Bent Over Lateral Raise: Build Complete Rear Delts

Your rear delts are probably the most underdeveloped muscle on your body. If you have been doing overhead presses and lateral raises without direct rear delt work, your shoulders look impressive from the front but flat from the side and back.

The bent over lateral raise - also called the rear delt fly - is the most accessible rear delt exercise. No cable machine needed, no special equipment. Just a pair of dumbbells and the willingness to use lighter weight than your ego wants.

Why Rear Delts Matter

Your deltoid has three heads: anterior (front), lateral (side), and posterior (rear). Most gym programmes over-develop the anterior delt through excessive pressing - bench press, overhead press, push-ups - while the rear delt gets minimal direct stimulus.

This imbalance creates three problems:

Postural issues. Overdeveloped front delts relative to rear delts pull your shoulders forward into a rounded position. Desk workers in Malaysia already have this posture from sitting all day. Adding heavy pressing without rear delt work makes it worse.

Shoulder impingement risk. Muscular imbalance around the shoulder joint alters how your humerus (upper arm bone) moves in the socket. This can lead to impingement - pinching of the rotator cuff tendons during overhead movement. Painful and slow to heal.

Incomplete aesthetics. When you look at someone with well-developed rear delts from the side, their shoulders appear round and three-dimensional. Without rear delts, shoulders look flat from any angle except straight-on.

How to Perform the Bent Over Lateral Raise

Setup

1. Grab two dumbbells - start light (3-6kg per hand)
2. Stand with feet hip-width apart
3. Hinge forward at your hips until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor (or at least 45 degrees)
4. Let the dumbbells hang straight down with a slight elbow bend
5. Maintain a flat back - neutral spine, no rounding

The Raise

1. Raise both dumbbells out to your sides in a wide arc
2. Lead with your elbows - your elbows should rise before your hands
3. Raise until your upper arms are parallel to the floor (in line with your shoulders)
4. Hold the top position for 1-2 seconds - squeeze your rear delts and shoulder blades together
5. Lower the dumbbells under control - 2-3 seconds down
6. Do not let the dumbbells swing or use momentum

Hand Position

Neutral grip (palms facing each other): The most common position. Works well for most people.

Pronated grip (palms facing backward at the top): Slightly more rear delt emphasis but can aggravate shoulder issues in some people.

Slightly externally rotated (pinkies up at the top): Maximises posterior deltoid recruitment according to EMG data. Turn your thumbs slightly downward as you raise - as if pouring two glasses of water.

Common Mistakes

Using Too Much Weight

This is the number one error. The rear delt is a small muscle. It does not need or respond to heavy loads. If you are swinging 12kg dumbbells with body momentum, your rear delts are getting maybe 30% of the stimulus while your traps and lower back handle the rest.

Drop to 4-6kg. Feel the rear delt working. Add weight only when you can complete 15 clean reps with a 2-second hold at the top.

Not Bending Over Enough

If your torso is only at 30 degrees, the exercise becomes a lateral raise - targeting the side delt, not the rear. Your torso needs to be at least 45 degrees from vertical, ideally closer to parallel with the floor.

Shrugging the Weight Up

If your shoulders rise toward your ears during the raise, your upper traps are taking over. Actively depress your shoulders - pull them down away from your ears - before initiating the raise.

Rounding the Lower Back

Maintaining a flat back in the bent-over position is challenging, especially for people with tight hamstrings (common among desk workers). If your lower back rounds significantly, reduce the torso angle or sit on the edge of a bench and lean forward instead.

Swinging the Dumbbells

Each rep should start from a dead stop - no swinging momentum from the previous rep. Control the weight throughout the entire range of motion. If you cannot control it, it is too heavy.

Variations

Seated Bent Over Rear Delt Fly

Sit on the edge of a bench, lean your chest toward your thighs, and perform the same movement. This eliminates lower back strain and reduces the temptation to use body momentum.

• 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps
• Excellent for people with lower back issues

Chest-Supported Rear Delt Fly

Set an incline bench to 30-45 degrees. Lie face down on the bench with your arms hanging straight down. Perform the lateral raise from this supported position.

• Completely eliminates momentum and lower back involvement
• Probably the strictest rear delt variation
• 3 sets of 15-20 reps

Cable Rear Delt Fly

Use the cable machine with handles set at mid-height. Cross the cables (left hand holds right cable, right holds left) and perform a reverse fly motion.

• Cables provide constant tension through the entire range
• 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps
• Available at any Malaysian commercial gym with a cable crossover station

Face Pulls

Not technically a lateral raise, but the best overall rear delt exercise. Use a rope attachment on a high cable.

• Pull toward your face, splitting the rope past your ears
• Squeeze your rear delts and external rotators
• 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps
• Can (and should) be done every training session

Band Pull-Apart

Stand holding a resistance band at arm's length, chest height. Pull the band apart by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Simple, effective, and can be done daily.

• 100 reps per day (broken into sets of 20-25)
• Use a light band - this is not a strength exercise

Programming Rear Delt Work

Minimum Effective Dose

2-3 exercises per week, 8-12 sets total. This is sufficient for most people to maintain rear delt development and shoulder health.

Example:

• Monday (push day): Face pulls 3x15
• Wednesday (pull day): Bent over lateral raise 3x15, Band pull-aparts 3x20
• Friday (push day): Cable rear delt fly 3x15

For Rear Delt Prioritisation

If your rear delts are significantly lagging, increase volume to 15-20 sets per week for 8-12 weeks:

• Every training day: Band pull-aparts 3x20 (during warm-up)
• Pull day: Bent over lateral raise 4x15, Face pulls 4x15
• Push day: Cable rear delt fly 3x15

Superset Pairings

Rear delt exercises pair excellently with pressing movements as supersets:

• Bench press + Face pulls
• Overhead press + Bent over lateral raise
• Incline dumbbell press + Band pull-aparts

These pairings balance anterior and posterior delt stimulus within the same session and save time.

How Long for Visible Rear Delt Development?

Rear delts respond relatively quickly to direct training because most people have never trained them properly:

• 4 weeks: You can feel them working during exercises. Mind-muscle connection improves.
• 8 weeks: Visible rounding of the shoulder from the side view. Shirts begin to fit differently across the back of the shoulders.
• 12+ weeks: Clear posterior delt development visible from behind and in profile.

Consistency matters more than weight. A lifter doing 3x15 rear delt flies with 5kg dumbbells every session for 12 weeks will see far better results than someone doing 3x8 with 12kg dumbbells twice a month with terrible form.

Your rear delts are waiting for attention. Give it to them, and your shoulders - and your posture - will transform.