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The rear delt machine can help you build the muscles at the back of your shoulders. It is also an effective way to correct bad posture, but many people don’t use real delt machines properly. Here’s how to properly use the rear delt machine.
We’ve compiled some advice from personal trainers, experts, and other professional guides to help you properly use the rear deltoid machine.
To use the rear delt machine correctly, you must maintain the correct posture with the correct grip, maintain good form, and only engage your rear deltoid muscles. For example, gripping too tightly, shrugging your shoulders upwards, and rushing the motion will not yield optimal results. See How To Build Bigger Traps Fast.
Key Takeaways:
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- The rear deltoid machine builds your posterior deltoid (the back of your shoulders). It is also known as a reverse fly machine.
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- To use the rear deltoid machine properly, you must sit with your chest flat against the padding, holding the handles at shoulder level, engaging your core to maintain posture, and using the back of your shoulders to pull the handles back until they’re at your side.
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- Some common errors that will curtail your results with a rear deltoid machine include gripping the handles too tight, shrugging the shoulders upwards, and rushing the motion.
See the items below if you are in a hurry to see the best products we recommend for the workouts.
Contents
What Is a Rear Delt Machine & How Should You Use It?
The rear delt machine, also known as the reverse fly machine, is a machine you can find at the gym to help you build muscle at the back of your shoulders – the posterior deltoid.
It replicates the rear-fly exercise commonly practiced with a set of dumbbells.
However, the rear delt machine is a better way to exercise your posterior deltoids if you’re an inexperienced weight lifter because it reduces the risk of injury by providing stability.
A rear deltoid machine will help you build stronger shoulder muscles with stable rear-fly exercises that will improve performance in similar exercises such as bench presses and deadlifts, among others.
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to properly use the rear delt machine:
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- To set up for the exercise, adjust the seat on the rear delt machine so that you would grip the handles just below your clavicles and your chest is pressed flush against the padding while you’re seated with your feet in front of you a shoulder-width apart.
- Contract your rear deltoids and pull the handles back until they’re at your side, in line with your shoulders. Maintain good form and engage your core to stabilize the rest of your body.
- Pull your rear deltoids together in a “squeezing” action and return to the starting position with control.
- Repeat the movement. See more in Workouts to Get Bigger Delts.
We recommend starting with a set of 15 reps on a low weight before moving up to 12 reps on a higher weight and ending with a set of 10 reps, another weight class up.
Stay constantly aware of your form, which is more important than how much weight you’re lifting; failing to do so will result in common rear delt machine errors that will yield minimum gains. See more in Exercises To Correct Rounded Shoulders Posture.
Common Rear Delt Machine Errors
One of the great benefits of the rear delt machine is that it replicates the movement used in reverse fly dumbbell lifts while ensuring that you maintain stability.
Therefore, it is ideal for less experienced weightlifters and those recovering from injuries to build strong posterior deltoid muscles without putting unnecessary strain on the wrong muscles.
But, you may be making some common rear delt machine errors that mitigate these benefits. See more in Why Your Side Delts Aren’t Growing and Reasons You Have Underdeveloped Rear Delts.
So, here are some errors that will prevent you from using the rear delt machine properly:
Incorrect Grip
While doing rear delt machine exercises, you don’t want to grip the handles too tightly and should instead opt for a lighter grip.
Keeping too firm a grip will engage your traps rather than your posterior deltoids.
You need to ensure that you’re only squeezing your shoulder blades together, not using anything else to pull the handles back.
Upward Shoulder Shrugs
You must avoid shrugging your shoulders upwards during the rear fly motion that the rear delt machine replicates.
It is a common symptom of lifting too much weight. If you shrug your shoulders, you will engage your traps, which, once again, is not the muscle that you’re targeting.
Instead, use a lower weight class and ensure your shoulders are down while lifting the handles backward.
Rushed Form
While some people like to use explosive movements and rushed motions to perform some exercises and improve gains, this will not yield optimal results with a rear delt machine.
If you rush the motion, your form will suffer, reducing the tension placed on your posterior deltoids and your gains from the activity.
Rear Delt Machine Alternatives
Rear delt machines are excellent pieces of gym equipment and have countless benefits.
However, if you want to build shoulder muscles and are committed to a home workout, there are exercises that you can do from the comfort of your own home.
Firstly, you can use resistance bands to do standing rope face pulls, which requires you to pull either end of a resistance band attached to the wall level with your head.
Pull the bands backward towards your face with your elbows out and then slowly return to the starting position; repeat the motion.
See excellent resistance bands for beginners below.
Thirdly, you can do dumbbell rear delt flies by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, keeping your back straight, and bending forwards until you’re almost parallel with the floor.
With dumbbells in each hand and a slight bend in your elbows, keep your core tight, and lift the dumbells upwards and to your sides. Slowly return to the starting position.
See excellent adjustable dumbells below.
Finally, the bent-over face pull is a similar exercise to the dumbbell rear delt fly.
Bent over with your knees slightly bent and feet shoulder-width apart, back straight, and chest almost parallel to the floor, lift a kettlebell to your face with both hands, slowly lower to the starting position and repeat.
See our top three recommended kettlebells below.
Conclusion
We hope you have learned how to properly use the rear delt machine.
The rear delt machine is a piece of highly effective gym equipment that will help you build more muscular shoulders and better posture.
It allows you to replicate the movement of rear delt flies while maintaining stability, making it ideal for weightlifters with little experience or people who are recovering from injuries.
If you want to use the rear delt machine properly, avoid mistakes such as gripping the handles too tightly, rushing the motion, and shrugging your shoulders upwards.
Last update on 2022-10-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
