Rear Delts exercise?

[tigz]

I feel like my lack of progress in building my shoulders is due to lacking rear delts.

I have always had a hard time doing rear delt exercises, because I cant really tell if I am hitting them properly at all, and in most of the exercises for them it is hard keeping good form....


I have been doing elbow-out dumbell rows, and seated lateral raises....

Does anyone else have similar experience?

Also what are your favorite rear delt exercise? Or one that would hit them the best? (I am doing Max-out style / 5x5 )

Would barbell bent over row be best ?


Thanks..!

[Blaze]

I personally am fond of upright rows. I feel that in my rears delts really good. Go heavy, and make sure you don't bounce the weight at the bottom.

[ebon00]

Originally Posted by tigz

Would barbell bent over row be best ?

No. I'm not going to say "this is the best" because it depends on so many factors but here are three good options.

Lying rear delt raise - lie down on your side (floor/mat or bench doesn't matter) and start with your arm straight up in the air. Keeping the arm almost straight, lower the weight (which will have to be very light) to the floor in front of you and then reverse to the starting position. (Think reverse single-arm flye.)

L-laterals - start with two dumbbells held with a neutral grip and with a 90 degree bend to your elbow (think midpoint of a hammer curl). Do a lateral raise until your upper arms are parallell to the floor and pause. From there rotate the shoulder so that you bring the weight up towards the ceiling. You should look a little like a pitchfork at the top position. Reverse slowly.

Upright cable press-out - attach a single handle to low pulley. Grip it with both hands between your legs (you'll be facing away from the pulley with the cable coming through your legs). Do a smooth upright row focusing on keeping the elbows out to the sides until the handle is at about clavicle height. From there "press" out and away from your body by extending at the elbow until your arms are straight. Try to keep your upper arms still during the press-out. Again, this one will require a very light weight. This may be called different things by different trainees but essentially it's a cable version of the Cuban press.

These would be much easier to visualise with pictures but these particular exercises weren't available at ExRx.net.

[Todd]

For me, I've found that standing bent-over rear d-bell raises to be the best exercise for hitting the rear delts. Either that, or reverse pec-dec flies. The lying d-bell raises would also hit them awesome, as already mentioned.

[Dan C]

Try overhead squats and shrugs off an incline bench.

[tigz]

Sweet, thanks all. Lots to try on my next workouts. :

[ebon00]

Originally Posted by tigz

Sweet, thanks all. Lots to try on my next workouts. :

Be sure to let us know how they work out.

[etothepii]

Originally Posted by Todd

For me, I've found that standing bent-over rear d-bell raises to be the best exercise for hitting the rear delts.

I'm doing the seated version of this.

[.V.]

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...arDeltRow.html

Here's my favorite because I just can't get the movement down with the bent over delt raises. I do it seated in front of a low cable stack though - same movement. When I max out the stack, I'll be switching to doing them with a bar.