Shoulders · Cable
Single Arm Reverse Fly
How to do the single arm reverse fly, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Cable
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Fly
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Set a single cable handle at shoulder height. Stand sideways to the machine and grab the handle with the outside hand. With a slight bend in the elbow, pull the handle across your body until your arm is extended to the side. Focus on contracting your rear delts.
- 1Stand perpendicular to the cable and pull the handle back in a wide arc; you should feel your rear delt and upper back contracting
- 2Keep your arm nearly straight and your torso still, focusing on squeezing your shoulder blade
- 3Control the return for a gentle stretch across your chest
Common mistakes
- Don't rotate your torso or use your body weight to yank the cable
- Avoid shrugging your shoulder or locking your elbow
- Don't load the movement so heavy that you rely on momentum
Muscles worked
The single arm reverse fly mainly works the rear delts and mid traps, with the lower traps assisting.
- Rear DeltsPrimary
- Mid TrapsPrimary
- Lower TrapsSupport
- BicepsMinor
- ForearmsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
Single Arm Reverse Fly strength standards
See how your single arm reverse fly ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM10 lb
Silvere1RM20 lb
Golde1RM27.5 lb
Platinume1RM42.5 lb
Diamonde1RM65 lb
Champione1RM80 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the single arm reverse 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 April 2026.