WhatWorksWhat.
Rear delts

Reverse Pec Deck

Hard squeeze across the back of the shoulders.

Complexity · Lowhypertrophybeginner+Selectorized machine
  • Rear delts
  • Rear delts - Rear delts
  • Rhomboids
  • Traps
  • Rear delts

PrimarySecondary

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

  • Rear delts

    Hit

    Pulls arm back/horizontal abduction.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

0:19· FIT.nl

Reverse Pec Deck Fly | Proper Form Tutorial for Rear Delts

Hands together

Open and squeezed

Sit facing the pec deck, chest against the pad. Pull the handles back and out until the arms are in line with the shoulders. Squeeze blades together. Slow return.

Common mistakes

  • Bending elbows mid-rep to pull more - turns into a row.
  • Going too heavy - rear delts are tiny.

Where you should feel it

Hard squeeze across the back of the shoulders.

Injury risk · 1/10

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains rear delts. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

  • Reverse pec deck, palms down

    Pronated grip.

    100% on target

    On target

    Same target, minor adjustment.

  • Reverse pec deck, single arm

    One side at a time.

    100% on target

    On target

    Same target, minor adjustment.

Compare with another exercise

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

  • Lat Hang

    Dead hang from a bar, fully relaxed shoulders. 30–60s. Decompresses everything pulling-related.

    LatsRhomboids

  • Child's Pose

    Knees wide, big toes together. Sit hips back to the heels, arms long overhead, forehead to the floor. 60s. Walk the hands one direction to bias one side.

    LatsLower backRhomboids

  • Cross-body Shoulder Stretch

    Pull one arm across the body with the opposite hand at the elbow. Shoulder stays down - don't let it shrug. 30s per side.

    Rear deltsSide delts