# Cable Lying Reverse Fly - Canonical: https://fitwill.app/exercise/11517/cable-lying-reverse-fly/ - Media ID: 11517 - Primary muscle: Shoulders - Body part: Shoulders - Equipment: Cable Machine - Video: https://fitwill.app/videos/11517/cable-lying-reverse-fly.mp4 ## Description The Cable Lying Reverse Fly is a rear-shoulder and upper-back isolation exercise performed face-up on a flat bench placed inside a cable crossover station. With a single handle attached to each high pulley, you lie back with your arms extended above your chest, grab the opposite-side handle so the cables cross, and sweep your arms out and down in a wide arc until they reach bench level. The constant cable tension makes this a smooth, joint-friendly way to train the rear deltoids, which are hard to load cleanly with free weights from this angle. This movement is especially useful for anyone whose training leans heavily on pressing exercises. Bench press, overhead press, and push-up volume builds the front of the shoulders, while the rear deltoids, rhomboids, and mid-traps often get left behind. Over time that imbalance can pull the shoulders forward and make the upper back look flat. The Cable Lying Reverse Fly puts focused work directly on those posterior structures in a position where the bench supports your torso and removes the need to stabilize your spine. The setup matters more here than in most machine work. The bench must sit centrally between the pulleys so both cables feed your hands from the same relative angle, and the crossed grip is what keeps tension pulling outward and away from your body through the whole range. If the cables uncross or the bench is off-center, the resistance direction changes and the rear delts stop doing the work. Because the cables pull toward the pulleys behind your head, your arms work against outward resistance the entire time, including at the stretched position where dumbbells lose tension. Execution is simple but demands control. Start with arms stacked over your chest, elbows slightly bent and locked in that angle. Open your arms in a wide arc, as if pushing your hands apart and down toward the floor on either side of the bench, until your upper arms are roughly level with your shoulders. Pause briefly, then bring your hands back together above your chest without letting the weight stacks slam. The arc should feel like a fan opening, driven from the shoulder blades, not a press or a pull with the hands alone. You will see this exercise in programs for posture support, shoulder health, and balanced physique development. Powerlifters and bodybuilders use it as accessory work after pressing, and general lifters use it to add rear-shoulder volume without the lower-back and core demands of a standing bent-over reverse fly. Keep the load light to moderate: this is a small muscle group working through a long lever, and heavy weights almost always turn the movement into a row or a shrug. Safety-wise, the main points are keeping the elbows softly bent, staying flat on the bench, and choosing a weight you can stop mid-arc. If a shoulder pinches at the bottom of the range, shorten the arc slightly rather than forcing depth. As with any rear-delt exercise, progress through added reps and slow tempo before adding load. ## Instructions 1. Set a flat bench lengthwise in the center of a cable crossover station so it sits directly between the two high pulleys. 2. Attach a single handle to each high pulley and set both weight stacks to the same light-to-moderate resistance. 3. Sit on the bench, then reach up and grab the handle on the opposite side of your body with each hand so the cables cross above you. Lie back flat with your head supported on the bench. 4. Press your arms straight up so they are stacked over your chest, palms facing each other, with a slight fixed bend in each elbow. 5. Brace your trunk, keep your lower back flat on the bench, and plant your feet on the floor with knees bent. 6. Exhale as you open both arms outward and downward in a wide arc, as if pushing the handles away from each other toward the floor on either side of the bench. 7. Stop when your upper arms reach roughly shoulder level and feel a firm squeeze across the back of your shoulders and upper back. Hold for a beat without shrugging toward your ears. 8. Inhale as you slowly reverse the arc, bringing your hands back together above your chest under full control. 9. Complete all reps with the crossed grip, then sit up carefully, set the handles down, and adjust the weight before your next set if needed. ## Tips & Tricks - If the weight stack clanks at the top of each rep, you are letting the cables pull your hands together too fast — control the return and keep continuous tension on the rear shoulders. - A common mistake is pulling with the biceps like a curl. Think about spreading your arms apart and leading with your elbows, not dragging the handles toward you. - Do not straighten your elbows as you fatigue. The fixed soft-elbow bend is what keeps the arc honest; straightening the arms turns the rep into a partial movement with less delt work. - Keep the bench centered between the pulleys before you start. If one cable runs at a steeper angle than the other, one side will do more work and the arc will drift. - Stop the arc at shoulder level rather than chasing the handles toward the floor. Going deeper usually comes from shoulder shrugging and rolling, not extra rear-delt range. - Your shoulder blades should move — let them glide toward the spine as your arms open — but avoid arching your chest up off the bench to gain range. - Use a two-to-three second return on every rep. This exercise gives its best training effect in the stretch and slow return, not at the point of maximum squeeze. - Start lighter than you think you need. Because the cables cross and your arms are extended, even modest loads feel heavier at the start position than a standing reverse fly at the same weight. - If your grip gives out before your shoulders, reposition the handles so they sit at the base of your fingers rather than mid-palm. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What muscles does the Cable Lying Reverse Fly work? The primary movers are the posterior deltoids at the back of the shoulders. The rhomboids and middle trapezius assist as your shoulder blades draw toward the spine during the arc. ### Why are the cables crossed in this exercise? Crossing your hands so each arm holds the opposite handle keeps the cables pulling outward and away from your body through the entire range. That outward resistance is what loads the rear delts in the reverse fly pattern. ### Is the Cable Lying Reverse Fly suitable for beginners? Yes, and the supine position actually helps beginners because the bench supports the torso and removes balance demands. Start with a very light weight and focus on the wide, controlled arc before adding load. ### How high should I set the pulleys? Set both pulleys at the top position of the crossover station so the cables feed down toward your hands as you lie back. This matches the crossed-cable setup shown in the standard performance of the exercise. ### How is this different from a standing bent-over reverse fly with dumbbells? Cables keep tension on the rear shoulders at the stretched position, where dumbbells lose resistance, and the bench removes the need to hinge and hold your torso up. It is a good choice if your lower back fatigues before your shoulders in bent-over versions. ### Why can't I feel my rear shoulders during this exercise? The most likely causes are a weight that is too heavy, pulling with the hands instead of opening the arms, or shrugging the shoulders toward your ears. Drop the load, lead with the elbows, and limit the arc to shoulder level. ### What can I substitute if my gym has no crossover machine? A bent-over dumbbell reverse fly, a seated reverse pec-deck fly, or a bent-over resistance band reverse fly all train the same rear-shoulder pattern. Match the weight to a tempo you can control. ### How many reps and sets should I do? Two to four sets of 12 to 20 reps works well for this movement, since the rear deltoids respond best to controlled, moderate loads. Rest about 45 to 60 seconds between sets. ### Is it safe for my shoulders? When performed with light weight, soft elbows, and a controlled arc, it is generally shoulder-friendly. If you feel pinching at the bottom of the range, reduce the depth slightly and keep the arc above bench level; avoid pushing through sharp pain. ### Should my elbows stay bent throughout the Cable Lying Reverse Fly? Yes, keep a small, constant bend in each elbow from start to finish. Straightening the arms changes the lever length mid-rep and shifts work away from the rear deltoids.