Alternatives · Rear Delts
7 Cable Rear Delt Fly Alternatives That Keep the Tension On
The cable version earns its place because the rear delts never get a rest spot: tension is there at the start, through the middle and at the wide finish. Each of these seven swaps keeps that steady load to a different degree.
The short answer
The Reverse Pec Deck is the best Cable Rear Delt Fly alternative, since its cam keeps tension fairly even through the arc and the pad removes any sway. The Face Pull uses the same cable stack when the pulleys cannot be crossed. With dumbbells, the Rear Delt Fly works, though tension fades at the bottom; at home, the Band Pull-Apart keeps the standing sweep.
The best Cable Rear Delt Fly alternative for your situation
| No equipment | Prone T Raise |
|---|---|
| With a resistance band | Band Pull-Apart or Banded Rear Delt Fly |
| With dumbbells | Rear Delt Fly |
| On a cable stack | Face Pull |
| On a machine | Reverse Pec Deck |
| For heavier loading | Chest Supported Row |
What a Cable Rear Delt Fly alternative has to replace
The Cable Rear Delt Fly is a standing rear delt fly with the cables crossed: the left handle goes in the right hand, the right handle in the left, and you open your arms wide at shoulder height. The rear delts drive it with the infraspinatus helping, and because the pulleys pull from the side rather than from below, tension is present from the first inch to the widest point. You stay upright the whole time, so no hinge limits the set.
That constant tension is what you are replacing. Free weights load the top of the arc and leave the bottom nearly empty, and bands get heavy only at the finish. A good substitute keeps the arms-wide sweep and a load light enough for strict reps of twelve to twenty. It can give up the standing position and some of the even tension, as long as you know which part of the arc you are losing.
7 Cable Rear Delt Fly alternatives, best first
1. Reverse Pec Deck
The Reverse Pec Deck comes closest to the cable’s even loading, because the machine’s cam keeps resistance present through most of the arc rather than only at the top. You sit facing the pad, so staying tall is handled for you and holding position never limits the set. The rhomboids join in more than on crossed cables. It suits gyms where the cable station is always busy.
Swapping it in: Use three sets of twelve to fifteen, pause for a second with the arms wide, and lower slowly so the stack never rests between reps.
2. Face Pull
If the station has one pulley free rather than two, the Face Pull keeps you on a cable with constant tension, just with bent elbows and a rope. The finish rotates the arms out, so the infraspinatus gets even more work than on the fly, and the lower traps join in. The rear delts share the load, so it is broader and less isolating.
Swapping it in: Set the pulley at eye level, pull the rope apart toward your ears for three sets of fifteen, and lead with the elbows so the rear delts, not the biceps, move the weight.
3. Rear Delt Fly
The Rear Delt Fly is the standard dumbbell swap, but the tension changes shape. Hinged forward with the dumbbells hanging, the bottom third of each rep carries almost nothing and the top carries the most, which is the opposite of what the cable offers. The hinge also adds a lower-back hold. Lying chest-down on an incline bench solves the hinge, though not the tension curve.
Swapping it in: Lie chest-down on a bench set around 30 degrees, use a dumbbell light enough for fifteen reps, and hold the top for two seconds to make up for the easy bottom.
4. Band Pull-Apart
At home, the Band Pull-Apart gives back the standing position and the arms-wide sweep with nothing but a light band. Tension climbs as the band stretches, so the start is easy and the finish is hard, unlike the cable’s steady pull. It is portable and fits between sets, which makes it the natural home stand-in, though heavy overload is out of reach.
Swapping it in: Hold the band at shoulder height with hands shoulder-width apart, pull until it touches your chest, and do three sets of twenty; narrow your grip to make it harder.
5. Banded Rear Delt Fly
The Banded Rear Delt Fly is the band version of the hinged fly. Standing on the band or holding it between your hands, you lean forward and sweep the arms out, so the band loads the top of the arc while gravity adds to it. You lose the upright stance but gain a closer copy of the fly path than a pull-apart gives. It suits home training with light bands.
Swapping it in: Cross the band ends under your feet so the lines mimic crossed cables, hinge to about 45 degrees, and do three sets of fifteen with a two-second hold at the top.
