10 Best Dumbbell Lying Rear Delt Row Alternatives for Limited Equipment

What can you do instead of the Dumbbell Lying Rear Delt Row? Use chest-supported reverse flies, face pulls, bent-over reverse flies, band pull-aparts, or prone Y/T raises. Cue a slight scapular retraction and lead with the elbows while hinging at the hips to emphasize posterior deltoid, mid-trap, and rhomboid activation.

Original Exercise: Dumbbell Lying Rear Delt Row

Dumbbell Lying Rear Delt Row
Primary Muscle
Upper-back
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Shoulders, Biceps
How to Perform Dumbbell Lying Rear Delt Row
  1. Lie face down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing inwards.
  2. Extend your arms straight down towards the floor, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
  3. Engaging your back muscles, lift the dumbbells up towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Best Dumbbell Lying Rear Delt Row Alternatives

Best Match
Dumbbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Two Arm Row

1. Dumbbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Two Arm Row

90.4% Match
Upper-back Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Sit on the bench with your chest against the backrest and your feet flat on the ground.
  3. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an underhand grip.
  4. Lean forward and let your arms hang straight down, fully extended.
  5. Pull the dumbbells up towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Row

2. Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Row

90.2% Match
Upper-back Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Sit on the bench facing the backrest with your chest against it.
  3. Grab the barbell with a reverse grip (palms facing down) and hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Keep your back straight and core engaged.
  5. Pull the barbell towards your upper abdomen, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Barbell Incline Row

3. Barbell Incline Row

90.2% Match
Upper-back Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Lie face down on the bench with your chest against the pad and your feet flat on the ground.
  3. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Keep your back straight and your core engaged.
  5. Pull the barbell towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Dumbbell Incline Row

4. Dumbbell Incline Row

88.7% Match
Upper-back Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and sit on the bench with your chest against the incline.
  3. Extend your arms fully, allowing the dumbbells to hang straight down from your shoulders.
  4. Pull the dumbbells up towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Cambered Bar Lying Row

5. Cambered Bar Lying Row

84.7% Match
Upper-back Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up a barbell on the floor and lie face down on a bench with your chest just off the edge.
  2. Reach down and grab the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. With your legs straight and feet on the ground, lift the barbell off the floor by extending your arms.
  4. Pull the barbell towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Lower the barbell back down to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Cable Incline Bench Row

6. Cable Incline Bench Row

84.2% Match
Upper-back Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle and attach a cable handle to the low pulley.
  2. Sit on the bench facing the cable machine with your feet flat on the floor and your knees slightly bent.
  3. Grasp the cable handle with an overhand grip and extend your arms fully in front of you.
  4. Lean forward from your hips while keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
  5. Pull the cable handle towards your chest by retracting your shoulder blades and bending your elbows.
Dumbbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench One Arm Row

7. Dumbbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench One Arm Row

83.4% Match
Upper-back Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Place a dumbbell on the floor next to the bench.
  3. Stand facing the bench with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  4. Bend at the waist and place your left knee and left hand on the bench for support.
  5. Pick up the dumbbell with your right hand using a reverse grip (palm facing down).
Cable Rope Extension Incline Bench Row

8. Cable Rope Extension Incline Bench Row

80.2% Match
Upper-back Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle and attach a cable machine to the low pulley.
  2. Attach a rope handle to the cable machine and sit on the incline bench facing the machine.
  3. Grab the rope handle with an overhand grip and lean forward, keeping your back straight.
  4. Extend your arms fully, pulling the rope towards your upper chest while keeping your elbows close to your body.
  5. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the movement.
Exercise Ball Lower Back Stretch (pyramid)

9. Exercise Ball Lower Back Stretch (pyramid)

71.6% Match
Lats Stability-ball Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on the stability ball with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
  2. Slowly walk your feet forward, rolling the ball down your back until your lower back is resting on the ball.
  3. Place your hands behind your head or cross them over your chest.
  4. Engage your core and slowly lower your upper body towards the ground, allowing your lower back to stretch over the ball.
  5. Hold the stretch for a few seconds, then slowly return to the starting position.
Barbell Bent Over Row

10. Barbell Bent Over Row

70.3% Match
Upper-back Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
  2. Bend forward at the hips while keeping your back straight and chest up.
  3. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Pull the barbell towards your lower chest by retracting your shoulder blades and squeezing your back muscles.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.

Why You Might Need a Dumbbell Lying Rear Delt Row Alternative

You may swap the lying rear delt row because of shoulder pain, lack of a bench, insufficient dumbbell load, or to vary movement patterns. Substitutes can preserve posterior deltoid recruitment while reducing glenohumeral shear or lumbar strain. For example, the chest-supported reverse fly limits lumbar extension and shifts load to horizontal shoulder abduction; cue a modest scapular squeeze and lead with the elbows to increase rear delt and rhomboid activation. Bands and face pulls let you control resistance and emphasize scapular retraction and external rotation when rotator cuff irritation is present.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Match the primary movement pattern and the muscles you need to load. If you want horizontal shoulder abduction, choose chest-supported reverse flies or bent-over reverse flies; if you need scapular retraction and external rotation, pick face pulls or band pull-aparts. Consider equipment, ability to progress load, and shoulder tolerance. Use a specific cue—keep a neutral spine and hinge at the hips for bent-over variants—and monitor elbow-led motion to ensure posterior deltoid emphasis and limit biceps takeover. If form breaks, reduce load or switch to a supported or band-based variation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Dumbbell Lying Rear Delt Row work?

The exercise primarily targets the posterior deltoid and secondarily loads the rhomboids, middle trapezius, and external rotators. Lead with the elbows and retract the scapula to maximize horizontal abduction and upper-back recruitment while minimizing biceps involvement.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Dumbbell Lying Rear Delt Row?

A practical bodyweight option is the prone T/Y raises (progressing from T to Y). Lie face down, lift your arms into a T or Y with thumbs up and actively pinch the shoulder blades—this emphasizes posterior delts and mid-traps without heavy glenohumeral loading.

Can I build muscle without doing Dumbbell Lying Rear Delt Row?

Yes. You can stimulate the same posterior deltoid and upper-back fibers with chest-supported reverse flies, face pulls, bent-over reverse flies, and progressive-band work. Focus on full range, elbow-leading cues, tempo control, and progressive overload to drive hypertrophy.

More Exercise Alternatives

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Use our free tool to discover the best substitute exercises based on your available equipment and goals.

Try the Exercise Substitution Finder →

Our similarity scores are calculated using a weighted algorithm based on movement patterns, muscle activation, and biomechanics. Learn about our methodology