4 Amazing Benefits Of Rear Delt Raise Workout

When it comes to training the deltoid muscles, most fitness enthusiasts focus on the front deltoids and the side deltoids. Being situated at the back of our body, the rear or posterior deltoids often remain neglected. But if you are trying to achieve bigger and stronger shoulders, you have to take rear delts into account too. Let’s talk about these muscles and the exercises related to them:

What Is Rear Delt Raise?

‘Rear delt raise’ is also called ‘rear shoulder raise’ or ‘rear deltoid raise’. It is basically a type of weight training exercise in which the posterior deltoid muscle is targeted. It has been found that these exercises provide the best outcome while practiced by bending the body over to a certain extent. Being an isolation workout, it includes high-intensity movements that are mainly focused on two of our shoulder joints i.e. the scapulothoracic joint and the glenohumeral joint. However, the movement of the scapulothoracic joint (also known as ‘scapular movement’) also results in the movements of two other joints – the acromioclavicular joint and the sternoclavicular joint. In addition, a rowing motion is also generated when we perform the extension exercises and the elbow bends as a result of such a workout.

Various Forms Of The Rear Delt Raise:

Depending upon the types or forms of the movements, rear delt raises can be divided into two categories. We have given you a brief idea about various forms of the workout program:

1. Transverse Forms:

These forms are developed when the rear deltoid muscle of our body moves in the transverse plane during the workout. Apart from the posterior deltoid, several other muscles are also used in these forms. They are lateral deltoid, middle deltoid, lateral rotators, teres minor and infraspinatus. Common transverse forms include rear delt fly, reverse fly, bent-over lateral raises, rear lateral raise etc., and most of them make use of dumbbells to add resistance to the actual weight of the arms. They can usually be of two types:

• Transverse Abduction
• Transverse Extension

2. Hyper Extension Form:

In this form of rear delt raise, the posterior deltoid muscle is targeted in such a way that the glenohumeral joints become hyper extended. Unlike the previous forms, lateral rotators do not take part in the extension here. Rather, the long head of the triceps aids the rear belts in the task. However, the motion of hyper extension remains below 45 degrees in most cases.

Different Types Of Rear Delt Raise Exercises:

Rear delt raises can be either performed as a part of warm-ups or after exercising the chest, shoulder and back muscles. These exercises are basically intended for small muscle groups. Hence, try to pay attention to the number of reps instead of the intensity of weights.

Here are different types of rear delt raise exercises that you can practice during your workout session:

• Bent Over Lateral Raise
• Bent Over Dumbbell Lateral Raise
• Seated Bent Over Lateral Raise
• Reverse Incline Bench Flyes
• Reverse Flat Bench Flyes
• Rubber Band Reverse Flyes
• Face Pulls

Why Should You Practice Rear Delt Raises?

Let us take a quick look at the benefits offered by the rear delt raise workout:

• Helps in developing and strengthening the posterior deltoid muscles, which results in a sturdy upper back.
• Plays a key role in keeping the shoulders balanced with the rest of the body.
• Keeps us away from rotator cuff issues and frequent shoulder injuries.
• Makes it easier for us to produce more power during exercises like squat, bench press, etc.

So, if you are interested in defining your shoulders and upper back, don’t forget to include rear delt raises in your workout routine.

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