Work
The rear delt should receive volume equal to the anterior delt in your program. If you do 3 sets of pressing, do 3 sets of face pulls or reverse flies. If you bench press 3 times per week, add face pulls to all three sessions. Two dedicated rear delt exercises per pressing session is appropriate for most intermediate lifters: face pulls as a warm-up and one of the fly variations as a finisher.
Weekly sets: 10 to 16 sets per week for the rear delt is appropriate for most people. Because it is a smaller muscle that responds well to higher frequency, spreading this across 2 to 3 sessions is better than loading it all into one session.
Protect Your Shoulders on Every Pressing Session
Wrist wraps and elbow sleeves for heavy push days. Your rear delts need to last as long as you train.
Shop Wrist Wraps Shop Elbow SleevesWhy The Rear Deltoid Is The Most Undertrained Muscle In Most Routines
Every standard chest and shoulder program includes multiple pressing movements. Bench press, incline press, overhead press, and their variations add up to significant anterior deltoid volume every week. Most programs also include lateral raises for the medial delt. The posterior deltoid, the rear portion of the shoulder that sits behind the joint and is primarily responsible for horizontal shoulder extension and external rotation, receives almost no direct training in a typical push-pull split unless the athlete is specifically programming for it. The result is a muscular imbalance that shows up visually as rounded shoulders and shows up functionally as reduced shoulder stability during heavy pressing and pulling movements.
The rear deltoid requires direct work to develop because the horizontal pulling movements that are supposed to train it, rows and pull-downs, typically share their stimulus with the lats and mid-traps. Unless the programming intentionally includes exercises where the rear delt is the primary mover at a high enough volume to drive adaptation, it stays underdeveloped relative to the anterior delt regardless of how much rowing volume is in the program. Face pulls, reverse pec deck, and bent-over dumbbell lateral raises are the three exercises that most directly load the posterior deltoid as a primary mover rather than a synergist. Include at least two of these in your direct shoulder work each week.
Face Pull Technique That Actually Targets The Posterior Deltoid
Face pulls performed incorrectly look like a high cable row. The elbows come in tight, the upper arm stays roughly horizontal, and the movement becomes a rear delt and mid-trap hybrid that underloads the posterior deltoid. Performed correctly, the elbows drive back and out with the upper arm above horizontal at the end position, the external rotation component of the movement is completed fully so the hands end up beside the head rather than in front of it, and the rear delt performs the abduction and extension that characterizes its function. Use a rope attachment at upper chest to eye height, pull toward your face, lead with the elbows, and finish with the hands wide and beside your ears. Three to four sets of 15 to 20 reps at moderate weight produces significantly more posterior deltoid stimulus than the same sets with heavier weight and compromised mechanics. Pair your rear delt work with elbow sleeves if you perform high-volume cable work and experience any elbow discomfort during extended upper body training sessions.
Certified strength and conditioning specialists with over 10 years of experience in powerlifting, nutrition, and evidence-based fitness content. Based in New York City.