Bent Over Rear Delts vs. Back Flyes??

workout junkie

Cathlete
Did XTrain Chest, Back, and Shoulders last night. Love it! But what am I doing wrong? Round 4 Bent Over Rear Delt Drop Sets seem the same as Round Six Back Fly on Stability Ball (which I don't like the feeling of so I do them bent over). The first is a shoulder exercise and the second is a back exercise, but they seem the same. Am I missing something or am I doing them wrong?
 
Bumping this. I'm guessing that this exercise works both the back of the shoulder and the back but would like to see an answer from someone else. TIA!
Paula
 
I too am anxiously awaiting a response, since I never feel the back fly movement in my back: always feel it in the shoulders.
 
I had a former trainer walk me through this once. Technically, the difference in a back fly versus a rear-delt fly is your arm position. The rear-delt fly you should have your arms slightly more in a Y shape, to really home in on the delts. If you are doing that move right, you will be able to see yours arms/hands in your peripheral vision. You will feel it in the back of your shoulder. For the back fly, your arms are more perpendicular to your body - more straight out to the side. When you pull back here, you can imagine your shoulder blades wrapping around your spine and you will feel it in your back, not your shoulders. If you just slow them down and do them independent of the video once or twice, really focusing on those mechanics and on where you should be feeling it, you will find the "sweet spot" and then you'll be good to go in the video workouts. If you're not hitting it just right, you'll know it right away and be able to self-correct. After my trainer showed it to me that way, the difference became very apparent and easy to adjust.
 
Thanks for your response! I'm glad someone stopped in to help us. Your descriptions of the differences between the two are very helpful. Thanks again! :)
 
NY25:

Would you say the rear delt flyes are kind of along the lines of what Cathe cues in Pure Strength when she says the dumbbells come up and back in kind of a "V" but not full "V"? Or is it a bit more subtle?
 
I had a former trainer walk me through this once. Technically, the difference in a back fly versus a rear-delt fly is your arm position. The rear-delt fly you should have your arms slightly more in a Y shape, to really home in on the delts. If you are doing that move right, you will be able to see yours arms/hands in your peripheral vision. You will feel it in the back of your shoulder. For the back fly, your arms are more perpendicular to your body - more straight out to the side. When you pull back here, you can imagine your shoulder blades wrapping around your spine and you will feel it in your back, not your shoulders. If you just slow them down and do them independent of the video once or twice, really focusing on those mechanics and on where you should be feeling it, you will find the "sweet spot" and then you'll be good to go in the video workouts. If you're not hitting it just right, you'll know it right away and be able to self-correct. After my trainer showed it to me that way, the difference became very apparent and easy to adjust.

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation! I will definitely try your pointers. So, would you say you use more weight for the back fly than for the rear delts? I think I try to use too heavy of a weight for the rear delts and end up working the back. Need to use a lighter weight and concentrate on moving the arms as you suggested to hit the delts more. I appreciate your help!!
 
Yes, I definitely use lighter weight for the rear shoulder.
The difference is very subtle - it's almost like the 10 degree tilt Cathe refers to when doing standing upper body exercises which she uses to eliminate momentum. It's that subtle. I find visualizing the muscles helps, too.
 
Yes, I definitely use lighter weight for the rear shoulder.
The difference is very subtle - it's almost like the 10 degree tilt Cathe refers to when doing standing upper body exercises which she uses to eliminate momentum. It's that subtle. I find visualizing the muscles helps, too.

Great advice! Thank you so much for your help. :)
 
I had a former trainer walk me through this once. Technically, the difference in a back fly versus a rear-delt fly is your arm position. The rear-delt fly you should have your arms slightly more in a Y shape, to really home in on the delts. If you are doing that move right, you will be able to see yours arms/hands in your peripheral vision. You will feel it in the back of your shoulder. For the back fly, your arms are more perpendicular to your body - more straight out to the side. When you pull back here, you can imagine your shoulder blades wrapping around your spine and you will feel it in your back, not your shoulders. If you just slow them down and do them independent of the video once or twice, really focusing on those mechanics and on where you should be feeling it, you will find the "sweet spot" and then you'll be good to go in the video workouts. If you're not hitting it just right, you'll know it right away and be able to self-correct. After my trainer showed it to me that way, the difference became very apparent and easy to adjust.

Thank you, NY25! I just tried "air weight lifting" in these two different arm positions, sitting here at my desk at work, and I can feel the difference. Good description.

Stebby
 

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