Shrugging up
Keep your shoulders down away from your ears so the traps do not take over.
Isolation · Machine
Rear Delt Machine (Reverse Pec Deck)
The rear delt machine, or reverse pec deck, has you face the pad and sweep your arms back to train the rear shoulders and upper back. It is one of the easiest ways to load the rear delts directly and suits anyone wanting better shoulder balance and posture.
- Primary
- Rear Delts
- Secondary
- Traps
- Starting rep range
- 12–20 reps
- Target effort
- 1 reps in reserve
- Progression
- 5 kg / one stack step
Muscles worked
The rear delts pull the arms back horizontally, with the middle traps and rhomboids squeezing the shoulder blades toward the end. Keeping the shoulder blades from fully pinching keeps more focus on the rear delts.
How to set up
- Sit facing the pad with your chest against it.
- Adjust the seat so the handles are at shoulder height.
- Set the handles so your arms start straight in front of you.
- Use a neutral or palms-down grip with a slight elbow bend.
How to do each rep
- Sweep your arms back and out in a wide arc until they are in line with your body.
- Lead with your elbows and keep the elbow angle fixed.
- Pause briefly, then return slowly over 2 seconds.
- Keep your chest on the pad and avoid shrugging.
Common rear delt machine (reverse pec deck) mistakes
Going too heavy
Use a lighter weight you can control; rear delts are small and respond well to higher reps.
Bending the elbows
Keep the elbow angle constant so it stays a fly, not a row.
Sets, reps, and progression
Surpass starts the rear delt machine (reverse pec deck) at 12–20 reps with about 1 reps in reserve. As an isolation exercise it fits well after your main compound lifts.
Use 12-20 reps and add a small amount of weight only when all sets are clean. Volume and consistency matter more than heavy loads here.
Know what to lift next time
Surpass shows what you lifted last time beside a target for this set, and adjusts it from your reps and RIR. Free on iPhone, no account needed.
Rear Delt Machine (Reverse Pec Deck) alternatives
These train the same main muscles. Swap when the equipment is busy, something hurts, or progress has stalled for several weeks.
Questions
Does the reverse pec deck work traps?
Yes, the middle traps and rhomboids help pull the shoulder blades together near the end. The rear delts are still the main target.
How often should I train rear delts?
Two to three times per week with a few sets each is common, since rear delts recover quickly and respond well to frequent, moderate work.