Lifting Lighter Weights Is Key To Strengthening This Overlooked Muscle
When your upper body workouts come around, your mind probably jumps to biceps, triceps, and back. But wait! You're missing a major muscle group that (unfortunately) often goes unnoticed: rear delts. The back of your shoulders deserve some love, too!
“The rear delts (known as the posterior deltoids) are the muscles on the backside of the shoulders,” says Macy Pruett, CPT, a certified personal trainer and the founder of Fittest Core. “They sit on the back part of each shoulder muscle and begin on the spine of the shoulder blade and inserts on the humerus, or upper arm bone.”
Meet the expert: Macy Pruett, CPT, is a certified personal trainer and the founder of Fittest Core.
And while rear delts may not be top of mind, this muscle group absolutely should be! First and foremost, the rear delts help stabilize the shoulders and are key players in *all* shoulder movement. “Strong rear delts help with shoulder stabilization, which can boost your strength, assist with strengthening other muscle groups, and help to balance out the whole shoulder,” explains Pruett. “There are a lot of exercises that target the front and side shoulders, so strengthening the rear helps to give the shoulders a fuller look.”
If you still aren’t convinced that rear delts deserve your time and attention, they’re also crucial in supporting and promoting good posture. “Rear delts help you maintain proper posture by working alongside the muscles in the back to prevent the shoulders from hunching, while also assisting in extending and externally rotating the shoulders,” says Pruett. “It’s important to strengthen the rear delts to maintain good posture, which directly impacts the body’s overall health. Avoiding a hunched back and shoulders decreases the risk of injury.” I don't know about you, but I just sat up a bit straighter.
A lot is possible with strong rear delts – better posture, improved shoulder movement, and less risk of muscle imbalances – you need to train them in order to bask in all their beneficial glory. Luckily, Pruett’s got you covered and programmed the 7 best rear delt moves to add to your weekly workout routine.
Instructions: Choose four moves below. For each move, do the designated reps, then continue to the next move. Repeat for three rounds total. “If someone is wanting to build their rear delts, I suggest training them three times a week, but in order to maintain rear delt strength, I'd suggest training them twice a week,” says Pruett.
Rear Delt Fly
Why it rocks: “This is a great exercise because it can be done bilaterally or unilaterally and it targets the upper back and rear delts,” says Pruett. As an added bonus, engage your abdominals to maintain a straight back for a little core workout.
How to:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
With a neutral spine, engage your core, hinge the hips back, and drop your arms down in front of your body with a slight bend in the elbows, and palms facing each other.
Exhale as you squeeze the shoulder blades together and lift up your arms until they are even with the back.
Pause at the top, then inhale and lower your arms back down to the starting position. That’s one rep. Do 10 to 12 reps.
2. Side-Lying Rear Delt Raise
Why it rocks: If you’re looking to isolate and totally torch your rear delts, this is the move for you, says Pruett. Plus, you’ll also work on improving your shoulder stability as you press and hold the weight overhead.
How to:
Lie on your side on an incline (couch, bench, or table) while stabilizing yourself with the inactive (bottom) arm on the ground.
Hold the dumbbell with an overhand grip, thumb facing down, and elbow at 90-degrees. Make sure your upper arm is parallel with the floor.
Exhale as you raise your arm up and keep the dumbbell in a vertical position until your elbow is pointing up toward the ceiling. This should be a slow and controlled movement.
Inhale as you lower back down to the starting position. That’s one rep. Do 10 to 12 reps on each side.
3. Seated Bent-Over Row
Why it rocks: “This is a great rear delt move because it can be done bilaterally or unilaterally, and can be done with heavier weights,” says Pruett. That said, if you’re a beginner, start with light to medium weights (think 10 to 20 pounds) to nail form and get comfortable in the movement pattern before you level-up.
How to:
Position yourself on the right side of a bench and place your left knee on the bench under your hips, engaging your core and bracing your body with your left arm.
Hold a dumbbell in the right arm, with your core engaged, back flat, and right hand close to the floor.
Exhale as you squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the weight up by bending your elbow (keeping it close to your ribs) until the weight reaches your side.
Inhale as you lower back down to the starting position. That’s one rep. Do 10 to 12 reps on each side.
4. Incline Y Raise
Why it rocks: It may look simple, but this move is tougher than it looks. “The Y raise forces the rear delts to work extra hard, and it’s a great isolation movement, especially in this inclined position,” explains Pruett.
How to:
Set up a bench or seat at a 45-degree angle, and lie face down on the bench, with knees slightly bent and feet on the ground.
With an overhand grip (palms facing down), hold a pair of dumbbells in each hand with your arms hanging directly under your shoulders.
Exhale and raise the dumbbells up to a “Y” position, keeping your arms straight until they are fully extended.
Inhale and slowly lower back down to start the position. That’s one rep. Do 8 to 10 reps.
Pro tip: If you don’t have an incline bench, Pruett says this move can be done standing. Additionally, if you’re a beginner, try this exercise without weights to build strength as you learn to activate the rear delts.
5. Incline T Raise
Why it rocks: This move is similar to the “Y” raise since it challenges and isolates the rear delts, but you’ll also train the smaller stabilizer muscles in the shoulders which help prevent injury, says Pruett.
How to:
Set up a bench at a 45-degree angle, and lie face down on the bench, with knees slightly bent and feet on the ground.
