Rear Delt Row

How to perform the Rear Delt Row

1. Set a flat bench and hinge over it, or bend at the hips to about 45 degrees holding a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Let the dumbbells hang beneath the chest and flare the elbows out wide to bias the rear delts over the lats.
3. Row the dumbbells up and out toward the hips-to-ribs line with the elbows high and away from the body.
4. The high, flared elbow path is what makes this a rear-delt row rather than a lat-focused back row.
5. Squeeze the rear delts and upper back at the top without shrugging the traps or jerking the torso up.
6. Lower the dumbbells under control back beneath the chest, keeping the flared-elbow line on every rep.

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

Common mistakes

• •Tucking the elbows close to the body, which turns the rear-delt row into a lat row.
• •Jerking the torso up to fling the dumbbells rather than rowing under control.
• •Shrugging the traps at the top instead of squeezing the rear delts.
• •Rowing the dumbbells too low toward the hips and losing the flared-elbow rear-delt line.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.