Dumbbell Lying Reverse Fly
A chest-down reverse fly on an incline bench that isolates the rear delts and upper back without loading the lower back.
How to do it
- Set a bench to about 45 degrees and lie face down on it with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Let your arms hang straight toward the floor, palms facing each other, with a slight bend in the elbows.
- Brace your core, press your toes into the floor, and lock that slight elbow bend for the set.
- Open your arms out to the sides in a wide arc, leading with your elbows toward the ceiling.
- Squeeze your rear delts and mid-back together at the top of the raise, pausing briefly.
- Lower the dumbbells under control over 2-3 seconds back to the hanging start position.
Key technique cue
Elbows lead to the ceiling at a fixed bend; don't row back or shrug.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Bending and straightening the elbows mid-rep, which brings the triceps and traps into the exercise.
- ✕ Pulling the dumbbells back like a row, swapping rear-delt isolation for mid-back work.
- ✕ Shrugging at the top, which trades rear-delt work for trap involvement.
- ✕ Going too heavy, which forces swinging technique and removes the strict isolation the bench provides.
Benefits
- ✓ Isolates and builds the rear delts for balanced shoulder development.
- ✓ Takes the load off the lower back thanks to the chest support.
- ✓ Improves posture by strengthening the upper-back muscles that open up the shoulders.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Dumbbell Lying Reverse Fly
- Dumbbell Lying One-Arm Rear Lateral Raise
- Prone Lateral Raises
- Reverse Pec Deck
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Step 2 -
Step 3
About the exercise
The Dumbbell Laying Reverse Fly is a reverse fly performed lying chest-down on an incline bench. This position takes the lower back out of the exercise completely and forces the rear delts and mid-back to do all the work as the arms open out to the sides — making it one of the cleanest rear-delt isolations there is. It is the rear-delt exercise to choose if your lower back hurts during bent-over reverse flies. It fits pull days, posture-correction blocks, postural training for office workers, and any hypertrophy program building a balanced shoulder. The bench also enforces strict technique automatically.
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