How to do it
- Hinge forward until your torso is close to parallel with the floor, dumbbells hanging.
- With a fixed soft elbow bend, raise the arms out to the sides.
- Lower under control without letting the dumbbells touch.
Cues that matter
- Point the thumbs down slightly to bias the rear delt.
- Keep the chin tucked and the neck long.
Common mistakes
- Standing up as you raise, turning the movement into a shrug.
- Going too heavy and squeezing the shoulder blades instead of moving the arms.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Shoulders
- Rear delt
Also works
- Mid traps
- Rhomboids
Sets and reps
What to do with it depends on what you are training for. These are the ranges MuscleMap uses when it puts Bent-Over Rear Delt Fly in a session, with 75 seconds between sets.
- Strength
- 6–8 reps
- Build muscle
- 10–15 reps
- Endurance
- 15–25 reps
Same muscle, different kit
Movements that train the same part of the shoulders with different equipment — for a day the dumbbell is taken, or a gym that does not have one.