With an underhand grip (palms facing up), hold a pair of dumbbells in each hand with your arms hanging directly under your shoulders.
Exhale and contract your shoulder blades, raising your arms up to the side while keeping them straight, until they are parallel with the floor. Keep this move slow and controlled.
Inhale and lower back down to starting position. That’s one rep. Do 8 to 10 reps.
6. Seated Arnold Press
Why it rocks: This is a great exercise because you can lift heavier weights as you build strength and it will target and tone your delts, says Pruett. And, because this move involves multiple planes of motion, you’ll get the benefits of targeting several muscles at one time (traps, shoulders, and back). Just remember to keep your core engaged to protect your lower back.
How to:
Sit down on a stable surface and hold a pair of dumbbells at shoulder height, with elbow bent and palms facing your body. Keep your core engaged and spine neutral.
Exhale, and in one motion, bring your elbows out wide to the sides while rotating your hands so palms face forward and pressing the dumbbells overhead until arms are straight and biceps are by ears.
Pause, then inhale as you slowly reverse the movement to return to the starting position. That’s one rep. Do 8 to 10 reps.
Pro tip: If you need a modification, lift one arm at a time and do five reps on each side.
7. Upright Row
Why it rocks: This exercise is great because it trains the delts and traps, and the time under tension helps build muscle, says Pruett. “It’s also great for muscle hypertrophy (growth), as you can focus on the eccentric (lowering) phase by going down really slowly,” she adds.
How to:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells in front of your body, palms facing you, and hands about shoulder-width apart.
Engage your core and exhale as you lift your elbows up and flare them out to the side. Make sure your elbows stay above your wrists at all times.
Lift the weights to the highest, most comfortable level, or until they are just below your chin, and keep elbows pointed out, not back.
Inhale and slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position. That’s one rep. Do 10 to 12 reps.
Pro tip: Be sure not to use too much weight with this movement (start with 10 to 15 pounds) and Pruett says to always initiate the move with your elbows, not your shoulders.
It's easy to focus on biceps and triceps exercises during my upper-body workout. Sometimes I even throw in some back moves. But my go-to arm routine was missing a major muscle group: rear deltoids. Your sweat sesh probably could use some rear delt exercises, too. You may not see them, but the back of your shoulders deserve some love.
“The rear delts (known as the posterior deltoids) are the muscles on the backside of the shoulders,” says Macy Pruett, CPT, a certified personal trainer and the founder of Fittest Core. “They sit on the back part of each shoulder muscle and begin on the spine of the shoulder blade and insert on the humerus, or upper arm bone.”
Meet the experts: Macy Pruett, CPT, is a certified personal trainer and the founder of Fittest Core. Kelly Bryant, CPT, RYT, is a certified personal trainer and registered yoga teacher who is a coach on training app Future.
You can consider rear delts the best supporting actor of the upper bod. First and foremost, the rear delts help stabilize the shoulders and are key players in *all* shoulder movement. "The rear delt is an important and multifaceted muscle that plays a few roles," says Kelly Bryant, CPT, RYT, Future training app coach. "It helps to lift the arm out, to externally rotate, and to stabilize the movement of other muscles of the arm and back."
For example, rear delts help lift the arm when doing a lateral raise or a jumping jack and it helps pin the upper arm in place when doing a bicep curl, according to Bryant. "Most of all, it plays a big supporting role in all upper body pulling exercises, like rows," says Bryant. "We need it for functional movements like yanking on the dog leash or picking up our kids. Without strong rear delts, we can see a lot more wear and tear on the smaller muscles of the rotator cuff."
And, this muscle is working when you're just sitting around. “Rear delts help you maintain proper posture by working alongside the muscles in the back to prevent the shoulders from hunching, while also assisting in extending and externally rotating the shoulders,” says Pruett. “It’s important to strengthen the rear delts to maintain good posture, which directly impacts the body’s overall health.” I don't know about you, but I just sat up a bit straighter.
Tips For Strengthening The Rear Delts
Start with the most effective rear delt exercises (coming up in a sec). Then, follow these trainer tips to get the most out of the moves:
Keep your mind on the muscles. "It's important to understand with most muscles, but especially those of the shoulder and upper back, our awareness and intention plays a big role in what muscles are most activated," says Bryant. "For example, when doing a row or a back fly, you can focus more on the muscles of the back of the shoulder (like the rear delt) or you can focus more on the muscles between the shoulder blade and the spine. Bring your attention to using whichever muscle you want to target."
Feel them out. If you can, try to touch the rear delt with the opposite arm while it's working. "You should feel the muscles flex on the back of the shoulder," says Bryant. That's when you know you're on target.
Opt for lighter weights. "Keep in mind that the heavier you're working, the more you will need to use the large muscles like the rhomboids and traps," says Bryant. "When working lighter or with bands, you'll be able to target the rear delt more."
Work them two to three times a week. If you want to build muscle, include rear delt exercises three times a week. Training the rear delts twice a week is sufficient for maintaining strength.
8 Best Rear Delt Exercises
Time: 15 minutes | Equipment: dumbbells, resistance band | Good for: rear delts, shoulders, upper back
Instructions: Choose four moves below. For each exercise, do the designated reps and continue to the next move. Repeat for three rounds total.
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