Rear Delt Flyes

[Faust24]

So I realized I was not working my rear delts as much as the rest of my delts so I added this excerise.

Now I use dumbells and just bend over, but when I do this I can only do like 15 lbs with straight arms, I can do 35s if I bend my arms. However when I bend my arms it seems like my traps are doing all the work.

1. I am thinking of giving up Rear Delt Flyes, is there any other good movements for Rear Delts?

2. Does Rear Delt flyes with bent elbows still actively hit the delts?

[kanis999]

Do them with straight arms, and use light weights. I have to use 10s to really isolate the rear delts. I could do more weight, but I end up cheating with the traps and rhomboids.

[DJAuto]

Both are suitable variations. Most will keep a slight bend in the elbow, similar to when performing DB chest flys.

[DukeX2]

You can only lift 15 pounds with your rear delts because they're weak as **** and you never train them. Obvi you should stop doing rear delts and find a new exercise that can really challenge you.

[AlecAzam]

Most fly machines have the option to do rear delt flys. I use these instead of DB.

[Kevin204]

If your rear delt flyes are weak, it's cause you said so yourself that your rear delts are lacking. Keep doing the rear flyes with good form (if you have to use momentum to get the weight up, it's too heavy), even try holding at the top of the lift. Rear delts don't form over night, when you see guys with round delts its because they've been crushing their delts for years.

also try Facepulls. http://www.weightliftingdiscussion.com/facepull.html

[DYTrainer]

If you are going to use dumbbells then you must be sure that the weight is traveling laterally and not towards the back. When doing a lighter weight you were able to do that, but once you upped the weight your form suffered and the bigger muscles of the back were taking over. I'd bet you were doing something closer to a row than a rear flye. I personally like the reverse peck deck as can really focus on moving the weight with the rear delts and nice static contraction.

[k9pit]

So I realized I was not working my rear delts as much as the rest of my delts so I added this excerise.

Now I use dumbells and just bend over, but when I do this I can only do like 15 lbs with straight arms, I can do 35s if I bend my arms. However when I bend my arms it seems like my traps are doing all the work.

Upper traps? If so I think your form may be off. It doesn't take a lot of weight to make Rear Delt flyes effective. Sometimes if I do them last in my routine, I may only use 15lbs and my Rear Delts are defined without flexing. I've never used 35lbs DBs, I think the highest I ever tried was 30lbs. Whatever. I keep my arms slightly bent and I do them seated to take some of the lower back stabilization out of the move.

1. I am thinking of giving up Rear Delt Flyes, is there any other good movements for Rear Delts?

2. Does Rear Delt flyes with bent elbows still actively hit the delts?

1. You can keep it simple and stick to One arm DB or BB Rear Delt Rowing movements. The Smith (standing bent over row to upper chest) is a good way to isolate them if you have access to one. Reverse Cable Crossovers and face pulls are also very effective.

2. Yes, as long as you are pulling using your Rear Delts as the primary movers. I keep about a 140 degree bend in my elbows when I do them.