Seated Rear Delt Fly: How To Do, Muscle Worked and Tips

The seated dumbbell rear delt fly is a dumbbell rear delt fly variation and an exercise used to strength then rear deltoids.

The seated bent over reverse delt fly is an upper-body exercise that targets the real deltoid of the shoulder and upper back muscles.

Seated rear delt fly exercise targets your upper back muscles and shoulder muscles, particularly the posterior deltoids, or rear deltoids, on the backside of your shoulders.

What is Seated Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly

The Seated dumbbell rear delt fly is an excellent exercise to isolate and work specifically on rear deltoid muscles. For complete shoulder muscle development, bent over raises are a must-do.

You can perform this exercise while standing, with your torso bent over horizontally (reverse dumbbell fly). However, the seated reverse dumbbell fly, reduces your ability to cheat by reducing the extent to which your body can sway up and down.

By performing the movement seated, it also eliminates momentum from the rest of the body. This movement is usually performed for moderate to high reps.

Thus, the exercise hit specifically the rear shoulder head by isolating it better than any other shoulder exercise.

Know More: Rear Delt Fly: Muscles Worked, Benefits, Variations

Seated Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly Muscles Worked

The Seated rear delt dumbbell flys primarily muscle worked Rear deltoid.

In addition to its target, the main rear delt muscles. The seated dumbbell delt fly has the involvement of several other muscles, these muscles include,

• Lateral deltoid,
• Trapezius,
• Rhomboids,
• Infraspinatus,
• teres minor, teres major.

How To Do Seated Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly

1. Sit on a bench or chair with your feet planted firmly on the ground.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, keeping your palms facing inwards.
3. Lean forward from your hips while maintaining a straight back, allowing your arms to hang down toward the floor.
4. Slight bend your elbows and raise your arms out to the sides in a wide arc.
5. Continue the movement until your upper arms are parallel to the floor or slightly higher.
6. Then, slowly lower the dumbbells back to their starting position.
7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips And Form For Seated Rear Delt Fly

• Keep a controlled motion and avoid jerky movements.
• Start with lighter weights to focus on technique and form.
• Throughout the exercise, keep your elbows slightly bent. Avoid fully extending or locking out your elbows.
• Perform the exercise in a slow and controlled manner, emphasizing the eccentric (lowering) phase.
• Exhale as you pull your arms back, and inhale as you come back. During the exercise, keep your breathing steady.
• Your oblique muscles will need to be engaged to sustain a stable torso throughout the movement.
• You should aim to complete 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps of the dumbbell rear delt fly.
• Perform the exercise 2-3 times a week for optimal results.
• Pair it with other exercises that target different parts of the shoulder for a well-rounded workout.
• As you become more comfortable with the form, feel free to change your set and rep ranges to challenge yourself.

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Seated Rear Delt Fly Variations And Progressions

Variations and progressions can keep your workouts challenging and prevent plateaus in your training.

Here are some ways to make the seated dumbbell rear delt fly exercise more challenging and challenging:

1. Single-Arm Seated Rear Delt Fly

The single-arm variation helps address any strength or size imbalances between your left and right rear deltoids. This can enhance shoulder stability and appearance, preventing potential injuries caused by muscle imbalances.

How To Do Single-Arm Rear Delt Fly

1. Sit on a bench with a dumbbell in one hand, palm facing inward.
2. Bend your torso slightly forward, maintaining a flat back and a neutral spine.
3. Start with your arm hanging down naturally toward the floor, creating a slight bend in your elbow.
4. Exhale and slowly raise the dumbbell out to the side while keeping a slight bend in your elbow.
5. When lifting the dumbbell, focus on squeezing your rear deltoid muscle.
6. Inhale and lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
7. Complete the desired number of repetitions with one arm before switching to the other side.

2. Incline Bench Cable Rear Delt fly

Finally, if you’re looking for one more effective rear delt fly exercise variation, try the Incline bench seated cable rear delt fly. It is an upper-body exercise that targets the rear deltoids and the postural muscles of the upper back.

This exercise targets such small muscles, that’s why it is usually performed with lightweight for high reps, such as 10-15 reps per set or more.

The incline bench takes away the potential of using momentum and makes the movement more challenging.

How To Do Bench Cable Rear Delt fly

1. Place an incline bench sideways midway between two cable stations.
2. Grasp the D-handles attached to the cables with the opposite-side hand and lean your chest against the incline bench (45 degrees).
3. Keep your feet on the floor for stability, with your chest up and abs tight.
4. Keeping your arms slightly bent, raise the cables out to your sides as high as possible.
5. Keep your head neutral and your eyes focused on a few feet in front of you as you hold the peak contraction.
6. Slowly lower the cables back to the start, but don’t let the weight stack touch down at the bottom before beginning your net rep.

Tips

• Do not lift backward or forward.
• Set a bench at about 30-45 degrees inclined.
• Keep form strict to isolate the rear delts.

Conclusion

The seated rear delt fly is a simple yet effective exercise that can help you strengthen your shoulders, improve your posture.

It is important to target the often neglected rear deltoids in order to achieve a more balanced and sculpted upper body and enhance your athletic performance.

With consistent practice and dedication, you will be able to master the seated rear delt fly and take your shoulder training to the next level.

Best Dumbbell Rear Delt Exercises To Build Stronger Shoulder

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