10 Best Dumbbell Reverse Fly Alternatives for Rear Delt Strength

Both dumbbells are already in someone else's hands, or you train at home with only a band. The Dumbbell Reverse Fly hinges you forward and pulls the weight out to the sides to work your rear delts, and the closest stand-in is the Dumbbell Rear Fly, which uses the same hinge and the same pair of dumbbells. With no dumbbells at all, the Band Reverse Fly keeps that same sideways pull.

Original Exercise: Dumbbell Reverse Fly

Dumbbell Reverse Fly
Primary Muscle
Delts
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Beginner
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Trapezius, Rhomboids
How to Perform Dumbbell Reverse Fly
  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. Extend your arms straight down in front of you, 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.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Ranked Dumbbell Reverse Fly Alternatives

Best Match
Dumbbell Rear Fly

1. Dumbbell Rear Fly

99.9% 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. Extend your arms straight down towards the ground, palms facing each other.
  4. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, lift your arms out to the sides and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
Reverse Flyes

2. Reverse Flyes

99.9% Match
Delts Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. To begin, lie down on an incline bench with the chest and stomach pressing against the incline. Have the dumbbells in each hand with the palms facing each other (neutral grip).
  2. Extend the arms in front of you so that they are perpendicular to the angle of the bench. The legs should be stationary while applying pressure with the ball of your toes. This is the starting position.
  3. Maintaining the slight bend of the elbows, move the weights out and away from each other (to the side) in an arc motion while exhaling. Tip: Try to squeeze your shoulder blades together to get the best results from this exercise.
  4. The arms should be elevated until they are parallel to the floor.
  5. Feel the contraction and slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position while inhaling.
Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise

3. Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise

99.2% 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, palms facing your body.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and core engaged.
  3. Raise your arms out to the sides, keeping a slight bend in your elbows, 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.
Sled Reverse Flye

4. Sled Reverse Flye

99.2% 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.
Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On Bench

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

97.7% 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 Rear Lateral Raise (support Head)

6. Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise (support Head)

97.7% 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.
Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise

7. Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise

96% 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, palms facing your body.
  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 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.
Barbell Rear Delt Raise

8. Barbell Rear Delt Raise

95.2% Match
Delts Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, palms facing down.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
  3. Raise the barbell out to the sides, keeping your arms straight, until they are parallel to the ground.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Band Reverse Fly

9. Band Reverse Fly

90% Match
Delts Band Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Attach the band to a stationary object at chest height.
  2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the band with both hands in front of you.
  3. Keep your arms straight and lift them out to the sides until they are parallel to the ground.
  4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
  5. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position.
Dumbbell Incline Rear Lateral Raise

10. Dumbbell Incline Rear Lateral Raise

89.7% 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.

Why You Might Need a Dumbbell Reverse Fly Alternative

A busy dumbbell rack, a barbell-only gym, or a home band setup are reasons to swap the Dumbbell Reverse Fly. The Dumbbell Rear Fly and the Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise stay on dumbbells and keep the movement, both hinging forward to pull the weight out to the sides; the only difference is that the Rear Lateral Raise starts with your palms facing your body. The Barbell Rear Delt Raise moves that pull onto one bar held in both hands with an overhand grip, arms kept straight rather than slightly bent. The Band Reverse Fly drops free weight and anchors a band at chest height, resisting more as arms extend. The Sled Reverse Flye keeps you upright instead of hinged, pulling two handles attached to a loaded sled up and apart, and the incline options put your chest on a bench.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

If both dumbbells are free, take the Dumbbell Rear Fly: it uses the same pair of dumbbells and the same forward hinge, so nothing about your setup changes. The Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise sits right beside it, near enough the same movement that either one works. With a barbell instead of dumbbells, the Barbell Rear Delt Raise keeps you hinged forward and has both hands on one bar, raised out to the sides with straight arms. Training with only a band, the Band Reverse Fly anchors at chest height and keeps the same sideways pull. If you want the movement without the standing hinge, the Dumbbell Incline Rear Lateral Raise sits you on a 45 degree bench with your chest against the backrest, so your body cannot swing to help the lift.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I train rear delts at home without dumbbells?

Yes, with just a band. The Band Reverse Fly reproduces the same sideways pull to your rear delts: anchor the band at chest height, hold it in both hands in front of you, and lift your arms out to the sides with a squeeze between the shoulder blades at the top. It needs nothing beyond a band and something to anchor it to.

Which alternative uses the exact same equipment?

The Dumbbell Rear Fly. It keeps the same pair of dumbbells, the same forward hinge and the same sideways pull to your rear delts as the Dumbbell Reverse Fly, so it swaps in without changing your setup or your grip.

Which swap works if I only have a barbell?

The Barbell Rear Delt Raise. You hinge forward the same way, but instead of a dumbbell in each hand you hold one bar with an overhand grip and raise it out to the sides with your arms straight, keeping your back straight throughout.

How do I progress this exercise as I get stronger?

Move onto a bench. The Dumbbell Incline Rear Lateral Raise sits you at a 45 degree incline with your chest against the backrest, so you cannot swing your body to help lift the weight. The Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On Bench has you stand and lean forward until your forehead rests on an incline bench, torso parallel to the floor, then lift the dumbbells straight out to the sides.

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