Shoulders · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Rear Fly
How to do the dumbbell rear fly, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPull
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and hinge forward at the hips until your torso is near parallel to the floor, arms hanging straight down. With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until your arms are level with your torso, then lower under control.
- 1Feel your rear delts and upper back squeezing as you spread your arms
- 2Lead with your elbows and keep a soft, fixed bend throughout
- 3Pinch your shoulder blades together at the top of each rep
Common mistakes
- Avoid swinging the weights up with momentum or jerking your torso
- Don't shrug your shoulders toward your ears as you lift
- Don't round your back; keep your chest proud and spine neutral
Muscles worked
The dumbbell rear fly mainly works the rear delts and mid traps, with the lower traps assisting.
- Rear DeltsPrimary
- Mid TrapsPrimary
- Lower TrapsSupport
- BicepsMinor
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- External RotatorsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell rear fly for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More shoulders exercises
- How to do the battle rope alternating waves
- How to do the arm circles
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the resistance band front raise
- How to do the resistance band lateral raise
- How to do the resistance band overhead press
Last reviewed June 2026.