Cable Rear Lateral Raise

The cable bent-over rear delt (or reverse) fly (also called the bent-over cable side/lateral raise) is an exercise targeting the posterior head of the deltoid (shoulder muscle). The lateral head and, to a lesser extent, the anterior head also assist in this movement, but are activated less.

Many other muscles assist in bringing the elbows and shoulders backward, as well as maintaining the bent-over position. The latissimus dorsi plays a role in bringing the elbows backward.

The biceps, triceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis assist in stabilizing the arm. In this seated variation, the core and legs perform less stabilizing work than in the standing variation. Using the cable means that higher resistance occurs earlier in the exercise than when using dumbbells.

Cable bent-over fly execution

1
Begin the exercise by bringing your elbow outward and backward, slightly below shoulder height.
2
Controlled, return the hand to the starting position.

Cable bent-over fly

Muscles involved:

Back and shoulder joint:

Deltoid (especially posterior head)
Rotator cuff (subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor)
Levator scapulae

Arms:

Triceps
Biceps
Forearm muscles

Back:

Latissimus dorsi (the broad back muscle)
Trapezius (especially middle)
Rhomboid (diamond-shaped muscle beneath the trapezius)

Cable bent-over fly setup

Set the pulley to the lowest position and attach the single handles.
Stand with one side facing the cable rack, with your feet behind the imaginary line between both sides of the rack.
Bend your knees and grasp the handle with the hand farther from the rack.
Turn back to face forward and bend forward from the waist. Keep your back slightly arched. If desired, support yourself with your free arm on your leg.

Cable bent-over fly technique

The bent-over side raises look very similar to the rear delt row. Both exercises target the posterior head of the shoulders. With side raises, however, the bend in the arms can remain unchanged. With the barbell rear delt row, the arms bend and straighten, causing the biceps to contribute more. In addition, the range of motion when using dumbbells is greater, at the beginning of the exercise, than with a barbell. The cables cause the elbows to be pulled primarily outward, which isolates the shoulders more from the contribution of the latissimus dorsi.

Prevent this from becoming an exercise for the legs, glutes, and lower back by allowing them to assist. Therefore, try to ensure that only your arms and shoulders move during this exercise. Also, do not bend farther forward while lowering the weight and then allow the glutes and lower back to assist in pulling it upward.