While the shoulder joint’s design allows three-dimensional movement, the sedentary lifestyle that most of us lead restricts this mobility. This limitation can wreak havoc on our workouts as well as our everyday lives. However, simple tweaks in our workout routine could save our shoulders. To start with, it’s crucial to incorporate the often-overlooked exercises for the rear delts into the workout routine. Working on the rear deltoids will not only sculpt those hard-to-reach muscles but also safeguard shoulder health.
Strengthening the rear delts: How does it protect the shoulders?
The rear deltoid muscles play a vital role in maintaining shoulder health by balancing the musculature around the joint.
“The rear delts help in stabilizing the shoulder joint along with the other muscle groups and prevent the shoulder from hunching forward. In addition, they are strongly involved in transverse extension, particularly since the latissimus dorsi [the lat muscles] is very weak in strict transverse extension,” says Babita Nayak, physical therapist, Apollo Speciality Hospital, Jayanagar, Bangalore. “The posterior deltoid is the primary shoulder hyperextensor, since the pectoralis major [chest muscles] or the latissimus dorsi do not extend the shoulder beyond anatomical position.”
Any imbalance between the chest, lats and rear delts can lead to poor posture, increased stress on the shoulder joint and a higher risk of injuries, such as impingement or rotator cuff issues. Strengthening the rear delts helps prevent muscular imbalances, reducing the risk of shoulder injuries by supporting proper posture and shoulder alignment. “Rear delts play an important role in shoulder movements, especially while pulling overhead and pushing forward, which places continuous stress on these muscles,” adds Nayak. “The rotator cuff muscle makes the protractor muscles more dominant. So, strengthening the posterior deltoid balances out the usual dominance of the front delts and protractor muscles, allowing the shoulder to return to neutral position.” This balance contributes to improved shoulder joint stability and overall function.
Exercises for the rear delts
“You have to focus on retraction of the shoulder, avoid slouching forward and maintain an upright posture by moving the shoulder and shoulder blades backward before starting with rear delt exercises,” informs Nayak.
The primary exercises for strengthening the rear delts include:
♦ Face pull
This exercise can be done using a cable machine or resistance bands. It involves pulling the rope attachment towards your face, engaging the rear delts and upper back.
♦ Reverse fly
Perform this exercise with dumbbells or on a pec deck machine. It involves leaning forward and raising the arms sideways, focusing on the rear deltoids.
♦ Bent-over reverse fly
Holding a dumbbell in both hands, hinge at the hips, keep your back straight and lift the weights out to the sides. This engages the rear delts.
♦ Band pull-apart
Grab a resistance band and try to pull it apart by moving your arms outwards to activate the rear delts and upper back.
♦ Incline rear delt raise
Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie face down on an incline bench. Now, lift the dumbbells outward, targeting the rear delts effectively.
