The Hinged-Forward Rear Delt Wing Raise

Trail Log · Movement Breakdown

The seated bent-over rear delt raise is what happens when you combine the focus of a seated exercise with the effectiveness of a rear delt flye. You sit on the edge of a bench, hinge forward at the waist, and raise dumbbells out to your sides like a very tired bird trying to take off from a very uncomfortable perch. It's one of the most targeted rear delt exercises you can do, and it deserves a permanent spot in any balanced shoulder program.

You place a pair of dumbbells on the floor in front of a flat bench, sit on the end with your legs together, and position the weights behind your calves. You bend at the waist — keeping your back straight — to pick up the dumbbells, your palms facing each other in a neutral grip. Your torso is now angled forward and stationary, your arms are hanging down with a slight bend at the elbows, and you're ready to fly.

Keeping your torso still and your elbow bend constant, you raise the dumbbells out to your sides until both arms are parallel to the floor. Exhale as you lift, and focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together — that's where the rear delts really activate. Avoid the temptation to swing your torso or reach your arms backward instead of out to the sides; those cheats redirect the work away from the target muscles and toward muscles that already get plenty of attention.

After a solid one-second contraction at the top, lower the weights slowly and repeat. This exercise builds the kind of balanced shoulder development that keeps your posture upright and your joints healthy — the unglamorous but essential work that pays dividends for decades.