pullshoulders

Rear Delt Dumbbell Fly

A bent-over dumbbell isolation move that targets the rear delts to help balance out heavier pressing work.

How to do it

1Hold a dumbbell in each hand and hinge forward at the hips until your torso is close to parallel with the floor, letting your arms hang straight down with palms facing each other.
2Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, raise the dumbbells out to your sides until your arms are roughly in line with your torso.
3Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top, then lower the dumbbells back down with control.

Common mistakes

Standing up out of the hip hinge to help swing the weight up instead of keeping the torso fixed.
Using momentum or overly heavy dumbbells, which shifts the work from the rear delts onto the upper back and traps.

Sets & reps by goal

Goal	Sets	Reps	Rest
Strength	2-3	8-12	60-90 sec
Build muscle	2-3	10-15	45-60 sec
General fitness	2-3	12-15	45-60 sec

Ranges reflect the same goal-based logic used by the workout plan tool. Actual set count in a generated plan also depends on how often this muscle group appears elsewhere in your week.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Rear Delt Dumbbell Fly safe for beginners?

Yes. The Rear Delt Dumbbell Fly is tagged as beginner-friendly in GetFitArchitect's exercise database, meaning it doesn't demand much prior strength or mobility. Start with a weight or resistance level where you can complete every rep with good form, and only add load once that feels controlled.

What muscles does the Rear Delt Dumbbell Fly work?

The primary mover is your shoulders. As a pull movement, it also involves your triceps and upper chest.

What can I substitute if I don't have dumbbells for the Rear Delt Dumbbell Fly?

The Face Pull targets the same primary muscle with different equipment, so it's a reasonable swap if you don't have dumbbells available.

See the Face Pull

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