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Dumbbell Reverse Fly: How to Do It and Muscles Worked

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Equipment
Dumbbell
Muscle group
Shoulders
Main muscles
posterior deltoid, rhomboids
Also working
middle trapezius
Mechanics
Isolation
Pattern
Horizontal abduction
Level
Beginner

The dumbbell reverse fly is a beginner-friendly isolation exercise that targets the back of your shoulders. Also called the bent over reverse fly, this movement requires you to hinge at the hips and raise weights out to your sides.

By focusing on horizontal abduction, this exercise primarily works your posterior deltoids and rhomboids while engaging your middle trapezius. Building strength in these muscles balances out heavy pressing movements.

How to do it

Grab a light pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hinge forward at your hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor, letting the weights hang down with your palms facing each other.

  1. Keep a slight bend in your elbows and brace your core.
  2. Raise the dumbbells out to your sides in a wide arc until they reach shoulder height.
  3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
  4. Lower the weights back to the starting position with control.
  5. Repeat the movement for your target number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and load

Start with 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions. This higher rep range works well for isolating smaller upper back muscles.

Choose a light pair of dumbbells that allows you to complete your sets without swinging your torso.

Common mistakes

  • Standing too upright. If your torso is too high, you will shift the work to your lateral deltoids. Hinge deeper at the hips so your chest faces the floor.
  • Using momentum. Swinging the weights up means you are not using your muscles to do the work. Lower the weight and lift with a slow, controlled tempo.
  • Bending elbows too much. Turning the fly into a rowing motion recruits your lats and biceps instead of your rear delts. Maintain just a slight, fixed bend in your elbows throughout the entire arc.
  • Shrugging the shoulders. Tensing your neck and shrugging shifts the focus to your upper traps. Keep your shoulders pulled down and away from your ears.

Make it easier or harder

Easier

  • Perform the exercise seated on the edge of a bench to reduce the lower back stability required.
  • Practice the movement without weights to master the hip hinge and shoulder blade squeeze.

Harder

  • Pause for two seconds at the top of each repetition.
  • Perform the exercise lying face down on an incline bench to enforce strict isolation.

Before you load it up

  • This exercise loads the lower back in a hinged position. If you have a current back injury or back pain that spreads into the leg, get it assessed first and start very light.

Swaps and related shoulders exercises

Same muscle group with different equipment:

More dumbbell options:

Browse all dumbbell exercises or every shoulders exercise.

When to see a doctor or physio

  • Sharp or pinching pain in your shoulder joint during the lift.
  • Numbness or tingling radiating down your arms.
  • Persistent lower back pain that does not improve with proper bracing.

This page is general training information, not medical advice. If you are new to strength training, managing a health condition, pregnant or coming back from an injury, check with a doctor or physio first.

How this page was made. Exercise data (equipment, muscles, mechanics, level) compiled by the Unite Journal Crew as a general anatomy guide, cross-checked against the public-domain free-exercise-db list. Text drafted with AI assistance and edited by the crew; see our house rules. Last checked October 2026.