6. Prone T Raise
The Prone T Raise is the no-equipment option. Lying face-down, you raise straight arms out into a T, so the floor does what standing tall did on the cables: it keeps the torso out of the lift. The only load is your arms, heaviest at the top, and the rhomboids and lower traps join the rear delts. It suits days with no gym at all.
Swapping it in: Go slow, three seconds up and three down, to keep the arms working the way the cable kept them working; two or three sets of twelve to fifteen.
7. Chest Supported Row
The Chest Supported Row is the strength pick. Pulled wide, with the upper arms out at about 60 to 70 degrees from your sides, it moves the rear delts through a rowing pattern that accepts much heavier loads than a fly. It loses the straight-arm isolation and the cable’s even loading, and it shares the effort with the rhomboids. Use it as the heavy partner to your fly.
Swapping it in: Choose a wide overhand grip and row toward the top of your chest for sets of eight to ten, then finish the session with two light sets of any fly to cover the straight-arm work.
Illustrations adapted from Everkinetic via workout-guide, CC BY-SA 4.0. Full credits.
Side by side
| Exercise | Equipment | Where | Level | Muscles shared with the Cable Rear Delt Fly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cable Rear Delt Fly (original) | Cable | Gym | Intermediate | Rear Delts, Infraspinatus |
| Reverse Pec Deck | Machine | Gym | Beginner | 1 of 2: Rear Delts |
| Face Pull | Cable | Gym | Beginner | 2 of 2: Infraspinatus, Rear Delts |
| Rear Delt Fly | Dumbbell | Home or gym | Beginner | 2 of 2: Rear Delts, Infraspinatus |
| Band Pull-Apart | Resistance Band | Home or gym | Beginner | 1 of 2: Rear Delts |
| Banded Rear Delt Fly | Resistance Band | Home or gym | Beginner | 2 of 2: Rear Delts, Infraspinatus |
| Prone T Raise | Bodyweight | Home or gym | Beginner | 1 of 2: Rear Delts |
| Chest Supported Row | Machine | Gym | Beginner | 1 of 2: Rear Delts |
How to choose
Decide how much of the constant tension you want to keep. The Reverse Pec Deck keeps most of it; the Face Pull keeps it but changes the movement; free weights and bands keep only part of the arc loaded.
- Machine free, cables busy: Reverse Pec Deck.
- One pulley or a rope: Face Pull.
- Dumbbells: Rear Delt Fly, lying on an incline bench if you can.
- Bands at home: Band Pull-Apart standing, or the Banded Rear Delt Fly hinged.
- Nothing: Prone T Raise with slow reps.
- Heavier work: Chest Supported Row with elbows wide.
Whichever you pick, slow the lowering phase to make up for any part of the arc the swap leaves light.
Full Cable Rear Delt Fly guide: form, muscles worked and mistakes →
Frequently asked questions
What machine can replace the cable rear delt fly?
Use the Reverse Pec Deck, which is the closest machine to crossed cables. You sit facing the pad, take the handles at shoulder height, and sweep your arms back, with the cam keeping resistance steady for most of the arc. Because the pad holds you tall, all the effort goes into the rear delts and rhomboids.
What is the best dumbbell alternative to the cable rear delt fly?
The Rear Delt Fly is the best dumbbell alternative, ideally done lying chest-down on an incline bench so no hinge is needed. Dumbbells load the top of the arc and leave the bottom light, so use a two-second pause at the top. The Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise is a stricter hinged option with the little fingers leading.
What can I do instead of a single-arm cable rear delt fly?
Do a one-arm Rear Delt Fly lying on your side on a bench, or a one-arm Reverse Pec Deck with the other hand resting on the pad. Both keep the single-side focus. With a band, anchor it at shoulder height and sweep one arm back, which is close to the single-arm cable version but with tension rising toward the finish.
What can replace the standing cable rear delt fly at home?
The Band Pull-Apart is the closest home version, because you stay standing and open your arms at shoulder height against a light band. For a hinged version, use the Banded Rear Delt Fly with the band ends crossed under your feet. With no band, the Prone T Raise trains the same rear delts lying face-down.
Which of these does your back actually need?
BackMaxx scores your rear delts and the five other back zones from one photo, then builds each session around whichever one is furthest behind.
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