One important muscle group that circles the shoulders is the rear delts. While the front and side delts are typically trained and developed more than the back delt, this is a common oversight.
You can get rounder, fuller shoulders by expanding the size and form of your rear delts. You can achieve the 3D appearance that is frequently seen in top-tier physique athletes by building your rear delts.
Although the rear delts are used in many back exercises, if you want to develop your rear delts, you must train them specifically.
The rear deltoid muscles, located at the back of the shoulders, are often overlooked in traditional shoulder workouts. However, strong rear delts are essential for maintaining healthy and stable shoulders. Cable exercises are an effective way to target the rear deltoids, providing constant tension and a greater variety of movement patterns. In this article, we will outline the six best cable rear delt exercises.
1. Cable Face Pull
The cable face pull is one of the most effective exercises for targeting the rear deltoids. To perform this exercise, attach a rope or handle to a high pulley and grab it with both hands. Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart and lean back slightly. Then, pull the rope towards your face, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders down. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, squeezing your rear delts, before slowly returning to the starting position.
One of the few compound exercises that fairly effectively target the rear delts is the cable face pull. They not only enhance rear delt muscle but also shoulder mobility and stability. Before performing other exercises like the snatch, clean and jerk, shoulder press, and/or bench press, they can be used for hypertrophy or as a warm-up.
Similar to other compound exercises, a cable face pull will allow you to lift much more weight than a solo exercise like a rear delt fly. Your rear delts, middle traps, rhomboids, biceps, and teres minor/major are all worked out by the cable face draw.
2. Cable Reverse Fly
The cable reverse fly is another effective exercise for targeting the rear deltoids. To perform this exercise, stand facing away from the cable machine with a handle or rope attached to a low pulley. Keep your back straight and your chest up as you slightly bend your legs and hinge forward at the hips. Pull the wire back towards your sides while keeping your arms extended in front of you, squeezing your rear delts as you do so.
At the top of the movement, pause momentarily before slowly going back to the starting posture. You can attempt a variety of cable reverse fly variations to target various parts of the rear deltoids.For example, you can use a rope attachment instead of a handle for a wider grip, or you can perform the exercise with one arm at a time for a unilateral workout. You can also adjust the weight or the angle of the cable to increase or decrease the resistance.
3. Cable Rear Delt Fly
The cable rear delt fly is a variation of the reverse fly that targets the rear deltoids more directly. To perform this exercise, stand facing away from the cable machine with a handle or rope attached to a low pulley. With your arms extended in front of you, pull the cable back towards your sides, keeping your elbows slightly bent and your shoulders down. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, squeezing your rear delts, before slowly returning to the starting position. To reduce tricep involvement, keep your elbow slightly bent while completing this exercise. If you squeeze your shoulder blades too tightly, the action will be controlled by your traps.
Concentrate on spreading your palms apart as much as you can while performing this exercise. Your mind-muscle link to the rear delts gets stronger when you use lighter weights and do more repetitions. Additionally, it is best to use a wire stack with pulleys that are closer together.
4. Cable Reverse Pec Deck
The cable reverse pec deck is another effective exercise for targeting the rear deltoids. To perform this exercise, sit facing the cable machine with your feet flat on the floor and your back straight. With your arms extended in front of you, pull the cable handles towards your sides, squeezing your rear delts as you do so.At the top of the movement, pause momentarily before slowly going back to the starting posture.
A well-liked exercise that works the upper back and posterior deltoids is the cable reverse pec deck. It is an effective exercise for building strength, size, and definition in these areas. It is essential to use proper form when performing the cable reverse pec deck to avoid injury. Keep your chest up, your shoulders down, and your back against the bench throughout the exercise. Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together to target the rear deltoids and upper back muscles.
5. Cable Pull-Apart
The cable pull-apart is a simple yet effective exercise for targeting the rear deltoids. To perform this exercise, stand facing the cable machine with a handle or rope attached to a low pulley. With your arms extended in front of you, pull the cable handles towards your sides, keeping your elbows straight and your shoulders down. Pause briefly at the end of the movement before slowly returning to the starting position.
The cable pull-apart is a simple yet effective exercise that targets the rear deltoids, upper back muscles, and rotator cuff muscles. There are several variations of the cable pull-apart that you can try to target different areas of the upper back and rear deltoids. For example, you can adjust the height of the cable machine to target different areas of the upper back or use a different handle attachment for a wider or narrower grip.
Incorporating the cable pull-apart into your upper body workout routine can help improve shoulder stability, reduce the risk of injury, and enhance overall upper body strength and aesthetics.
6. Cable High Row
The cable high row is a compound exercise that targets several muscle groups, including the rear deltoids. To perform this exercise, attach a handle or rope to a high pulley and grab it with both hands. With your feet shoulder-width apart, lean back slightly and pull the cable towards your chest, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders down. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, squeezing your rear delts, before slowly returning to the starting position.
It is important to use proper form when performing the cable high row to avoid injury. Keep your chest up, your shoulders down, and your back against the bench throughout the exercise. Focus on pulling with your upper back muscles and keeping your elbows high and wide to target the upper back muscles effectively.
There are several variations of the cable high row that you can try to target different areas of the upper back muscles. For example, you can adjust the angle of the bench to increase or decrease the resistance or use different handles to target different muscles
In conclusion, cable exercises are an effective way to target the rear deltoid muscles. By incorporating these six cable exercises into your shoulder workout routine, you can help strengthen and build your rear delts, improving your overall shoulder health and function. As always, it’s important to use proper form and gradually increase the weight to avoid injury.
