Working out at home doesn’t mean you have to miss out on developing your rear delts. You can build your rear delts with bodyweight movements or by using a resistance band:
Bodyweight Rear Delt Exercises
- Inverted rows
- Rear delt push-ups
- YTWs
Resistance Band Rear Delt Exercises
- Face pulls
- Bent over rows
- Reverse flyes
You can focus on purely bodyweight rear delt movements to activate these essential shoulder muscles. Alternatively, you can invest in an inexpensive resistance band to add even more variety to your at-home routine.
Table of Contents
What are the Benefits of Rear Delt Workouts?
If you’re looking to build strong, sculpted shoulders, it’s essential to include rear delt exercises in your workout routine. The rear deltoids, or posterior deltoids, are the muscles at the back of your shoulders. They’re crucial for good posture, preventing injury, and maintaining overall shoulder stability.
- Improve posture.
- Reduce injury risk.
- Stabilize shoulders for better exercise form.
- Correct common muscle imbalances.
A strong set of rear delts can help correct poor posture caused by spending long hours sitting at a desk or hunching over a smartphone. Additionally, they help counterbalance the dominant front deltoids, which often get overdeveloped through exercises like bench presses and push-ups.
Start with Warm-ups
A proper warm-up is essential to prevent injury during a rear delt workout. Perform some dynamic stretches targeting your shoulders and upper body. Arm circles and shoulder rolls are a great start. So are jumping jacks and resistance band pull-aparts. 5 minutes of active upper body warm-ups will get your blood flowing and help you avoid muscle strains.
Top 3 Bodyweight Rear Delt Exercises
Even if you don’t have any workout equipment on hand, you can get an excellent rear delt workout using only your body weight. The following exercises are great for primarily activating your rear delts:
Inverted Rows
Inverted rows are a fantastic exercise to target your rear delts, as well as your mid and upper back muscles. You can perform this exercise using a sturdy table or a horizontal bar set at waist height.
- Lie on your back under a table or bar.
- Grab the edge of the table or the bar with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
- Position your body in a straight line from your heels to your head.
- Pull your chest up towards the table or bar, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Lower yourself back down slowly, maintaining control throughout the movement.
Perform 3–5 sets of inverted rows, with 60–90 seconds between sets. Begin with as few as 3–5 reps per-set, then gradually add more reps per-set each time you workout. Once you are performing 10–15 reps per-set, you will be in the sweet spot for building muscle size and endurance.
Rear Delt Push-Ups
This variation of the classic push-up focuses on engaging your rear deltoids. For this exercise:
- Start in a regular push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower yourself down as you would in a standard push-up, but keep your elbows flared out to the sides at a 90-degree angle.
- Push back up to the starting position, focusing on using your rear delts to drive the movement.
- Perform 3–5 sets of 5–15 reps (depending on your skill level).
If you are new to push-ups, begin by performing rear-delt push ups with your knees resting on the ground. As you get stronger, you can increase the intensity by keeping your knees off the ground. It’s essential to keep your back straight throughout the push-up. This will engage your muscles and prevent injury.
YTWs
YTWs are a series of movements that target the rear deltoids and surrounding muscles. These are performed while lying face down on the floor.
- For the “Y” movement, extend your arms straight out in front of you, forming a Y shape with your body.
- Raise your arms up as high as possible, keeping them straight, and then lower them back down.
- For the “T” movement, extend your arms out to the sides, in line with your shoulders.
- Raise your arms up as high as possible, keeping them straight, and then lower them back down.
- For the “W” movement, bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle, and position your arms so that they form a W shape with your body.
- Raise your arms up as high as possible, keeping your elbows bent, and then lower them back down.
Perform the Y, T, and W movements in order, then repeat from the top. To start, aim for performing 3 YTWs in each set. Then, add more as you grow stronger.
3 Resistance Band Rear Delt Exercises
Resistance bands are a great addition to your home workout because they are excellent tools for warm-ups and strength-building exercises. This set of resistance bands can up your rear delt game. Once you have resistance bands, you can add these rear delt exercises to your routine.
Resistance Band Face Pulls
Face pulls are a fantastic exercise for targeting the rear deltoids, and they’re easy to do at home with a resistance band.
- Attach the band to a sturdy anchor point at about chest height.
- Hold the band with both hands, using an overhand grip.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and step back to create tension in the band.
- Pull the band towards your face, keeping your elbows up and out to the sides.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the movement and then slowly return to the starting position.
If you’re not familiar with face pulls, check out our detailed article on how face pulls build your rear delts. We have tips on proper form there to ensure you get the best rear delt activation possible.
Resistance Band Bent Over Rows
Bent over rows with a resistance band are another great option for working your rear deltoids at home.
- Step on the middle of the band with both feet, positioned shoulder-width apart.
- Hold the ends of the band with your palms facing each other.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the waist, keeping your back straight.
- Pull the band up towards your chest, driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Slowly lower the band back down to the starting position.
In order to encourage more rear delt engagement, use the shoulder-width grip and think of driving your elbows up toward the ceiling. If you move your grip inward so that your elbows are close to your sides throughout the row, you will work the muscles of your back. So, you can use both variations to build muscle throughout your back and shoulders.
Resistance Band Reverse Flyes
Reverse flyes with a resistance band help isolate the rear deltoids and improve shoulder stability. Here’s how to do them:
- Attach the band to a sturdy anchor point at chest height.
- Hold the ends of the band with your palms facing each other and your arms extended in front of you.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and step back to create tension in the band.
- Keeping your arms straight, pull the band apart and out to the sides, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
Reverse flyes are one of my favorite rear delt exercises. They target the rear delts throughout the horizontal abduction of the shoulder joint. This engages the muscles a bit differently than working rear delts through “pulling” motions. So, they can help break up the monotony of your workout routine and build new exercise skills.
Are There Rear Delt Exercises You Can Do at Home?
Incorporating rear delt exercises into your at-home workout routine is essential for a balanced, strong physique. If you want to focus on bodyweight exercises, perform inverted rows using a table or bar. Or, you can use your bodyweight to perform rear delt push-ups and YTWs. If you have a set of resistance bands, use them to do resistance band face pulls, bent over rows, and face pulls. This means that you can mix six different rear delt exercises into your routine without ever setting foot in the gym.
