Rear delts exercise
Cable Reverse FlyHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Rear delts
- Also works
- Upper back
- Equipment
- Cable
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Cable Reverse Fly?
- Set both pulleys high and stand between them, half a step back.
- Cross the cables: left hand takes the right cable, right hand the left.
- Start with your arms crossed in front at shoulder height, elbows soft.
- Sweep your arms out to the sides until they form a straight line.
- Pause, then bring them back slowly.
Cues
- Arms wide, at shoulder height.
- Keep the elbow bend fixed.
- Stand tall, don't lean back.
Common mistakes
- Leaning back to move the weight: lighten it and keep your trunk still.
- Bending your elbows: lock in a slight bend and keep it.
- Letting your hands drop: keep them level with your shoulders the whole way.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
Starting position
Both pulleys of a crossover set high, at about the top of the athlete's head (about 25 cm above shoulder height), single D-handles or bare cable ends. Cross the cables: the left hand holds the right cable and the right hand the left cable. Stand centred between the columns, about 50–60 cm behind the line joining the pulleys, so the cables cross in front of the chest. Feet hip-width apart, knees soft (about 10°), trunk upright, stomach braced, shoulders set down, gaze ahead.
The movement
Each hand travels a flat arc at shoulder height around its shoulder, from crossed in front to straight out to the side. Only the arms move; the trunk does not lean back or rotate, the elbows do not bend, the hands do not drop.
End position
Arms swept out to the sides until they form a straight line through the shoulders (a T seen from the front), still at shoulder height. Elbow bend unchanged, palms facing forward / down. Shoulder blades drawn together lightly. Pause 0.5 s.
Tempo
Open 1.5 s / pause 0.5 s / return 2 s.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulley height | 25 cm above the shoulders | shoulder height to 35 cm above | |
| Hand height | shoulder height | ±5 cm through the rep | |
| Trunk angle from vertical | 0° | 0–5°, no change in the rep | |
| Elbow flexion (fixed) | 15° | 10–20° | |
| Hand crossing at the start | wrists crossed | 0–10 cm overlap | |
| Arms behind the shoulder line at the end (top view) | 0° | 0–10° |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Cable Reverse Fly is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
