ExercisesStrength Training — Machines
Cable Rear Delt Fly: A Complete Guide
Also called Cable Reverse Fly, Face Pull — Fly
Quick Intro
Cable Rear Delt Fly, also called the Cable Reverse Fly or Face Pull — Fly, is a machine-based strength training exercise performed standing between two cable pulleys, pulling the handles outward and back in a reverse fly pattern. Crossing the cables in front of the body before pulling apart keeps constant tension on the rear delts and upper back through the whole arc.
Equipment Needed
A Cable Machine is required, with two pulleys positioned around chest level. No other equipment is needed.
Why It Matters
This fly depends on many controlled pulls against a fairly light resistance, building endurance in the rear shoulder along with strength. The back of the shoulder (deltoid, posterior) leads the pull, with support from the muscles between the shoulder blades (rhomboids) and the upper back muscle running across the shoulders (trapezius). Keeping the chest against the pad or hinged forward at the hips is what lets the rear delts, and not the lower back, generate the movement.
When to Do It
Cable Rear Delt Fly works well on a shoulder or pull day, either paired with pressing work for balanced shoulder development or added on a day focused on posture and upper back health. Two or three times a week, with enough recovery for the rear delts to rebuild, suits most people.
Anyone with a current shoulder issue should get individual guidance before loading this exercise heavily, since the wide pulling arc asks a lot of the back of the shoulder joint.
Getting Ready
A minute or two of arm circles or light band pull-aparts warms the shoulders and upper back up before adding cable resistance. A light set, focusing on leading with the elbows, previews how the pull feels before the working sets begin.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. The setup. Stand centered between two pulleys, crossing the arms to grip the opposite handle with each hand.
2. The starting position. Let the arms extend forward, feeling a light stretch across the upper back.
3. The pull. Lead with the elbows and pull the handles outward and back, squeezing the shoulder blades together.
4. The return. Bring the arms back forward under control, resisting the cables’ pull the whole way.
How Many, How Often
Cable Rear Delt Fly is dosed by reps, sets and the weight on the stack, with the load chosen relative to how well the elbows lead the pull without the lower back joining in.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to a cable reverse fly | 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps with a light weight, focused on leading with the elbows |
| Intermediate | The lower back stays quiet while the rear delts and upper back do the pulling | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps with a weight where the last 1 to 2 reps are hard for the rear delts |
| Advanced | Comfortable working near a heavy top set | 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps, occasionally pausing at the widest point for extra tension |
Elbows leading the pull matters more here than how much weight sits on the stack, since a heavy load that forces the lower back to help defeats the isolation purpose of this exercise.
Modifications and Variations
As a different technique with the same equipment, Face Pull uses a rope attachment pulled toward the face from a high pulley, adding an external rotation component this version doesn’t include.
With different equipment, Rear Delt Fly does the same reverse fly with dumbbells from a hinged-forward position, where the resistance is greatest at the top of the arc.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Hinging forward with the lower back to add range. Rounding the lower back to reach a bigger range, when the bend should come from the hips, shifts strain onto the spine. Setting up with the hips already hinged and the chest steady keeps the lower back out of the movement.
Leading with the hands. Letting the hands pull ahead of the elbows reduces how much the rear delts and upper back contribute to the movement. Thinking about driving the elbows back keeps the tension on the right muscles.
Using too much weight and shortening the range. Loading more weight than the rear delts can control shortens the pull and turns the exercise into a partial-range yank. A lighter weight moved through a full arc builds more strength here.
After Your Set
Reaching one arm across the body and holding it gently with the other stretches the rear shoulder and upper back after a set of reverse fly work. Clasping both hands in front of the body and rounding the upper back forward finishes releasing the muscles between the shoulder blades.
Going Deeper
Cable Rear Delt Fly pairs well with pressing exercises, since the rear delts and upper back rarely get direct attention unless a pulling or reverse-fly movement is included. The rear delts are a small muscle group asked to move through a fairly wide arc, so it’s tempting to add weight faster than good form can support, and the lower back or hips start helping finish the pull. Putting elbow-led pulling ahead of added weight gets past a plateau sooner than loading the stack.
Someone new to this exercise typically learns elbow-led pulling within the first few sessions, then works up to a confident working weight over four to six weeks as the rear delts and upper back adapt to the isolated pattern.
How to Know You’re Improving
- A pull led clearly by the elbows, not the hands
- A lower back that stays quiet through the whole set
- A full squeeze held briefly at the widest point of the pull
- A working weight heavy enough that the last 1 to 2 reps are hard for the rear delts
Elbow-led pulling with a quiet lower back matters more as progress than the number on the stack.
Muscles Worked
- Posterior Deltoid (the back of the shoulder, leading the pull out against the cables)
- Rhomboids (the muscles between the shoulder blades, assisting the squeeze)
- Trapezius (the upper back muscle running across the shoulders, steadying the shoulder as the arms sweep backward)
FAQ
Is Cable Rear Delt Fly better than a dumbbell rear delt fly? Neither is strictly better. This version keeps constant tension through a wide, crossed cable path, while Rear Delt Fly uses dumbbells, which load the top of the arc most and the bottom hardly at all, and many shoulder programs benefit from including both.
Why does this exercise feel similar to a Face Pull? Both target the rear delts and upper back through a pulling motion, but Face Pull uses a rope pulled toward the face with an external rotation finish, while this version stays a wider, more open fly pattern without that rotation.
What does a face pull add that this fly doesn’t? A face pull finishes with the forearms rotating up so the knuckles point to the ceiling, which works the rotator cuff in a way this fly doesn’t. This exercise stays a simpler outward pulling arc.
Is some upper back fatigue after this exercise normal? Yes, a worked feeling through the rear delts and upper back by the end of a set is expected. Sharp pain deep in the shoulder joint is a separate signal and worth having a doctor or physical therapist look at.
How often should the cable rear delt fly be trained? Two or three times a week works for most people, especially since the rear delts also get some indirect work from rowing movements earlier in a session.
Related to Face Pull and Rear Delt Fly as alternatives.