Bent Over Cable Rear Delt Fly

How to do it

1. Set both pulleys of a cable crossover at their lowest position and clip a single handle to each.
2. Take the left cable in the right hand and the right cable in the left hand so they cross in front of you.
3. Step to the middle and hinge forward until the torso is nearly parallel to the floor, back flat, knees soft.
4. Raise both arms out to the sides with slightly bent elbows until they are level with the back.
5. Lower slowly until the hands cross again under the chest.

Tips

• Keep the hinge fixed: the torso should not rise during the set.
• Move the hands out wide, as if reaching for the walls.
• Keep the neck in line with the spine.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the lower back.
• Pulling with the elbows bent deeply, turning it into a row.
• Letting the cables snap the arms back together.

Muscles worked by the Bent Over Cable Rear Delt Fly

• Rear delts Primary47%
• Mid traps Secondary13%
• Rhomboids Secondary11%
• Side delts Minor7%
• Lower traps Minor6%
• Rotator cuff Stabilizer6%
• Spinal erectors (lower back) Stabilizer5%
• Hamstrings (biceps femoris) Stabilizer3%
• Triceps (long head) Stabilizer2%

Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.

Holding a hinge adds back and hamstring work. Opening the arms backward is shoulder horizontal abduction, which the rear delt leads; the mid traps and rhomboids retract the shoulder blades and the infraspinatus assists from deep.

Bent Over Cable Rear Delt Fly alternatives

Same equipment

• Cable Rear Delt Fly (Cuff)Cable
• Single Arm Cable Rear Delt FlyCable

Different equipment

• Bent Over Lateral RaiseDumbbell
• Rear Delt FlyDumbbell

Easier

• Cable Rear Delt FlyCable
• Band Rear Delt FlyResistance band

Make it easier

• Bent Over Lateral RaiseDumbbell
• Cable Rear Delt FlyCable
• Rear Delt FlyDumbbell
• Band Rear Delt FlyResistance band

Similar exercises

• Rear Delt SwingDumbbell
• Chest Supported Rear Delt FlyDumbbell

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Bent Over Cable Rear Delt Fly work?

Mainly the rear delts. The mid traps and rhomboids assist.

Is the Bent Over Cable Rear Delt Fly good for beginners?

The Bent Over Cable Rear Delt Fly is rated intermediate. If you are new, learn the Bent Over Lateral Raise first and build up from there.

What is a good alternative to the Bent Over Cable Rear Delt Fly?

For example the Bent Over Lateral Raise, Rear Delt Fly and Cable Rear Delt Fly. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.

Sources

• Reinold et al. 2004, JOSPT 34(7):385-394
• Ekstrom et al. 2003, JOSPT 33(5):247-258

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