Cable Rear Delt Fly

What is the Cable Rear Delt Fly?

The cable rear delt fly trains the rear deltoids against the constant tension of a cable, sweeping the arms out and back across the body from a pair of pulleys. The cable keeps the rear delt loaded through the whole arc, including the fully-contracted back position where dumbbells go light, making it one of the best tools for the often-neglected back of the shoulder.

Muscles worked

Primary: Shoulders

The rear (posterior) deltoid pulls the arms back and out to the sides (horizontal abduction) against the cable, loaded across the entire arc.

Secondary: Traps

The traps and mid-back assist by retracting the shoulder blades as the arms sweep back.

How to perform the Cable Rear Delt Fly

1. Set two pulleys to shoulder height and cross the cables, gripping the left handle with the right hand and the right handle with the left.
2. Stand centered between the stacks with a soft bend in the elbows and the arms crossed in front of the chest.
3. The crossed-cable setup keeps constant horizontal tension on the rear delts through the whole arc, unlike a dumbbell fly.
4. Pull both handles out and back, opening the arms wide and leading with the elbows toward the rear.
5. Squeeze the rear delts at the fully open position without arching the back or shrugging the traps.
6. Return the handles under control across the front of the body, keeping tension the entire way in.

Suggested working range: 12–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Mechanics

A single-joint isolation on cables: standing between or facing the pulleys with a fixed soft elbow bend, movement happens at the shoulder as the arms travel from crossed in front out and back to the sides. Unlike a dumbbell reverse fly, where resistance drops at the contracted end, the cable line keeps constant tension on the rear delt through the whole range.

Form cues

• •Set the pulleys to about shoulder height and grab the opposite handle so the cables cross in front of you.
• •Sweep the arms out and back in a wide arc with a fixed soft elbow bend, leading with the pinkies.
• •Squeeze the rear delts at the back without shrugging the traps up toward the ears.
• •Return under control against the cable rather than letting the stacks pull the arms back in.

Common mistakes

• •Uncrossing the cables or setting the pulleys too low, which changes the horizontal rear-delt line.
• •Bending the elbows into a row rather than keeping a fixed soft-elbow fly.
• •Arching the lower back and using the whole body to fling the handles open.
• •Shrugging the traps up at the open position instead of squeezing the rear delts.

Variations & alternatives

• •Rear delt fly: the free-weight bent-over version with a strong-but-fading tension curve.
• •Reverse pec deck: a machine that fixes the path and makes the rear delt easy to feel.
• •Face pull: a rope pull to the face that trains the rear delts and upper back together.
• •Single-arm cable rear delt: one side at a time for a longer range and even development.

Overhead Press

Shoulders · Barbell

Dumbbell Overhead Press

Shoulders · Dumbbell

Lateral Raise

Shoulders · Dumbbell

Cable Lateral Raise

Shoulders · Cable

Rear Delt Fly

Shoulders · Dumbbell

Programming: sets, reps & when to use it

Run the cable rear delt fly as a rear-delt accessory in the library’s higher 12–20 rep range, where constant tension and a clean squeeze beat heavy load. The rear delt is small and lags behind the front for most lifters, so keep the weight light, avoid swinging the torso, and add plenty of weekly sets. Place it after your main pressing and rowing.

Frequently asked questions