How many reps of the bent-over dumbbell reverse fly should a beginner do?

Almost everyone starts too heavy here and turns the movement into a row, so pick 2 to 5 kg dumbbells that feel like nothing for the first three reps and do three sets of 12 to 15. Build to 20 clean reps before you go up a size, and run it late in the session once the shoulders have already done some work.

What can I do instead of the bent-over reverse fly at home?

Band pull-aparts cover the same rear-delt and mid-back job with no hinge at all, which also spares your lower back. Two full water bottles or a pair of large food cans stand in for light dumbbells, and resting your chest on the back of a chair lets you hold the position without holding the hinge yourself.

What is the bent-over reverse fly for, and when is it a poor choice?

It trains the rear delts directly, which nothing in your pressing does, so it balances a push-heavy program and supports the posture desk work erodes. It is not a lift to load heavily; past a certain weight it always becomes a row. It is also the wrong pick for anyone who cannot hold a flat back in a hinge, since that position falls to the lower back first, and a chest-supported version solves it.

Beginner

Bent-Over Dumbbell Reverse Fly

The rear delts get little direct work from pressing, so this movement is key for balanced, healthy shoulders and better posture. Hinging over and sweeping the dumbbells out in a wide arc puts the posterior head in its strongest line of pull. Keep the weight light and the reps clean, since ego lifting here just turns it into a row.

Equipment: Dumbbell
Body part: Shoulder
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Deltoid Posterior
Browse by movement: Horizontal Pull

How to do it

1
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and hinge at the hips until your torso is close to parallel with the floor.
2
Let the dumbbells hang under your shoulders with a slight bend in the elbows and palms facing each other.
3
Brace your abs and keep your back flat.
4
Raise the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until your arms reach about shoulder level.
5
Squeeze your rear delts at the top, then lower under control and repeat.

Tips

Lead with your elbows and keep them slightly bent so the rear delts, not the biceps, do the work.
Avoid shrugging or squeezing the shoulder blades hard; think about spreading the arms wide.
Keep your neck long and your back flat; rounding over strains the lower back.

Variations

Common mistakes

The torso rises toward upright as the set wears on, and once your chest is well above parallel the dumbbells swing forward instead of loading the rear delts.
The dumbbells travel back toward the hips like a row, which hands the work to the lats; sweep them out wide to the sides instead.
A small bounce through the knees and hips lifts the weights, and if the torso pops on every rep the rear delts are along for the ride.
Raising the dumbbells above shoulder height adds no rear-delt work and tips the load onto the traps.
The neck extends to find a mirror, so your head stays cranked back under load for the whole set; look at the floor a foot in front of you instead.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the bent-over dumbbell reverse fly should a beginner do?: Almost everyone starts too heavy here and turns the movement into a row, so pick 2 to 5 kg dumbbells that feel like nothing for the first three reps and do three sets of 12 to 15. Build to 20 clean reps before you go up a size, and run it late in the session once the shoulders have already done some work.
What can I do instead of the bent-over reverse fly at home?: Band pull-aparts cover the same rear-delt and mid-back job with no hinge at all, which also spares your lower back. Two full water bottles or a pair of large food cans stand in for light dumbbells, and resting your chest on the back of a chair lets you hold the position without holding the hinge yourself.
What is the bent-over reverse fly for, and when is it a poor choice?: It trains the rear delts directly, which nothing in your pressing does, so it balances a push-heavy program and supports the posture desk work erodes. It is not a lift to load heavily; past a certain weight it always becomes a row. It is also the wrong pick for anyone who cannot hold a flat back in a hinge, since that position falls to the lower back first, and a chest-supported version solves it.

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