Rear Delt Machine

Execution

1. Sit into the machine with your chest pressed against the pad, gripping the handles with your arms extended forward and a fixed bend in the elbows.
2. Exhale and open the arms back and out to the sides in an arc at shoulder height, keeping that same elbow bend the whole way.
3. Hold for a beat at the widest point your shoulders can still control, squeezing the shoulder blades together.
4. Inhale and bring the arms back forward under control over 2-3 seconds, without letting the weight bang at the front.
5. Keep the chest pinned to the pad throughout; don't lean the torso back to open further.
6. If you run out of strength mid-set, let the arms travel forward slowly with the weight instead of releasing suddenly; end the set by bringing the arms all the way to the front, waiting for the stack to settle fully at the bottom of the post, then release the handles and get up from the seat.

Quick cues

• Keep the elbow bend fixed.
• Chest pinned to the pad throughout.
• Open to shoulder height, not behind your back.
• Bring it back slow, no banging.
• Picture opening a pair of wings.

Common faults

• Fault: Bending the elbows more mid-set, turning it into a row

  Fix: Lock in the elbow bend you started with and let only the shoulders move.

• Fault: Leaning the torso back to open the arms further

  Fix: Keep the chest pinned to the pad for the whole set, and drop the weight if you still have to lean.

• Fault: Pulling the arms back toward the ribs instead of out to the sides

  Fix: Aim the arc at shoulder height, not around toward your back.

• Fault: Letting the weight bang at both ends of the arc

  Fix: Slow down to 2 seconds each direction and ease into the stop.