Dumbbell Reverse Fly

Muscles worked

Shoulders

Primary muscle

Rear delt

Equipment

Dumbbell

Movement pattern

Pull

Difficulty

Intermediate

What it is for

Hypertrophy

Watch the full tutorial

• Standing up on every rep. That rocking from the hips creates momentum and the dumbbells rise on their own, without the rear delt working. Set the lean; if you cannot hold it, lower the weight or rest the chest on a bench.
• Bending the elbows and pulling like a row. When the elbow flexes, the dumbbells travel toward the hips and the lats and biceps take over. Fix a slight bend and drive the hands outward, with the elbows high.
• Rounding the back in the lean. With the lower back curved, it bears the position and the shoulder blade has no stable base. Bend the knees slightly, push the hips back and keep the spine neutral, eyes on the floor.
• Raising above shoulder line or shrugging. Past horizontal, the extra range comes from the upper traps, not the deltoid. Stop with the arms in line with the shoulders and keep the neck long.

Which muscles does the dumbbell reverse fly work?

It mainly works the rear deltoid, the back of the shoulder, which opens the arm out and back. The external rotators of the shoulder, infraspinatus and teres minor, also take part, and at the end of the arc the middle traps and rhomboids draw the shoulder blades together. Since there is no chest support, the spinal erectors, glutes and hamstrings hold the forward lean isometrically for the whole set.

Standing dumbbell reverse fly, incline bench or machine: which one should you choose?

Standing bent over, all you need is the dumbbells, but the lower back and hamstrings tire holding the position and it is easy to help with the torso. Face down on an incline bench, the supported chest forces a strict movement and the back rests. The machine spreads the resistance across the whole arc, whereas the dumbbell only really loads the top part. Standing dumbbells when there is nothing else, bench if the lower back complains, machine to progress.

How much weight should you use for the dumbbell reverse fly?

Less than it looks: the nearly straight arm is a long lever and the rear deltoid is a small muscle. A common range is 3 sets of 12 to 20 reps, leaving 1 to 3 in reserve, with dumbbells you can raise to shoulder line without moving the torso. If you need a hip bounce to get there, there is too much weight. It usually goes after the rows on back day or at the end of shoulder day.

Which way should the hands face and how high should you raise in the reverse fly?

With the palms facing the floor or each other, the arm opens in the horizontal plane and the rear deltoid does the work; turning the thumbs up adds external rotation and changes how the work is shared. Raise until the arms are in line with the shoulders and no higher: above that, the extra range comes from the traps and the shoulder blade. Keep a slight, fixed elbow bend and drive the hands outward, not toward the hips.