10 Best Reverse Flyes With External Rotation Alternatives for Limited Equipment

Reverse Flyes With External Rotation are done standing with dumbbells. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Dumbbell Upright Shoulder External Rotation, the Dumbbell Lying External Shoulder Rotation and the Cable Standing Shoulder External Rotation. A harder version, the Dumbbell Rotation Reverse Fly, is listed below as a progression rather than a swap.

Reverse Flyes With External Rotation

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do Reverse Flyes With External Rotation

The steps for Reverse Flyes With External Rotation themselves, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Delts · Dumbbell · Intermediate · Isolation

  1. To begin, lie down on an incline bench set at a 30-degree angle with the chest and stomach pressing against the incline.
  2. Have the dumbbells in each hand with the palms facing down to the floor. Your arms should be in front of you so that they are perpendicular to the angle of the bench. Tip: Your elbows should have a slight bend. The legs should be stationary while applying pressure with the ball of your toes (your heels should not be touching the floor). This is the starting position.
  3. Maintaining the slight bend of the elbows, move the weights out and away from each other in an arc motion while exhaling.
  4. As you lift the weight, your wrist should externally rotate by 90-degrees so that you go from a palms down (pronated) grip to a palms facing each other (neutral) grip. Tip: Try to squeeze your shoulder blades together to get the best results from this exercise.
  5. The arms should be elevated until they are level with the head.
  6. Feel the contraction and slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position while inhaling.
  7. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

The 10 Best Reverse Flyes With External Rotation Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches Reverse Flyes With External Rotation on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Dumbbell Upright Shoulder External RotationPlay demonstration

    1. Dumbbell Upright Shoulder External Rotation

    90% match

    Delts · Beginner · Isolation

    Pick this when you want an easier version that works the delts one side at a time.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body.
    2. Raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the ground, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
    3. Rotate your arms externally, bringing the dumbbells up towards your head while keeping your elbows in the same position.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as Reverse Flyes With External Rotation
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as Reverse Flyes With External Rotation
    • Body position: standing, the same as Reverse Flyes With External Rotation
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than Reverse Flyes With External Rotation
  2. Dumbbell Rotation Reverse FlyPlay demonstration

    Progression

    2. Dumbbell Rotation Reverse Fly

    84% match

    Delts · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the delts.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing inwards.
    2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
    3. Raise your arms out to the sides, keeping a slight bend in your elbows, until they are parallel to the floor.
    4. Rotate your arms so that your palms are facing downwards.
    5. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: delts, the same as Reverse Flyes With External Rotation
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as Reverse Flyes With External Rotation
    • Body position: standing, the same as Reverse Flyes With External Rotation
  5. Landmine 180Play demonstration

    5. Landmine 180

    79% match

    Abs · Intermediate · Compound

    A looser match: it works the abs rather than the delts.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell with both hands in front of your chest.
    2. Bend your knees slightly and rotate your torso to the right, swinging the barbell down towards your right hip.
    3. As you reach the bottom of the movement, quickly reverse the motion and rotate your torso to the left, swinging the barbell up and across your body towards your left shoulder.
    4. Continue this twisting motion, alternating sides, for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: abs, not delts
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as Reverse Flyes With External Rotation
    • Body position: standing, the same as Reverse Flyes With External Rotation

Reverse Flyes With External Rotation FAQ

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Reverse Flyes With External Rotation?

Prone Y raises on the floor are the best bodyweight alternative: lie face down, thumbs up, lift arms while initiating movement from the scapula and keep the neck neutral. Focus on a slow eccentric and a deliberate scapular squeeze to maximize posterior-delt activation without external load.

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