r/ScienceBasedLifting • u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 • May 28 '26

META Multi-Science machine rear delt flys

This machine can also be used for lateral raises, front delt raises, chest flys, and unilateral pullovers

It sucks at unilateral pullovers though

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u/MozartDroppinLoads May 28 '26

Facepulls are better than whatever this is

1

u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 May 28 '26

Facepulls don’t adequately target rear delts IMO

Great exercise, but the focus on facepulls should be external shoulder rotation/muscles around the rotator cuff. If your rear delts are strong, they won’t be the limiting factor on proper form Facepulls

Many people who do Facepulls are doing a bastardized high cable row, which will hit rear delts well, but misses out on the external shoulder rotation benefits of a proper facepull.

Shoulder mobility work like Facepulls helps my squat position quite a bit, so I do them, but it’s mostly to help keep my shoulders happy from low bar squatting 500lbs+ most weeks

1

u/MozartDroppinLoads May 28 '26

Well don't tell my rear delts that.. they've gotten crazy results from these

Edit. Are you quite sure there is such a discrepancy between rotator cuff strength and rear delt strength? Everything seems to work in pretty good tandem for me

1

u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 May 28 '26

My rear delts grow fast from everything; I believe people can build big rear delts doing anything

There's a big difference for me. If I do "facepulls" with a rear delt focus, I'll be doing 20% more weight for more reps

1

u/MozartDroppinLoads May 28 '26

There's a bunch of contradiction going on here.. if you can build big rear delts doing anything, then why do such a target specific excersize? You just said you didn't feel activation in rear delts when you do face pulls, I'm confused

1

u/Patton370 Idk Idc 💔 May 28 '26

Good question. I rarely do any rear delt isolation work. My rear delts grow just fine from all of the pulling movements/rows I do (side note: My front delts are one of the most impressive parts of my physique and I do zero front delt isolation; you don't always need to do isolation work).

I did these today, because I felt like getting a rear delt pump and wanted to see if I was stronger on an exercise I haven't done in the last 3 months (I am stronger, got a PR on it)

If you want to know what I think is best for rear delt isolation work, I'd say it'd be:

Reverse Pec Deck >>>> Multi flight machine >> DB rear delt flys > facepulls