Pec Deck Rear Delt

Muscles Pec Deck Rear Delt Works

Main muscleFace the pec deck pad and open the handles out and back. The main muscle driving this movement is your rear delts. Your rear delts pull your arms back and squeeze the back of your shoulders.

Supporting musclesYour mid traps and rhomboids help pull your shoulder blades back, and your rotator cuff keeps your shoulder joint stable.

How it should feelAs you open the handles, the back of your shoulders should shorten and tighten. At the end, you should feel the rear delts before you feel the area between your shoulder blades.

Signs you're offIf your shoulders shrug or your body leans back, your upper traps and momentum are taking over. If your elbows drop, the movement becomes more like a back row.

Remember thisKeep your chest on the pad and send your elbows out and back to squeeze your rear delts.

Muscles used

• Rear deltsback of the shoulders
• Mid trapsupper-middle area between the shoulder blades
• Rhomboidsmuscles between the shoulder blades close to the spine
• Rotator cuffsmall muscles that stabilize the shoulder joint

Setting Up for Pec Deck Rear Delt

Setup orderSet the machine to rear-delt mode → Set the handles in front of shoulder height

• Machine direction

  Set it like thisSet the pec deck for rear delt use, with the handles and pads opened into the rear-delt start position.

  How to checkWhen seated, your chest should stay on the pad while both hands can reach the front handles.

• Seat height

  Set it like thisSet the seat so the handles sit in front of your shoulders.

  How to checkThe handles should not sit too high near your ears or too low near your stomach.

Watch out forAvoid leaving the machine set for flyes or starting with the handles too high or too low.

Stance for Pec Deck Rear Delt

Foot widthSit with your chest against the pad, and place your feet on the floor or footrests.

Where your weight goesKeep your chest and hips against the pads, and press your feet into the floor or footrests.

Upper body positionAdjust the seat so the handles are at shoulder height.

Why it mattersIf the seat height is off, it becomes harder to open the handles at shoulder height.

How to Grip for Pec Deck Rear Delt

Grip typeDepending on the handle shape, hold the handles with your palms facing each other or with your palms facing the floor.

Grip widthHold the same position on both handles, so one hand is not higher or lower than the other.

How hard to gripPlace the handles in the middle of your palms, and keep the backs of your hands in line with your forearms.

The Key Point for Pec Deck Rear Delt

Press your chest against the pad, send your elbows back, and spread your arms.

Think of it like thisThe feeling of sending the elbows back

Before the fixThe shoulders shrug up, or the torso lifts off the pad.

After the fixI feel tension in the back of my shoulders, and my torso doesn't sway.