Strengthen Your Posture: Rear Delt Exercises For A Healthier Back
Gaining shoulder strength necessitates exercising multiple muscles from various angles. The front of your shoulder, particularly the anterior deltoid, is rather dominating in many exercises and everyday activities.
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This can be due to computer work, which frequently requires us to bend over our desks or couches for several hours each day. Or from being attached to our handheld devices, which frequently force us to lean our heads forward, tightening and rounding our shoulders. (Good day, tech neck!) This is especially true for persons who do these exercises without taking a break—even if it’s just a stroll to the bathroom—to loosen up their muscles and mix up their shoulder position.
Fortunately, there are a variety of rear delt exercises you can perform to develop the small-but-important muscles in the back of your shoulder and, as a result, improve your posture. There are a variety of rear deltoid workouts to include in your routine, ranging from simple isolation techniques to complex actions. But first, let’s talk about why your rear deltoids are so crucial in the first place.
What are your rear delts?
Your deltoid muscle is divided into three sections and resembles a giant triangle put across your shoulder (the name “deltoid” really comes from the Greek letter “delta,” which is formed like a triangle). The anterior deltoid is at the front of your body, the intermediate deltoid goes over the top of your shoulder joint, and the posterior or back deltoid is at the back. The back and delts workout is a back muscle that is placed near the back of the shoulder.
Deltoid muscles are skeletal muscles found in each of your shoulders—the ball and socket joints that link your arms to your body’s trunk. They allow you to move your arms while also protecting and stabilizing your shoulder joints. This muscle is involved in any form of pulling activity and helps to maintain appropriate posture.
Why are rear delt workouts crucial for upper body strength and injury prevention?
Aside from giving you the appearance of a strong friend who can open a large door on a windy day, performing rear delt exercises regularly will help you maintain your posture in check and eventually help you avoid back and shoulder pain caused by poor posture.
When your rear deltoids are undeveloped, you tend to compensate using other upper-body muscles, such as your anterior deltoid and pecs. As a result, your pectoral minor (the muscle between your armpit and your chest) becomes short and tight, weakening your rear deltoids even more.
How to Boost Your Rear Delts
Though your rear delts are technically positioned in your shoulders, train them on a back day rather than including them into your standard upper-body sequence. To keep the whole area strong, I’d pair the rear delt exercises that target the rotator cuff muscles.
It’s also beneficial to include the triceps or lat muscles, which operate in tandem with the rear delts. Try some compound lifts that target your chest and back (think push-ups) because they will simultaneously target the rear delts, as they are needed to stabilise such lifts.
Just because rear delt exercises target a smaller muscle doesn’t mean they should be easy. Progressive overload, as with any strength training routine, is essential for getting stronger.
This means continuing to challenge yourself with greater weight or more reps over time. Every exercise should feel like a challenge; that’s how you know you’re making gains and strength improvements.
This does not imply that you should go heavy on solo rear delt exercises. You won’t be able to raise as much weight as you would with other exercises because your rear delts are smaller.
If you go too heavy, you can wind up engaging other muscles, such as those in your upper traps or back. So, when performing these exercises, make sure to maintain perfect form and feel the muscle on the back of your shoulder working!
1. Single-arm bent-over row
This move is ideal for days when you work your shoulders and back. Finish your back day with this multi-joint practice to help you build posterior deltoid strength.
How to do it:
- Set your left knee and hand on the bench. Maintain a straight left elbow.
- Extend your right leg behind you slightly, keeping your foot on the floor for support. Maintain a flat back and a neutral spine.
- Hold a medium to heavy dumbbell in your right hand, stretching your arm down towards the floor.
- Bend your right elbow and draw it up and back until your upper arm is nearly parallel to your lower chest.
- At the apex of the exercise, squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Lower the weight gradually.
- Repeat for 10-12 reps on one side before moving to the other. Work your way up to three sets.
