Chest Supported Rear Delt Fly

How to do it

1. Set a bench to a low incline and lie face down with a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Rest the chest on the pad with the chin just past the top, feet on the floor.
3. Let the arms hang straight down, palms facing each other.
4. Raise the arms out to the sides with slightly bent elbows until they are level with the back.
5. Lower slowly until the arms hang straight down again.

Tips

• The pad removes momentum, so use lighter weights and strict reps.
• Keep the chest on the pad throughout.
• Move the arms wide, not back toward the hips.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the chest off the pad to finish the rep.
• Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears.
• Bending the elbows more to cheat the weight up.

Muscles worked by the Chest Supported Rear Delt Fly

• Rear delts Primary49%
• Mid traps Secondary14%
• Rhomboids Secondary12%
• Side delts Minor8%
• Lower traps Minor6%
• Rotator cuff Stabilizer6%
• 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. A pad or bench removes the hinge. 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.

Chest Supported Rear Delt Fly alternatives

Same equipment

• Incline Rear Delt FlyDumbbell
• Lying Rear Delt FlyDumbbell
• Seated Rear Delt FlyDumbbell
• Prone Lateral RaiseDumbbell

Different equipment

• Cable Rear Delt Fly (Cuff)Cable
• Reverse Pec DeckMachine

Make it harder

• Cable Rear Delt Fly (Cuff)Cable
• Reverse Cable CrossoverCable
• Bent Over Cable Rear Delt FlyCable
• Powell RaiseDumbbell

Similar exercises

• Bent Over Lateral RaiseDumbbell
• Cable Rear Delt FlyCable

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Chest Supported Rear Delt Fly work?

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

Is the Chest Supported Rear Delt Fly good for beginners?

Yes. The Chest Supported Rear Delt Fly is rated beginner in the Zulta library: the technique is easy to learn with a light weight.

What is a good alternative to the Chest Supported Rear Delt Fly?

For example the Incline Rear Delt Fly, Lying Rear Delt Fly and Seated Rear Delt Fly. They train mostly the same muscles.

How do you make the Chest Supported Rear Delt Fly harder?

Add weight or reps, or move on to the Cable Rear Delt Fly (Cuff) and Reverse Cable Crossover.

Sources

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

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