Exercise Profile
- Target Muscle Group
- Exercise TypeStrength
- Equipment RequiredDumbbell
- MechanicsIsolation
- Force TypePull (Bilateral)
- Experience LevelBeginner
- Secondary Muscles
Traps, Triceps
Target Muscle Group
Shoulders
Bent Over Dumbbell Reverse Fly Overview
The bent over dumbbell reverse fly, also known as the bent over rear delt fly, is a great exercise to assist you in building a complete set of shoulders.
Many lifters utilize the bent over dumbbell reverse fly to target the rear delts, an often lagging muscle for many lifters alike.
Strengthening the rear delts by using the bent over rear delt fly can lead to improved posture and a greater level of strength on other lifts.
Bent Over Dumbbell Reverse Fly Instructions
- Select the desired weight from the rack then take a few steps back into an open area.
- Hinge from the hips until your body is almost parallel to the floor and allow the arms to hang straight down from the shoulders with a neutral grip.
- Take a deep breath and pull the dumbbells towards the ceiling using the rear deltoids.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position under control.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Bent Over Dumbbell Reverse Fly Tips
- Ideally we want to focus on the rear deltoids, not the scapular retractors so movement at the shoulder blade should be limited. Move the shoulder within the joint, not the shoulder blade on the ribcage.
- Keep the abs braced and don’t arch the back at the top of the movement.
- If you can’t hinge to 90 degrees, then hinge as far as comfortably possible while completing the exercise. Or, you could also take a seated position to complete the exercise as well.
- If you experience shoulder pain during the movement then it may be beneficial to rotate the dumbbells until the thumbs are pointing away from one another and the palms are facing forward. This is also known as a supinated grip and will externally rotate the shoulder.
- Don’t jut your head forward during the movement - this about stimulation for a small muscle group. Focus during the movement and don’t just rely on momentum.
- Allow the arms to move freely but don’t lock out the elbows.
23 Comments
Hello there and thank you M&S team for the awesome content and helpful support, is there any reason for neck pain when lowering down the dumbbells during this exercise? If so how to avoid it? I'm pretty sure my form is good as I'm used to do regular rows. Thanks!
Hi, Hussein. If you're looking up or have had neck issues in the past, then that may be a reason. Try to relax your neck and keep a neutral spine. You can also do these on an incline bench for extra comfort. If neither of those options help, see a doctor about the neck.
Are there any other alternatives to it? With heavy weights its really hard to keep the form
Lighten the weight and focus on form. The strength will come with consistency.
Any alternative for this exercise with pulley system? I think my form on this one is terrible I’m not getting enough…
Try face pulls or single rear cable flye, Pav.
Hay I can’t see Reverse Grip Dumbbell Row link can someone send it to me
Conner,
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises/reverse-grip-bent-over-dumbb...
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises/reverse-barbell-curl.html
looking down always helps align your arms and shoulder easier
Instead of this exercise could you do reverse fly but on a machine
I used this workout routine while I was deployed and I made muscle and strength gains
Sick workout! But having some issues on my shoulders, is it ok?
Perfect exercise for Rear Deltoids, but not a good exercise for most people because of back issues.
How much should I dead lift? I'm 17yo, 190cm tall and my wait is about 90kg
That's the wrong question. Your age, size and length are not, in any form, related to the amount of weight performed, on any exercise really. This is just a matter of experimentation, WITH GOOD FORM OF COURSE, and see what is the right weight for you.
Swaggy, try changing gym. Mines got tons of dumbells so although i'm this with only 65kg in each hand the gym will allow me to go up to 100 in each eventually.
i am probably too big for this exercise, i cant fit enough weight on the dumbbells :(
Trying working on your legs. ;)
I have had previous issues with a bad back, will this excercise risk damaging it more?
is this a better excercise than the reverse pec dec
The lateral raise works the lateral part of the deltoids while this works the back(posterior) of the delts.
what is the difference between this exercise & Dumbbell Lateral Raise ????