Best Cable Exercises for Rear Deltoids

Best Cable Exercises for Rear Deltoids

Your rear deltoids are just as important as your front and side deltoids. Neglecting them can lead to imbalanced shoulders and a posture that resembles a hunchback.

Cable exercises are one of the best ways to hit your rear delts, and I'm about to show you some of the best ones. You'll need a cable machine or resistance bands to perform these exercises.

Here are the best cable exercises for your rear deltoids:

1. Cable Face Pulls

Cable face pulls are one of my favorite exercises for rear delts and overall shoulder health. They're a great exercise to hit your rear delts, traps, rhomboids, and rotator cuff muscles.

How to Do Cable Face Pulls:

  • Attach a tricep rope extension to a high pulley on the cable machine.

  • Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.

  • Hold the rope with both hands and pull it towards your face. Your elbows should be up and back.

2. Cable Rear Delt Flies

Cable rear delt flies isolate your rear delts by mimicking the reverse fly motion with continuous tension.

How to Do Cable Rear Delt Flies:

  • Attach a single handle to each side of a cable crossover machine.

3. Cable Reverse Grip Rows

Cable reverse grip rows are another exercise that target your rear delts, as well as your upper back and arms.

How to Do Cable Reverse Grip Rows:

  • Attach a bar or handle to a cable machine or a set of cable crossover handles.

This rear delt fly variation of cable rows changes the emphasis from your lats and biceps to your rear delts. A reverse grip (palms up) helps to further engage your rear delts and activates your lower traps for shoulder blade depression.

How to Do Cable Reverse Grip Rows:

  • Attach a straight bar to a low pulley on the cable machine.

  • Sit on a bench facing the machine with your feet flat on the floor.

  • Hold the bar with both hands in a reverse grip.

  • Lean back slightly and pull the bar up to your lower chest, keeping your back straight and your elbows close to your body.

Why Are Cable Exercises Good for Rear Deltoids?

Your rear deltoids are just as important as your front and side deltoids. Neglecting them can lead to poor posture, injury, and unstable shoulders.

Cable exercises are one of the best ways to target your rear delts because they offer continuous tension throughout the movement. They're a great way to isolate this muscle group and improve the overall health of your shoulders.

Reading next

home gym smith machine functional trainer - MIKOLO

Leave a comment

This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Articles & Guides

View all

Lower Traps Workout with Smith Machine

Your lower traps are pretty important for keeping your shoulders feeling good and your posture on point. Most folks hit upper traps hard with shrugs, but honestly, lower traps deserve some love too...

MIKOLO 21-Day Challenge: Train Every Day, Win Big & Build Real Consistency

At MIKOLO, we believe real progress comes from one thing: showing up consistently. That’s why we created the MIKOLO 21-Day Challenge — a community-driven fitness challenge designed to help you bui...

What Do Cable Ratios Mean

What Do Cable Ratios Mean

Have you ever wondered why the weight you select on a cable machine doesn’t always feel like the same amount of resistance you experience during a pull or press? That difference comes down to cable...