What Is The Best Rear Delt Exercise? — Key Takeaways
Skier rows (leaning forward on a bench, driving dumbbells back in a tucked arm path) train rear delts and mid-back together with heavy loads, taken beyond failure for maximum stimulus.
Key takeaways
Skier rows beat reverse flyes for rear delts by keeping elbows tucked and loading heavy
Skier rows beat reverse flyes for rear delts by keeping elbows tucked and loading heavy
- Arms-out reverse flyes recruit traps heavily; skier rows keep the path tucked, isolating rear delts and mid-back more effectively.
- The movement allows scapular retraction and deep inner-range contraction with dumbbell loads far heavier than typical isolation work.
Cable rear-delt crossover ('thickinator') lets you extend beyond failure through partial ROM
Cable rear-delt crossover ('thickinator') lets you extend beyond failure through partial ROM
- When full lockout fails, partials in the contracted position still produce stimulus — keep going until zero movement is possible.
- Adjusting cable height (higher cables, low-to-high path) replicates the skier arm path and lets you customize feel without changing equipment.
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In this video
- 1mRear Delts: Isolation vs. Compound Work
- 1mSkier Exercise Breakdown
- 4mThickinator: Cable Crossover Rear Delt Variation
- 4mWhy the Skier Stands Out
“It's rear delts, but it's also a lot more than that.”
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