Reverse Pec Deck
Rear DeltsMachineBeginner
A rear-delt machine staple for shoulders that look complete from the side and back.
Muscle worked
Rear Delts
Equipment
Machine
Difficulty
Beginner
Time per set
30-60s
How to perform
Step by step, every rep
01
Face the pad
Sit facing the machine with chest on the pad and handles at shoulder height.
02
Set soft elbows
Keep arms slightly bent and shoulders down.
03
Open the arms
Pull handles apart by driving elbows back.
04
Return slowly
Control the handles forward without rounding shoulders hard.
Common mistakes
Avoid these
✕
Shrugging
Upper traps take over. Fix: Keep shoulders down and lead with elbows.
✕
Using bent-arm row mechanics
Back takes over from rear delts. Fix: Keep elbow angle mostly fixed.
✕
Slam return
Tension disappears. Fix: Lower slowly to the start.
Progressions
Scale it up or down
Make it easier
- Rear delt fly
- Face pull
- Band pull-apart
Make it harder
- Paused reverse pec deck
- Single-arm reverse pec deck
- High-rep rear delt finisher
How to program it
Sets, reps, rest
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest | Load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build Strength | 3-4 | 6-8 | 90-120s | Heavy enough to need focus, light enough to control. |
| Build Muscle | 3-4 | 8-15 | 60-90s | Moderate. Last 2 reps should burn without breaking form. |
| Build Endurance | 2-3 | 15-25 | 45-60s | Lighter. Smooth tempo and constant tension. |
Want this exercise programmed into a full plan?
Learning the form is step one. Fitting it into a plan built around your body, your equipment, your schedule and your food is what actually changes things. Fuel your sessions with enough protein using the Indian Food Database.
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