Cable Rear Delt Fly
The cable rear delt fly has you stand between two low pulleys (or face a single one with crossed arms) and pull the handles out and back in a wide arc, targeting the rear third of your shoulder. It isolates a muscle that pushing exercises like bench press and shoulder press barely touch, and it suits anyone building shoulder health or working on posture.
Why it works
Your rear delts pull your arms backward and rotate your shoulders externally, the opposite job of the front delts that most pressing movements hammer. A cable keeps tension on that muscle through the entire arc, from the stretched position in front of your chest to the fully contracted position with your arms out to the sides, which a dumbbell fly loses at the top once gravity stops pulling on the weight.
Set up
- Stand between two low pulleys, or face a single low pulley with a handle attached.
- Cross your arms so your left hand grabs the right-side cable and vice versa, or grab a single handle with the opposite hand across your body.
- Stand tall with a slight forward lean and soft knees, arms extended in front of you at chest height.
How to do it
- Pull both handles out and back in a wide arc, leading with your elbows.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together as your hands reach the sides of your body.
- Pause for a moment at full contraction.
- Return slowly to the starting position, letting the cables stretch your arms back across your chest.
- Repeat for the set without letting momentum take over.
Form cues
- Lead the movement with your elbows, not your hands.
- Keep a slight bend in your elbows throughout the arc.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the back of the movement.
- Control the return instead of letting the cables snap your arms forward.
Breathing: Exhale as you pull the handles back and out, inhale as you let them return across your chest.
Common mistakes
Turning the fly into a rear delt row by bending the elbows and pulling like a row.
Fix: Keep your elbows only slightly bent and let your arms travel in a wide arc instead of tucking them toward your ribs.
Using so much weight that your torso swings to help start the pull.
Fix: Drop the load until your torso stays still and your shoulder blades do the work.
Stopping the arc at shoulder height instead of finishing with your hands past your sides.
Fix: Keep pulling until your hands are level with or slightly behind your torso before you pause.
How to program it
- This is a small, easily fatigued muscle group, so aim for higher reps, around 12 to 20, rather than chasing heavy loads.
- Because the joint stress here is low, two to four short sessions a week tend to add up to more total work than one heavy session.
- Pair it after your main pressing or pulling work, since fresh rear delts rarely need to lead a session.
Safety notes
- Keep the weight light enough that your shoulder blades, not your neck and traps, do the pulling.
- If you feel pinching in the front of your shoulder, narrow the arc and stop just before your hands cross the midline.
- Avoid locking out your elbows at the start position under tension.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Isolation
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
How many sets and reps of cable rear delt fly should I do?
Three sets of 15 to 20 reps works well, since this small muscle responds better to volume than to heavy singles.
What muscles does the cable rear delt fly work?
It isolates your rear deltoids, the back third of your shoulder muscle, with your middle back assisting to retract your shoulder blades.
Can I do a rear delt fly without a cable machine?
Yes, a band rear delt fly or a bent-over dumbbell rear delt raise trains the same arc without a cable stack.
Why does my upper trap take over instead of my rear delt?
That usually means the load is too heavy or you're shrugging as you pull. Drop the weight and keep your shoulders down and away from your ears through the whole arc.