10 Best Dumbbell One Arm Reverse Fly (With Support) Alternatives for Shoulder Rehab

If you can’t do the Dumbbell One Arm Reverse Fly (with Support), use bent-over reverse fly, face pulls, chest-supported T raises, cable rear-delt rows, or band pull-aparts to target the rear delts. Focus on scapular retraction and a slight elbow bend, lead the movement from the elbow to maximize posterior delt activation and limit trap overdrive.

Original Exercise: Dumbbell One Arm Reverse Fly (With Support)

Dumbbell One Arm Reverse Fly (With Support)
Primary Muscle
Delts
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Trapezius, Rhomboids
How to Perform Dumbbell One Arm Reverse Fly (With Support)
  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in one hand with your palm facing inwards.
  3. Lean forward and place your free hand on the bench for support.
  4. Keep your arm slightly bent and raise it out to the side until it is parallel to the ground.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arm back down to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.

Ranked Dumbbell One Arm Reverse Fly (With Support) Alternatives

Best Match
Dumbbell Incline Rear Lateral Raise

1. Dumbbell Incline Rear Lateral Raise

92.2% Match
Delts 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 hold a dumbbell in each hand.
  3. Extend your arms straight down with your palms facing each other.
  4. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the ground.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
Dumbbell Incline T-raise

2. Dumbbell Incline T-raise

92.2% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set an incline bench to a 45-degree angle and sit on it with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing inwards.
  2. Lean forward and let your arms hang straight down, perpendicular to the floor.
  3. Keeping your arms straight, raise them out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor, forming a 'T' shape with your body.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Incline Y-raise

3. Dumbbell Incline Y-raise

92.2% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set an incline bench to a 45-degree angle and sit on it with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing inwards.
  2. Lean forward slightly and let your arms hang straight down, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
  3. Raise your arms out to the sides and up in a Y shape until they are parallel to the ground.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Lying One-Arm Lateral Raise

4. Lying One-Arm Lateral Raise

92% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. While holding a dumbbell in one hand, lay with your chest down on a flat bench. The other hand can be used to hold to the leg of the bench for stability.
  2. Position the palm of the hand that is holding the dumbbell in a neutral manner (palms facing your torso) as you keep the arm extended with the elbow slightly bent. This will be your starting position.
  3. Now raise the arm with the dumbbell to the side until your elbow is at shoulder height and your arm is roughly parallel to the floor as you exhale. Tip: Maintain your arm perpendicular to the torso while keeping your arm extended throughout the movement. Also, keep the contraction at the top for a second.
  4. Slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position as you inhale.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Dumbbell Lying One Arm Rear Lateral Raise

5. Dumbbell Lying One Arm Rear Lateral Raise

91.2% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie face down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in one hand, hanging towards the floor.
  2. Keep your arm straight and lift the dumbbell out to the side, away from your body.
  3. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.
Lying Rear Delt Raise

6. Lying Rear Delt Raise

91.2% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. While holding a dumbbell in each hand, lay with your chest down on a flat bench.
  2. Position the palms of the hands in a neutral manner (palms facing your torso) as you keep the arms extended with the elbows slightly bent. This will be your starting position.
  3. Now raise the arms to the side until your elbows are at shoulder height and your arms are roughly parallel to the floor as you exhale. Tip: Maintain your arms perpendicular to the torso while keeping them extended throughout the movement. Also, keep the contraction at the top for a second.
  4. Slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position as you inhale.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions and then switch to the other arm.
Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On Bench

7. Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On Bench

84.2% Match
Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand up straight while holding a dumbbell in each hand and with an incline bench in front of you.
  2. While keeping your back straight and maintaining the natural arch of your back, lean forward until your forehead touches the bench in front of you. Let the arms hang in front of you perpendicular to the ground. The palms of your hands should be facing each other and your torso should be parallel to the floor. This will be your starting position.
  3. Keeping your torso forward and stationary, and the arms straight with a slight bend at the elbows, lift the dumbbells straight to the side until both arms are parallel to the floor. Exhale as you lift the weights. Caution: avoid swinging the torso or bringing the arms back as opposed to the side.
  4. After a one second contraction at the top, slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat the recommended amount of repetitions.
Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raise

8. Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raise

84.2% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie face down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
  2. Extend your arms straight down towards the floor, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
  3. Engaging your shoulder muscles, lift your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise (support Head)

9. Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise (support Head)

84.2% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
  3. Raise your arms out to the sides, keeping a slight bend in your elbows, until they are parallel to the ground.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sled Reverse Flye

10. Sled Reverse Flye

84.2% Match
Delts Other Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Attach dual handles to a sled connected by a rope or chain. Load the sled to a light weight.
  2. Face the sled, backing up until there is some tension in the line. Take both handles at arms length at about waist level. Bend the knees slightly and keep your chest and head up. This will be your starting position.
  3. Without flexing the elbow, pull the handles upward and apart, performing a reverse fly with some external rotation. Your palms should be facing forward as you do this.
  4. Return to the starting position, taking a couple steps back to take the slack out of the line.

Why You Might Need a Dumbbell One Arm Reverse Fly (With Support) Alternative

You might substitute this exercise because of pain, limited equipment, technique breakdown, or programming needs. Acute shoulder pain or impingement often responds better to horizontal-abduction variations with less load and no overhead stress. If you lack a bench or a dumbbell, cables or bands let you keep constant tension and posterior delt activation. For hypertrophy or rehab, choose movements that promote scapular retraction and a stable thoracic hinge, keep the spine neutral, hinge from the hips, and squeeze the scapula at end-range to isolate the rear delts while reducing upper-trap compensation.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Pick a substitute based on load control, stability demands, and the movement plane. If you need strict isolation, use a chest-supported T raise or single-arm cable reverse fly to remove lumbar load and keep tension on the posterior deltoid. For rehab or limited pain, choose band pull-aparts or face pulls that emphasize external rotation and scapular retraction. If building size, prioritize progressive overload via increased load or tempo and pick exercises where you can maintain a 20–30° elbow bend and lead the pull from the elbow to keep posterior-delt activation high.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Dumbbell One Arm Reverse Fly (with Support) work?

It primarily targets the posterior deltoid and also engages the middle trapezius, rhomboids, and rotator-cuff stabilizers. The movement is horizontal abduction with scapular retraction, so you should feel the load across the rear delts and upper-back pulling the shoulder blades together.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Dumbbell One Arm Reverse Fly (with Support)?

Prone T raises on the floor are the best bodyweight option: lie face down, thumbs up, lift arms to form a T and squeeze the scapula at the top. Focus on lifting from the elbow and keeping the neck neutral to maximize posterior delt activation and minimize trap recruitment.

Can I build muscle without doing Dumbbell One Arm Reverse Fly (with Support)?

Yes. You can build the posterior delts with many alternatives, face pulls, bent-over two-arm reverse flies, cable reverse flyes, and band pull-aparts, so long as you apply progressive overload. Emphasize full scapular retraction, controlled eccentrics, and gradually increase load, reps, or tempo to drive hypertrophy.

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