ProgreviaBent-over reverse flye: proper form, muscles worked and common mistakes
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How to do it
With the torso hinged forward, raise the arms out to the sides with a slight elbow bend to shoulder height, squeezing the rear delts. No momentum; lower slowly.
Muscles worked
Main muscle: shoulders. When it plans weekly volume, every set of this exercise counts in full for shoulders: the generator does not split it with other muscles.
Bent-over reverse flye vs. front raise: same shoulder, different head
The bent-over reverse flye opens the arms out and back with your torso leaned forward, and its main target is the rear head of the deltoid. The front raise lifts the arms forward and works the anterior head, which already gets plenty from any press. In practice they are opposite movements: one pulls back, the other pushes forward. The bent-over position makes gravity pull on the dumbbell perpendicular to the arm, so the load is greatest when your arms reach the level of your torso. Compared with the face pull, which also hits the rear delt, there is no external rotation here, and the resistance is gravity acting on the dumbbell.
Choose it if your shoulders look rounded forward from a lot of pressing, or if you want to round out the back of the shoulder. It works best at the end of a session in sets of 12 to 20 reps with light dumbbells. If your lower back tires before your shoulders do, rest your chest on an incline bench and do it supported.
One detail specific to this lift is to keep the same elbow bend from start to finish and move the arm from the shoulder, without thinking about lifting the hands. To progress, add reps first, and once you finish them with the same quality, go up a single weight step.
Technical sheet
- Movement pattern
- Isolation
- Minimum level
- Beginner
- Technical demand
- Basic
- Fatigue it generates
- Low (0.4 out of 2.2)
- Risk if technique breaks down
- Low
These are the values the generator uses to decide where the exercise goes within the session.
Recommended sets and reps
As an isolation exercise, it works best in 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps with 0–2 RIR. Use it at the end of the session to add volume without systemic fatigue.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Shrugging your shoulders up to your ears: the upper traps take over from the rear delts.
- Letting your dominant side do more of the work: each arm or leg completes the same range, at the same pace.
- Using too much weight at the cost of technique and full range of motion.
What the research says
This is an isolation exercise. For beginners, adding it on top of compound lifts does not always help: in the trial by Gentil and colleagues (2013), people who only did lat pulldowns gained as much arm size as those who also did curls. It earns its place with experience, and for muscles the big lifts leave short.
On how hard to push: the meta-analysis by Refalo and colleagues (2023) found no clear advantage in going to failure over stopping just short of it. That is why the generator programs it with reps in reserve (RIR) instead of asking for failure on every set.
- Gentil P, Soares SR, Pereira MC, et al. Effect of adding single-joint exercises to a multi-joint exercise resistance-training program on strength and hypertrophy in untrained subjects. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 2013;38(3):341-344.
- Refalo MC, Helms ER, Trexler ET, Hamilton DL, Fyfe JJ. Influence of resistance training proximity-to-failure on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2023;53(3):649-665.
How Bent-over reverse flye compares with other shoulders exercises
Of the 15 shoulders exercises in the catalogue, ranked from least to most fatiguing by the values the generator uses, Bent-over reverse flye is number 2 (tied with one other).
That makes it a good candidate for adding shoulders sets at the end of a session or in heavy weeks, when you want volume without extra fatigue.
With different equipment, the same movement pattern offers 5 alternatives, such as Band pull-apart, Band lateral raise and Cable lateral raise.
| Exercise | Equipment | Fatigue | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band pull-apart | resistance band | Low (0.3 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Band lateral raise | resistance band | Low (0.4 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Bent-over reverse flye | dumbbells | Low (0.4 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Front raise | dumbbells | Low (0.5 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Lateral raise | dumbbells | Low (0.5 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Cable lateral raise | cable | Low (0.5 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Machine lateral raise | machine | Low (0.5 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Face pull | cable | Low (0.5 out of 2.2) | Basic |
An isolation exercise. In the trial by Gentil et al. (2015), with untrained young men over ten weeks, the biceps curl and the lat pulldown were equally effective for gaining strength and size in the elbow flexors: isolation is not filler.
- Gentil P, Soares S, Bottaro M. Single vs. multi-joint resistance exercises: effects on muscle strength and hypertrophy. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine. 2015;6(2):e24057.
Related guide
Deltoids: the best exercises for each head
Alternative exercises
More isolation exercises
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does Bent-over reverse flye work?
Bent-over reverse flye mainly works the shoulders muscle group, plus synergist and stabilizer muscles depending on the variation.
How many sets of Bent-over reverse flye should I do?
Between 3 and 5 sets per session, adjusting the total weekly volume for shoulders to your level (about 10–20 sets per muscle per week).
Why do the dumbbells swing back in reverse flyes without my shoulder working?
Usually it's too much weight: when you can't handle the load, you straighten the elbows and pull with your back. Lower the weight, keep the same elbow bend and think about spreading the arms apart, not lifting them. If you still don't feel the rear deltoid, try resting your chest on an incline bench.
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