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Cable Rear Delt Fly

Cable Rear Delt Fly demonstration

Category

isolation

Difficulty

beginner

Equipment

cable

Force Type

pull

How to Perform the Cable Rear Delt Fly

  1. Set the cable pulleys to shoulder height on a dual cable machine. Do not attach handles; use the cable ball stops or attach D-handles.
  2. Stand in the centre facing the machine and cross the cables: grab the left cable with your right hand and the right cable with your left hand.
  3. Step back slightly so there is tension on the cables with your arms extended in front of you.
  4. Stand tall with your chest up, shoulders back, and a slight bend in your elbows.
  5. Pull both handles outward and back in a wide arc, squeezing your shoulder blades together and contracting the rear delts.
  6. Continue until your arms are extended out to the sides, roughly in line with your shoulders.
  7. Hold the fully contracted position for a brief pause.
  8. Slowly return your hands to the starting position in front of you, maintaining control against the cable tension.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using too much weight and rowing instead of flying

Use a light to moderate weight and focus on the wide arc pattern, not pulling straight back.

Shrugging the shoulders upward during the movement

Keep your shoulders depressed and focus on squeezing the shoulder blades together.

Not crossing the cables, which reduces rear delt activation

Cross the cables so the right hand holds the left cable and vice versa for proper alignment.

Muscles Worked

Benefits

  • Develops the often-neglected rear deltoids for balanced shoulder appearance.
  • Improves posture by strengthening the posterior shoulder and upper back.
  • Constant cable tension provides superior resistance compared to gravity-dependent dumbbell versions.

Pro Tips

  • Focus on leading with your elbows rather than your hands to better target the rear delts.
  • Keep the movement in the horizontal plane at shoulder height for maximum rear delt activation.
  • This exercise is essential for anyone who does a lot of pressing work to maintain shoulder balance.

Variations

Recommended Sets & Reps

Strength

4-5 sets of 3-5 reps at 80-90% 1RM

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 8-12 reps at 65-75% 1RM

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-20 reps at 50-60% 1RM

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