Bent-Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly vs Face Pull
Both are for the rear delts, which pressing barely touches. The fly isolates them; the face pull adds the rotator cuff and mid back.
| Bent-Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly | Face Pull | |
|---|---|---|
| Muscles | rear delts, mid back | rear delts, rotator cuff, mid back |
| Equipment | Dumbbells | Cable station |
| Entry bar | 1/3 fine from your first workout | 1/3 fine from your first workout |
| Pick it when | You want to isolate the rear delts. | You want the rear delts together with the rotator cuff and mid back. |
The main difference
In the fly you bend over until you're nearly parallel to the floor and raise the dumbbells out to the sides with slightly bent arms. The rear delts work almost alone, the weight is light, and control is everything: swing your torso and your back steals the work. It's easiest with your chest on an incline bench.
In the face pull you pull a rope from a high pulley toward your face, spreading the ends, and finish by rotating your hands so your fists point up. The rear delts, mid back and the muscles that rotate the shoulder outward all work. The weight is light and the reps high — plenty of people do it in every upper-body session as a warm-up.
Can you do both
Yes: face pulls at the start of a session as a shoulder warm-up or at the end for 15–20, flyes on shoulder day for 12–20. The rear delts are small and recover fast, so they take frequent work well.
Log both in the diary — your estimated max will show which one is growing faster for you.
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