Fysiqal

Isolation · Beginner

Cable Rear Delt Fly

Isolation isolation exercise using cable.
Movement pattern
Isolation
Difficulty
Beginner
Equipment
Cable
Mechanics
Isolation
Sides
Bilateral
Main plane
Transverse

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How to do the Cable Rear Delt Fly

Cues reviewed by Kwabena Osei on

Setup

Stand between two cable pulleys set at roughly chest height, crossing your hands to grab the opposite-side handle with each hand.

  1. Pull both handles out and back to your sides in a wide arc, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the end.

  2. Keep a slight bend in your elbows throughout, and keep your torso still -- the movement happens at your shoulders.

  3. Return under control to the starting crossed position.

Common mistakes

  • Using your arms/biceps to pull the handles instead of leading with your rear shoulder and shoulder blades.

  • Leaning back or using body momentum to help move the weight instead of an isolated, controlled pull.

Muscles worked

Primary

Secondary

How the knowledge graph models this movement

Each joint action, with the role and emphasis the graph assigns each muscle. These are qualitative anatomical labels, not measured muscle activation.

  • Shoulder horizontal abductionprimary action

    Posterior deltoid (prime mover, high emphasis); Infraspinatus (synergist, moderate emphasis); Teres minor (synergist, moderate emphasis); Teres major (synergist, low emphasis)

  • Scapula retractionsecondary action

    Rhomboids (synergist, moderate emphasis); Trapezius (synergist, moderate emphasis); Trapezius (synergist, low emphasis)

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Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional for individual guidance, especially around injury, pregnancy or medical conditions.