Next time you hit the gym or do a workout in your living room, think about your delts. We use our delts in so many different ways every day. Whether you are pushing a stroller, throwing around a slam ball, or needing to open something heavy, your rear deltoids are responsible for helping you achieve these activities. And not to mention, keeping your posture looking pretty (or not so pretty–if this you, you need to pay extra attention to them). Especially, those that are sitting at the computer all day, listen up–these rear delt exercises are definitely for you.
What are your deltoids?
Your deltoids are made up of three parts.
- The anterior deltoid: which is at the front of your body
- The intermediate deltoid: which is runs over the top of your shoulder
- The rear deltoid: which is located at the back of the shoulder
Today we are focusing on the rear deltoid which assists the back muscles to extend the shoulder and help you maintain proper posture to act as a major stabilizer of the shoulder to help prevent back pain and keep the shoulders strong. When we have hunched shoulders due to weak deltoids, our head has to then come forward to compensate which can lead to more serious problems if not kept strong.
3 Rear Delt Exercises
Mat Facing Prone Reverse Flies
Simply lie on the ground on your stomach with a weight in each hand and your arms out to the side to form a ‘T’ shape with your body. (You probably want to go light the first try.) Next, you want to activate or engage your back by lighting your chest slightly and activate your core. Turn your palms to face towards your head as you raise your arms towards the ceiling, squeezing your shoulder blades together. The movement might not be that big of a range of motion, but trust us–it is working. Try 15 reps. Repeat 3 times.
Inverted Row
This exercise can be done in the gym or at home. Either find a barbell in a rack at the gym or find two chairs and a very sturdy broomstick or another sturdy pole from another household item. Lie down underneath your bar or pole with your feet raised onto a chair, bench, or something elevated that is about the height of a regular dining room table chair. Grab the bar or pole with your hands positioned slightly wider than your shoulders. Next, engage your glutes and core as you pull your body toward the bar while keeping your body in a tight plank position meaning everything raises together. Your chest isn’t lifting without your butt. This move will target your rear delts, unlike a regular row. Try 10 to 12 sets, 3 times.
Triceps Kickback
We totally get that this one seems a bit off. Yes, it is a triceps movement (more bang for your buck), but you definitely engage the rear delts too. The rear delts are used to keep your arm in the right position and will certainly burn just as much as your triceps. In a bent-over position, or kneeling on a bench or couch, grab a medium-weight dumbbell. Pull your elbow up so that it comes within alignment with your back. Your arm should form a 90-degree position at the elbow. Now, this is your starting point. The endpoint of this exercise is to straighten your arm, allowing the dumbbell to come up and back towards your hip area. As you bend your arm at the elbow to come back to 90-degrees do not lower the elbow and go right back into straightening the arm out again. Try 15 repetitions before switching to the other arm for 3 sets.
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