In the quest for a well-rounded physique, many gym-goers focus heavily on the muscles they can see in the mirror, like the chest, biceps and abs. However, neglecting the muscles you can’t see can lead to imbalances and even injury down the line.
One such muscle group that often gets overlooked is the rear deltoids, located on the back of your shoulders. Strengthening these muscles not only improves posture but also enhances overall shoulder stability, strength and symmetry.
So, if you’re ready to give your rear delts the attention they deserve, here are the top 7 exercises to incorporate into your gym routine:
Face Pulls
This exercise targets the rear delts, upper back, and traps. Using a cable machine with a rope attachment, pull the rope towards your face while keeping your elbows high and wide.
Bent Over Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, hinge at the hips, and keep your back flat. Raise the dumbbells out to the sides until your arms are parallel to the ground, focusing on squeezing your rear delts.
Reverse Pec Deck Flyes
Sit on the pec deck machine facing backward. Grasp the handles with a reverse grip and squeeze your rear delts while also trying to avoid using your mid back too much as you pull the handles towards each other.
Cable Reverse Flyes
Adjust the cables to the lowest setting, stand in the middle, and grasp the handle. With a slight bend in your elbows, pull the handles out to the sides until your arms are parallel to the ground.
Incline Rear Delt Raises
Lie face down on an incline bench with a light dumbbell in each hand. With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the dumbbells out to the sides until your arms are parallel to the ground.
Wide Grip Upright Rows
Using a barbell or EZ-bar, grip the bar wider than shoulder-width apart. Pull the bar up towards your chin, keeping your elbows higher than your forearms to target the rear & side delts as well as your upper back.
Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raises
Sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, chest on your thighs and feet flat on the ground. Let the dumbbells hang to the sides of your legs. With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the dumbbells out to the sides until your arms are parallel to the ground.
How to incorporate these into your next workout
You can add these exercises into your next Gym Plan workout inside the app, by tapping EDIT and hitting the green plus button, see it in action here. Then simply search for the exercise name from the list above.
Incorporate these highly beneficial rear delt exercises into your workout routine to sculpt a strong and balanced back/shoulders. Remember to focus on proper form, control and gradually increase the weight as you progress. With drive and consistency, you’ll achieve the well-defined rear delts you desire much easier.
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