Exercise guide · evidence-graded

Cable Rear Delt Fly

The cable rear delt fly sweeps your arms out and back against two crossed cables, from a crossed position in front of your chest to a wide T at shoulder height. It works the rear deltoids, with the middle traps and rhomboids assisting, and the cables keep tension on the muscle through the whole arc.

Also called: Cable Reverse Fly, Cable Rear Delt Crossover, Reverse Cable Crossover, Standing Cable Reverse Fly · Equipment: cable · Pattern: push

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How to do it

Step by step

Set both pulleys at shoulder height. Stand in the middle, take the left cable in your right hand and the right cable in your left hand, so your arms cross in front of your chest.
Step back until both cables are taut. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees soft, trunk braced, and your arms out in front at shoulder height with a slight bend in the elbows.
Turn your hands so your thumbs point up.
Sweep your arms out and back in a wide arc at shoulder height until they are in line with your body, forming a T.
Pause briefly with your shoulder blades drawn gently together.
Bring your arms back along the same arc under control until your hands cross in front of you again.
After the last rep, step forward and let the handles return one at a time.

Coaching cues

Thumbs up, sweep wide
Hands at shoulder height
Elbows soft and fixed
Torso still, brace tall
Let your hands cross at the front

In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.

Muscles worked

What it trains

Muscle	Role	Evidence
Posterior deltoid	Prime mover	C
Trapezius: middle	Secondary	C
Rhomboids	Secondary	C
Rotator cuff: infraspinatus/teres minor	Secondary	C
Trapezius: lower	Stabiliser	D

Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.

Common faults

What goes wrong, and the fix

Rocking the torso

Fix: Brace and use a weight you can move without leaning back.

Bending the elbows to row it

Fix: Keep the same slight elbow bend and move from the shoulder only.

Shrugging

Fix: Keep your shoulders down away from your ears throughout the arc.

Arms dropping below shoulder height

Fix: Keep your hands at shoulder height through the whole arc.

Cutting the crossover short

Fix: Let your hands cross in front of you on every rep.

Palms down, elbows high

Fix: Keep your thumbs pointing up for the whole set.

Programming

What the research says

Muscle growth · first choiceRehab & prehabGeneral fitnessSport performanceEndurance

Range of motion — Reviews find full range gives equal or greater muscle growth than partial range, though the evidence for upper-body muscles is limited. The crossed start lets the cable load the rear deltoid in its stretched position.
Rep ranges — Research finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure. Rear-delt flies are commonly trained for 10–20 reps.
Effort — Studies show growth rises as sets get closer to failure, with a flattening curve, so finishing a rep or two short captures most of the benefit.
Volume — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns. Rows and pulls also train the rear deltoids.
Variations — There is no direct research comparing cable, dumbbell and machine rear-delt flies.

Alternatives · VALDA FLEX

Swap it mid-workout

With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.

Log the cable rear delt fly in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.

General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.