Bent Over Chest Fly Guide: Build Rear Delts and Back

Master the bent over chest fly (reverse fly) with our step-by-step guide to improve posture, shoulder health, and upper body definition.

How to Perform

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip.
  2. Hinge forward at the hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor while maintaining a slight bend in your knees.
  3. Let your arms hang directly beneath your shoulders with your elbows slightly flared but not locked out.
  4. Raise both weights out to the sides in a wide arc by squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Stop the movement once your elbows are level with your shoulders or slightly above your torso.
  6. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position under control to maintain tension in the muscles.
  7. Keep your neck neutral by looking at a spot on the floor a few feet in front of you throughout the set.

Common Mistakes

  • Using excessive momentum to swing the weights up
  • Rounding the lower back instead of maintaining a flat spine
  • Tucking the chin to the chest or looking too far upward
  • Selecting weights that are too heavy for proper form

Muscles Worked

Primary movers

  • Rear Deltoid

Stabilizers

  • Rear Deltoids
  • Trapezius
  • Rhomboids
  • Triceps

Related Guides

Rear Deltoid · Shoulders