Add These 9 Best Rear Delt Exercises For Bigger Shoulders And Improved Posture 

Why do it: Face pulls are a great exercise to isolate the rear delts. With a relatively light weight, you’ll set your rear delts on fire after a few sets. Experiment with different starting positions on the pulleys to target your rear delts in a slightly different way.

How to do it:

1. Fix a rope attachment (or band) to one side of a cable machine. Position the pulley so it’s at either shoulder or head height.
2. Choose your desired weight before taking hold of the rope with an overhand grip (palms facing the floor).
3. To create tension, take a few steps away from the cables. Your feet should be flat on the floor and shoulder-width apart.
4. Retract your shoulder blades, engage your core and glutes, and pull the rope toward your forehead.
5. Pause, then return the rope to its original position.
6. Continue for reps.

RELATED: Cable Shoulder Workouts

Why do it: Dumbbell reverse flyes isolate the rear deltoids, which is why they’re a popular shoulder exercise. You’ll need to use a lighter weight and focus on taking it slow to feel the mind-muscle connection¹. Aside from a pair of dumbbells, you don’t need any other equipment, which is why I recommend them.

How to do it:

1. Stand tall with a pair of dumbbells, one in each hand. Your arms should be resting at your sides.
2. Keeping your back straight, bring your hips back and bend at your knees so your torso is at a 45-degree angle. Brace your core here.
3. With a slight bend in your elbows, lift the dumbbells laterally until your hands are at shoulder height. Squeeze your shoulder blades
4. Return the dumbbells to their starting position in a controlled manner.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Expert tip: This exercise uses dumbbells, but you can also do a machine variation using the chest fly machine by facing the weight stack instead of facing away. A 2015 study by the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness² found that the reverse pec deck recruits the posterior delts to a greater extent compared to seated rows and lat pulldowns.

RELATED: Best Dumbbells

Why do it: Although the single-arm dumbbell row doesn’t isolate the rear delts in the same way as a face pull or a dumbbell reverse fly, the benefit is that you’ll be able to lift heavier weights.  Because you train one arm at a time, you may strengthen and correct muscular imbalances in the rear delts, too.

How to do it:

1. On a flat bench, put down your right knee and right hand. You’ll start this exercise using your left hand.
2. Add some of your body weight to stabilize yourself. Place your left foot flat on the floor with your toes facing forward and a slight bend in your knee.
3. Pick the dumbbell slightly off the floor with your left hand, keeping your left arm straight to get a full range of motion.
4. Brace your core, keep your head neutral, and then row the dumbbell toward your left hip. Pause.
5. Slowly lower the dumbbell to the hanging position.
6. Row for reps, then switch over to the right hand.

RELATED: Unilateral Exercises

Why do it: If muscle growth in the back of your shoulders and improving grip strength are your goals, then adding wide-grip pull-ups to your workout routine is the move. Grip strength can help you get stronger at the other rear delt exercises, and you’ll be utilizing your bodyweight to do it.

How to do it:

1. Step under the pull-up bar. Grab the handles with a wide, overhand grip (palms facing away from you).
2. Lift your feet off the ground to get into the dead hang position, keeping your chest up and core activated.
3. Looking toward the handles, pull yourself up. You’ll want to focus on the activation of your back muscles, rather than your biceps.
4. When your chin clears the bar, pause before lowering yourself down.
5. Continue for the desired number of reps.

Expert tip: For some people, wide-grip pull-ups may be too difficult. Instead, you can try inverted rows (which you’ll see below), or use a resistance band to do banded pull-ups.

RELATED: Best Resistance Bands

Why do it: With bent-over barbell rows, you’ll be able to lift heavier weights compared to isolation exercises such as face pulls and dumbbell reverse flyes (which you saw above). Lighten the load and use a wider grip to effectively target your rear delts.  

How to do it:

1. With the bar on the ground, add the necessary weight plates.
2. Similar to a deadlift, get underneath the barbell so it’s covering your shoelaces. Hinge at your hips to take hold of the bar with an overhand grip (palms facing the floor).
3. Keeping your chest up and core braced, deadlift the bar until you’re standing tall. If needed, adjust your feet shoulder-width apart.
4. Push your hips backward so the bar is near your knees to get into the starting position.
5. Row the barbell toward your abdominal region, tucking your elbows in as you do so. Hold for a moment before returning the bar to its original position.
6. Keep going for repetitions.

Why do it: I love inverted rows because you’re doing rear delt training using your bodyweight only, which makes it an effective exercise for those who don’t have much equipment. It’s important to take a wider grip with this exercise and ensure your elbows finish to the sides to hit your rear delts to a greater extent.

How to do it:

1. Adjust a Smith machine so it’s at hip height. Alternatively, add J-hooks to a squat rack and position the bar at the same height (either one works for this exercise).
2. Sit down on the floor underneath the bar. Take hold of it with an overhand grip, ensuring that your arms are in a straight line, perpendicular to the bar.
3. Walk your feet out until you’re comfortable. Note: the straighter your legs, the more difficult the movement will be.
4. Activate your core and pull your chest towards the bar, only focusing on using your upper body.
5. Pause before lowering yourself back down.
6. Repeat for reps.

Why do it: The Arnold press works all three deltoid muscles (posterior deltoid, lateral deltoid, and anterior deltoid). The movement is similar to a dumbbell shoulder press but with an added twist for an extra challenge. Instead of stopping at your ears, you’ll continue the motion until the dumbbells are in front of your shoulders. The external rotation element helps work your rear delts, too.

And yes, this move is credited to the Terminator himself—Arnold Schwarzenegger.

How to do it:

1. Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart, taking hold of a pair of dumbbells. Position them in front of your shoulders, with your palms facing toward you.
2. Engage your core and glutes, and then press the dumbbells overhead. You’ll want to rotate them as you do so until your palms face away from your body.
3. When your arms are extended, pause. Slowly return the dumbbells to the starting position, reversing the rotation.
4. Press for repetitions.

Expert tip: Although this is the standing version of the Arnold Press, you can also do it seated. I prefer the latter, but every individual is different so try both to see what works.

Why do it: The upright row is easy to learn and is extremely versatile because they can be performed using barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, or cables. A 2013 study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research³ found that a wider grip should be used by those seeking to maximize the involvement of the deltoid and trapezius muscles during the upright row.

How to do it:

1. Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, standing tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. The bar should be positioned at your pelvic region.
2. Retract your shoulder blades, brace your core, and then pull the bar toward your shoulders. You’ll want to keep the bar close to your body.
3. Pause at the top of the movement before bringing the bar down in a controlled manner.
4. Continue for the desired number of repetitions.

Why do it: Regularly doing wide-grip lat pulldowns can help with hypertrophy of the rear delts and may get you stronger at other rear delt exercises on this list, including pull-ups, inverted rows, and bent-over barbell rows. 

Your hand position is important, as shown in a 2002 study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research⁴. To target the rear delts, bringing the attachment to the front of your body is more effective than finishing behind your head. But, you could also try a supinated or close grip to see how that feels.

How to do it:

1. Choose your desired weight, then take hold of the attachment with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you).
2. Sit down with your head neutral and chest up, securing your knees underneath the pad.
3. Lean back slightly, and pull the attachment toward your upper chest. You’ll want to focus on using your lats rather than your biceps here.
4. Pause, then slowly return the attachment to its original position.
5. Repeat for reps.