If your shoulders look great from the front but disappear from the back, we need to talk. The rear delts are one of the most neglected muscle groups, and that’s a big mistake. Weak rear delts can lead to shoulder imbalances, poor posture, a stiff neck and a half-built physique. Enter the bent over rear delt barbell raise. An underrated but killer exercise to build 3D shoulders and bulletproof your upper body.
Why The Bent-Over Rear Delt Barbell Raises Are a Game-Changer
Builds Thick, Well-Rounded Shoulders – No more front-heavy delts. This gives you that full, capped look.
Prevents Shoulder Imbalances – If your pressing movements are way stronger than your pulling, your joints will hate you later.
Improves Posture & Stability – Strengthening the rear delts helps pull your shoulders back, keeping you upright and injury-free.
Boosts Other Lifts – Stronger rear delts help with bench press, overhead press, and even deadlifts.
How to Do Rear Delt Barbell Raises Properly
1. Grip & Setup:
- Grab a light barbell with an overhand grip (palms facing down)
- Hold the weight behind you and grip the bar by your side
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, a slight bend in your knees
- Hinge at your hips (like an RDL) until your torso is parallel to the floor
- Tuck your chin to your chest
2. The Movement:
- Keep a soft bend in your knees and raise the bar out behind you until it is at least parallel with the ground
- Squeeze your rear delts at the top of the movement
- Control the weight down, don’t just let it drop
3. Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Using momentum - this is an isolation exercise, control the lift.
Going too heavy - rear delts are small muscles; ego-lifting will just recruit traps. Instead, start off with a lighter weight of 5kg. You can always go heavier.
Rushing reps - slow and controlled reps. 2-0-2 tempo.
3. How Many Reps & Sets?
3 sets of 12-15 reps will be all you need. Try it out when you next train your shoulders.
4. Pro Tips
-
Pause at the top – A 1-2 second squeeze will light your rear delts on fire.
-
Try different grips – A slightly wider grip might hit your rear delts even better (everyone is different)
- Superset it with Face Pulls – This combo will blow up your upper back.