2. High pull cable machine with ropes
This technique is a terrific method to vary your shoulder workouts, but it does necessitate the use of certain gym equipment. Changing the angles of your muscle exercise will help you target your deltoids in new ways. This will assist you in gaining strength.
How to do it:
- Face the cable machine with your feet hip-width apart.
- Attach the rope handle to the cable attachment once it has been adjusted to around chest height.
- Step back with your feet hip-width apart and your arms outstretched in front of you.
- Pull the ropes towards you, separating them as you go. To help target those deltoids, keep your elbows up high.
- Return your elbows to the beginning position slowly and with control.
- The weight should be light enough to allow for 10-12 repetitions. Work your way up to 2-3 sets.
3. Rear deltoid machine
There is a machine at your local gym that works the posterior deltoid muscles. This makes it very simple to isolate particular muscles in a safe and demanding manner.
How to do it:
- Face the pad while sitting on the machine. You’ll appear to be sitting on it backward, but you’re perfectly positioned for this exercise. Adjust the seat height so that the handles in front of you are at the same level as your shoulders.
- Hold the handles, palms down, or palms facing each other, and press your arms back, keeping them straight or slightly bent.
- Hold this position for 2 seconds before returning to the beginning position with your hands in front of you. Do this slowly and carefully.
- Do 10–12 reps.
4. Assisted pullups
Pullups are an excellent training movement, but most people lack the upper body strength to complete one without assistance. This exercise targets not just the posterior deltoids but also the lats, trapezius, and biceps.
How to do it:
- Adjust the weight deduction on the machine’s side. Choose the appropriate quantity and set it.
- Climb onto the knee pad and push it down until it’s low enough for both knees to rest on. You should have your knees hip-width apart.
- Keep your palms facing away from the center while holding the outer handles above you.
- Lower yourself to the starting position by extending your arms.
- Pull your chin up until it is level with or above the handles.
- Hold the position for a few seconds, then slowly lower yourself down. Maintain your shoulder blades engaged. They must be pushed back and down.
- Begin with 6-8 reps and gradually increase to 10-12 reps.
5. Standing bent-over lateral raise
Begin with a lighter weight when doing a long-arm lateral movement. As you gain strength, you can progress to a heavier weight.
Beginning a motion like this with a high weight might lead to injury. But don’t worry: lifting lesser weights is still a safe approach to gain strength.
How to do it:
- Keep your palms facing each other while holding a pair of dumbbells.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly, and bend forwards at the hips while keeping your back straight. The weights should be placed together below your chest, with your elbows relaxed.
- Raise your arms up and out, as if spreading your wings, until your arms are parallel to the floor.
- At the apex of the exercise, squeeze your shoulder blades.
- Slowly and carefully return the weights to their starting position.
- Weights should be light enough to allow for 10-12 reps. Work your way up to 2-3 sets.
6. Side-lying external rotation
This workout focuses on the rear deltoid’s external rotation motion. It also works on some rotator cuff muscles.
How to do it:
- Lie on your side with a light dumbbell in your hands.
- Put your upper arm on your side, elbow bent at 90 degrees. Place a towel roll between your upper arm and your torso if you have broad shoulders.
- Rotate your arm as much as you can on your chest without allowing your upper arm to stray off your body. Hold for 1-2 seconds before lowering it back to the beginning position. Perform 10-12 reps.
Conclusion
The posterior, or back and delts workout are key shoulder muscles that are employed in numerous pulling actions as well as shoulder stabilisers. It makes sense to strengthen them in order to maintain healthy shoulder mobility.
Before attempting these exercises for the first time, as with any fitness routine, consult with a healthcare expert. It’s also a good idea to work with a competent trainer to ensure you’re utilising the machines safely. Adding these techniques to your regular shoulder workouts will help balance out the heavier, front-loaded movements commonly seen in other standard gym exercises if you’re concentrating on building your shoulders in a balanced manner.
