Rear Delt Flyes

[pebblesus]

Ive sorta asked his before.. but ive narrowed it down to be more specific, as Im ??? this big time and need some clarification

What is the difference between the rear fly done with palms down, (Pyramids Shoulders & 4DS Shoulders) and the flyes done with palms IN, (Gym Styles Shoulders)??

Do they work the same just whichever grip is more comfortable?

And what about the 4DS db rows with elbows OUT? That is in the back workout and appears to be the same as the two movements above.. is there a difference??

Because I have not been able to find the difference and not sure which is which I have been doing back and shoulders together for months.. just to make sure lol

But any clarification would be wonderful

 

[crazystepr]

Oooooh, I'd love to know the answer to this too!

Ugh. Rear delt flyes are one my least favorite exercises to do!

 

[LauraMax]

Oooh my favorites! Love working my rear delts.

From what I can tell there's no difference. I almost never do them w/my palms facing to the rear, but in mimicking the movement it seems pretty much the same. Palms facing down might bring the side delts into it very slightly more, but not enough to make a difference.

 

[kathryn]

They might hit the muscle a bit differently, but not enough, IMO, to make a difference (unless you're a body builder working on the 'little details' for competition, where even a small difference in size or shape could count).

One thing that is different between the 'palms-facing-each-other' and 'palms-facing-back' versions of the rear flyes is risk of shoulder impingment (the tendon being pinched--or almost pinched--between some of the bony structures of the shoulder joint).

The 'palms-facing' version keeps the shoulder area more open, while the 'palms-back' version can close the area more, which can be problematic for some people. I always do the 'palms-facing' version because I've had impingment problems in the past, and I want to reduce the risk of problems as much as possible.

I find the DB rows with elbows out can hit the rhomboids (postural muscles toward the center, upper back) more than regular rows, and engages the rear delt more than the regular rows. (Sometimes, if you go through the motions of the move with no weight, but with tension--even just sitting at your computer--you can sometimes feel better where the move hits. I feel the 'elbows-out' row more in the upper, outer back, rear delt and rhomboids than I do the regular row). IMO, combining these rows in a workout is an excellent idea!

HTH!

 

[kathryn]

Rear delt flyes are one my least favorite exercises to do!

They're one of my favorites! (Partly because I know they are doing some work necessary to keep a well-balanced upper body and good posture.)

 

[Cat Lover]

First, I love rear flyes. I don't know why.

Second, changing hand positions hit the muscles differently, and keep the muscles "guessing". So, it's good to switch it up every few weeks. I do feel it hitting differently in the rear delts, rhomboids, and trapezius when I switch hand positions. The palms backward is harder for me to do.

And, just a note worth mentioning here: It's important to work the muscles of the back (traps, rhomboids, rear delts, lats) as much as you work your chest and anterior delts. Reason being: If you don't, your upper body will develop a "rounded shoulders" look. If you've been watching the Olympics, the US Men Gymnastics Team seem to have this problem. They all have rounded shoulders, and look kinda "hunched" over. This is from overtraining the front at the expense of the back.

It's all about balance, so don't shortchange those rear delts or your back muscles.

 

[kathryn]

And, just a note worth mentioning here: It's important to work the muscles of the back (traps, rhomboids, rear delts, lats) as much as you work your chest and anterior delts.

Great point.

I'd even go so far as to say that most people would benefit from working the back MORE than the front muscles-- since the later are used much more in every-day activities--and spending a bit more time stretching the front muscles, which tend to be overly tight from sitting in front of computers, at desks, etc.

One or two more sets for back muscles vs front muscles can do a lot towards keeping a healthy posture and alignment.

 

[pebblesus]

I love doing them as well.. I actually mix up a lot of upper back exercises (mostly cuz I don't know the exact difference btw many of them-- so I do a least a few each time.. the T-Rows, db rows, flyes, presses and all the different hand positions..
I did them real slow without weight and I noticed a little difference now..
I think when you're bent forward a touch (like in the Cathe DVD's) it isolated the rd more.. when I arch or straighten more it really hits the mid back AS WELL as the shoulders..
I used the HATE the rd flyes too! I couldn't do it-- even with 2lbs! I felt like my back was too small and tight to be able to pull both elbows back at the same time like that!
I was determined to bring the rd's and all upper back up and strengthen them (I have naturally rounded shoulders which hampers my look so that's why Im really focusing on bringing the back up to par).. so I did EXTRA rd exercises when oding back or shoulders..
Now Im doing them with real weights (I think im up to 8's and 10's now) and they feel like they're actually doing what they're spossed to do!
I actually recently started doing DL's for upper back (instead of just legs)-- and I think Ill really like where that goes as well!