Rear Delt Fly
How to:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees bent.
- Hinge forward at the hips and let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders, palms facing each other.
- Raise both arms out to the sides as you squeeze your shoulder blades together with knuckles facing out and up and a microbend in elbows.
- Pause at shoulder height.
- Lower with control to return to start. That’s one rep.
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:
- Sit with your spine straight and tall and your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other.
- Hinge forward at the hips so your back is flat and parallel to the ground (or as close to parallel as possible).
- Extend your arms toward the ground without touching it and hold the dumbbells near your ankles.
- Row the dumbbells toward the sides of your rib cage, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Make sure you don’t arch your back and keep your neck aligned with your back.Hold at the top for one second.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. That’s 1 rep. Complete 10-12 reps.
Renegade Row
How to:
- Assume a high-plank position with your hands on the weights, arms extended, palms facing each other without a crease at the wrists, and feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
- Bend one arm and raise the dumbbell to chest level, keeping your hips and shoulders level.
- Lower the weight to the floor, then repeat the move by rowing the other dumbbell. That’s one rep.
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).
How to:
- Sit on a stable surface with your spine straight and tall and your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at chest level with your palms facing you.
- Press the dumbbells overhead while rotating your hands 180 degrees until your palms are facing forward.
- Pause when you have straight arms with biceps by the ears.
- Lower with control as you reverse the movement back to starting position. That’s 1 rep. Complete 8 to 10 reps.
Pro tip: If you need a modification, lift one arm at a time and do 5 reps on each side.
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 feet shoulder-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells in front of your body, palms facing thighs.
- 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.L
- Pause when the weights reach the highest, most comfortable level, or until they are just below your chin, and keep elbows pointed out to the sides.
- Inhale and slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position. That’s 1 rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps.
Banded Pull-Apart
Why it rocks: This is a fantastic exercise that really targets the rear delts. It’s essentially a standing rear delt fly with straight arms The pull-apart can also help to stabilize the scapular muscles.
How to:
- Start standing with feet hips-width apart and holding a resistance band with palms facing down. Start with hands shoulder-width apart and fully extended in front of you, maintaining tension in the band. (The more slack, the easier the exercise).
- Maintaining good posture, a tight core, and a sturdy stance with shoulders pulled back, pull the band laterally apart. Keep your elbows straight.
- Pause when the band touches your chest or you can’t pull your hands any further apart. Focus on squeezing the shoulder blades together.
- Inhale, and slowly reverse the movement, returning hands to shoulder-width starting position. That’s 1 rep. Complete 10 reps.
Lateral Raise
Arm muscles worked: shoulders
How to:
- Stand with your knees slightly bent, feet staggered, right foot forward and flat on the floor, left back (heel high), with the middle of a resistance band looped underneath the arch of your right foot, hands grasping it by the ends, and arms at your sides.
- Raise your arms outward to the sides until parallel to the floor.
- Return slowly to start. That’s 1 rep.
Superman Banded Lat Pulldown
Why it rocks: This superhero move can be done by anyone, anywhere. Plus, it engages stabilizer muscles (rear delts included) all over the bod.
How to:
- Lie on your stomach with your arms holding a resistance band and legs fully extended while keeping your head relaxed and spine neutral by looking at the floor in front of you.
- Contract your core muscles to stabilize your spine, while simultaneously raising both your legs and straight arms a few inches off the ground, keeping your head and neck neutral.
- Keep arms and legs elevated, and bend elbows to pull the resistance band to chest. That’s 1 rep.
- Complete 10 reps, then gently lower yourself back to the starting position.
Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based writer and graduate student at Northwestern Medill. She’s a mass consumer of social media and cares about women’s rights, holistic wellness, and non-stigmatizing reproductive care. As a former collegiate pole vaulter, she has a love for all things fitness and is currently obsessed with Peloton Tread workouts and hot yoga.
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