delts
Rear Delt Fly
Works in
gym, home
Equipment
dumbbells
Primary muscles
rear deltoid
Why do it
A great rehab and balance exercise for the shoulders, especially done chest-down on an incline bench so you cannot cheat with momentum. Most guys are heavy on pressing and light on the rear delts, and this evens that out to keep the shoulder healthy. Keep it light and squeeze the back of the shoulder.
How to do it
Hinge forward at the hips with a flat back and let light dumbbells hang beneath your shoulders. Raise the weights out to the sides with a slight elbow bend until your arms are level with your torso, then lower under control. Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top.
What the science says
Slow, heavy eccentrics are a proven tendon fix: the classic protocol resolved long-standing tendon pain and got every subject back to full activity (Alfredson et al., 1998, American Journal of Sports Medicine).