Jeff Cavaliere Reveals The 3 Greatest Rear Delt Exercises for Massive Shoulders

ATHLEAN-X founder Jeff Cavaliere believes your exercise selections could be sabotaging your growth. On August 1, 2025, he broke down three movements that aren’t fly variations for growing bigger delts. 

With over 14.1 million YouTube subscribers, Cavaliere remains one of the most influential voices in the fitness community. He picks apart training routines, curating the latest information to give his fans an edge anytime they hit the gym. 

Rear delts are often the most ignored part of the shoulder. They help give the upper body that coveted three-dimensional look, though training them can be a bit tricky. This led Cavaliere to shed light on why these exercises are true winners. 

Jeff Cavaliere’s 3 Greatest Rear Delt Exercises 

Find his three exercise selections below from the recent YouTube video: 

• Rear Delt Row 
• Face Pull 
• Seated Row Machine (With Elbows High and Wide)

Cavaliere recommended ditching the reverse fly for the rear delt row because the elbows don’t become a limiting factor to the range of motion. 

“Your shirt still fits like a hospital gown from behind, and that’s because you’re training your rear delts wrong or worse, not at all.

First, ditch the reverse fly. The rear delt row does it better because your elbows don’t stop at your sides, but go behind your body into shoulder extension, right where the rear delts actually get to do their real work.” 

For his second exercise, he chose the face pull, but with a caveat: instead of one rope attachment, use two—because otherwise, you risk reducing rear delt recruitment.

“Next, it’s going to be the face pull, but only if you do them right. Pulling with just one rope attached will limit the range of motion at your elbow and shoulder and lead to less rear delt recruitment.

Using two ropes, however, will allow you to get your elbows at 90 degrees and at the same time, be pulled back behind you again in that sweet spot for rear delt growth,” he shared. 

Lastly, Cavaliere favors the seated row machine for rear delt development. To extract the most gains from this exercise, he urged lifters to keep the elbows high and wide. 

“Want a bonus builder? Don’t forget the seated row on back day. Just remember to keep those elbows high and wide rather than tight to your sides. Once again, pull till they are past your body. The added weight you can use on this exercise does wonders for growing a muscle that’s all too often relegated to the lighter side of the dumbbell rack.” 

For decades, Cavaliere has maintained his physique, always prioritizing completeness. In a previous endeavor, he unpacked his science-based guide for turning flat triceps into massive horseshoes, noting how biomechanics factor into progress. 

Cavaliere understands that forcing rear delt growth can be challenging. He believes these three exercises set the foundation for bigger delts, as long as they are performed with precision and intensity. 

To quote Cavaliere: 

“Remember, it’s not just bodybuilding, but biomechanics, and when you train smarter, even the hardest to grow muscles respond, and you’ll fill out those short sleeves of yours from the front all the way to the back.” 

RELATED: How Jeff Cavaliere Made Lean Eating Sustainable for Over 30 Years

Watch the full video from the ATHLEAN-X YouTube channel below: 

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