No reverse pec deck at home? You don’t need one.
I’m Steve Theunissen, and I’ve been a personal trainer for over 35 years. Most of my clients have trained their rear delts without ever touching the machine. A pair of light dumbbells or a resistance band does the same job.
The short answer: the chest-supported dumbbell reverse fly is the closest swap. With no bench, use a band reverse fly. Both copy the machine’s flat, backward arc at shoulder height.
What the reverse pec deck actually does
The machine moves your arms back in a flat arc at shoulder height, from straight out in front to out at your sides. That’s called horizontal abduction, and it’s the rear delt’s main job.
Your mid traps and rhomboids help by pulling your shoulder blades together at the end.
So a good swap has to copy that arc. Arms out wide, moving back, level with your shoulders. Let the hands drift down toward your hips and the lats take over. That’s a different exercise.
How I picked these alternatives
Every exercise had to work at home, with dumbbells, a band or nothing at all. And every one had to follow the same arc as the machine.
That ruled out a lot. Rows train the rear delts a little, but the lats and biceps do most of the work. Face pulls are great, but you need a cable or a high anchor and they add a lot of rotation. You’ll find those in our face pull alternatives.
If you have a cable machine
Use it. The cable reverse fly is the best non-machine version, because the cable keeps the rear delt loaded through the whole arc.
- Set both pulleys at shoulder height and take the handles off.
- Grab the left cable in your right hand and the right cable in your left, so your arms cross in front of your chest.
- Step back until the cables are taut.
- Keep a soft bend in your elbows and pull your arms out and back until you make a T. Hands stay level with your shoulders.
- Return slowly and repeat.
Equipment for these exercises
- Dumbbells
- An adjustable weight bench
- A resistance band, plus a door anchor for the anchored versions
- An exercise mat
7 reverse pec deck alternatives that follow the same arc
Chest-supported dumbbell reverse fly
This is the one I give clients first. Your chest is on the bench, so your hips and lower back can’t help. It’s as close as you’ll get to the machine pad.
Equipment needed for exercise
How to do exercise
- Set the bench to about 30 to 45 degrees and lie face down on it, a light dumbbell in each hand.
- Let your arms hang straight down, palms facing each other, with a soft bend in the elbows.
- Raise your arms out to the sides until they’re level with your shoulders. Your body and arms should make a T.
- Pause for a second, then lower slowly. Keep your chest on the pad the whole time.
Exercise muscles worked
- Rear delts (main mover)
- Mid traps and rhomboids (squeezing the shoulder blades at the top)
Seated bent-over dumbbell reverse fly
No incline setting on your bench? Sit on the end and lean forward. Sitting takes most of the strain off your lower back compared with the standing version.
Equipment needed for exercise
- Dumbbells
- A bench or sturdy chair
How to do exercise
- Sit on the edge of the bench and lean forward from the hips until your chest is close to your thighs. Keep your back flat.
- Let the dumbbells hang under your knees, palms facing in.
- Lift your arms out wide until your elbows are level with your shoulders.
- Lower under control. If you have to rock your body to start the rep, the weight is too heavy.
Exercise muscles worked
- Rear delts (main mover)
- Mid traps and rhomboids
- Lower back (holding you in position)
Band reverse fly
A band anchored at chest height copies the cable version well. You’ll need a door anchor.
Bands get harder as they stretch, so the end of the rep is the hardest part. That’s where the rear delt is fully shortened. Pause there and you’ll feel it.
Equipment needed for exercise
- Resistance band and a door anchor
How to do exercise
- Anchor the band at chest height in a closed door.
- Face the door and hold one end in each hand, arms straight out in front of you.
- Step back until there’s light tension on the band.
- Pull your arms out and back until you make a T. Hold for a second.
- Let the band bring your arms back slowly. Don’t let it snap them forward.
Exercise muscles worked
- Rear delts (main mover)
- Mid traps and rhomboids
Band bent-over reverse fly
No door to anchor to? Stand on the band instead. It’s the one I pack when I travel.
Equipment needed for exercise
- Resistance band (a long loop band works best)
How to do exercise
- Stand on the middle of the band with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Cross the ends: left end in your right hand, right end in your left.
- Hinge at the hips until your torso is about 45 degrees to the floor, back flat.
- Raise your arms out to the sides until they’re level with your shoulders.
- Lower slowly back to the crossed position.
Exercise muscles worked
- Rear delts (main mover)
- Mid traps and rhomboids
- Hamstrings and lower back (holding the hinge)
Side-lying rear delt raise
Lying on your side changes where the load hits. The start of the rep, which goes slack on most dumbbell versions, becomes the hardest part.
It feels odd for the first set. Go much lighter than you think.
Equipment needed for exercise
- A light dumbbell
- An exercise mat
How to do exercise
- Lie on your side on the mat, knees stacked. Hold a light dumbbell in your top hand, arm straight out in front of your chest.
- Keep your elbow soft and raise the dumbbell in an arc until your arm points at the ceiling.
- Lower slowly back to the front of your chest.
- Finish your reps, then roll over and do the other side.
Exercise muscles worked
- Rear delt (main mover)
- Infraspinatus and teres minor (small rotator cuff muscles that help)
Bent-over one-arm band rear delt raise
Working one arm at a time shows up imbalances. If your left side gives out early, you’ll know about it.
Equipment needed for exercise
- Resistance band and a low anchor point
How to do exercise
- Anchor the band at floor level and stand side-on to it, about 3 feet away.
- Hinge forward until your torso is close to parallel with the floor.
- Take the band in your outside hand, so it crosses in front of your body, and step away until it’s taut.
- Raise your arm out to the side until it’s level with your shoulder.
- Lower slowly. Do all your reps, then turn round for the other arm.
Exercise muscles worked
- Rear delt (main mover)
- Mid traps and rhomboids (working harder on one side)
Prone T-raise
No equipment at all. Lie on the floor, arms out in a T, and lift. The range is short, but your rear delts and mid traps can’t hide.
The video shows the full Y-T-W sequence. Only the T copies the reverse pec deck. The Y mostly works your lower traps and the W your rotator cuff, so treat those as a bonus for shoulder health, not as rear delt work.
Equipment needed for exercise
- An exercise mat
How to do exercise
- Lie face down with your forehead on the mat.
- Spread your arms out to the sides in a T, thumbs pointing at the ceiling.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift your arms a few inches off the floor.
- Hold for two seconds, then lower. Aim for 10 to 15 reps.
Exercise muscles worked
- Rear delts
- Mid traps and rhomboids
The bottom line
The reverse pec deck does one thing: it moves your arms back in a flat arc at shoulder height. Any of these seven copies that arc, so pick whichever fits your kit.
With a bench and dumbbells, start with the chest-supported fly. With only a band, use the band reverse fly at home and the bent-over version when you travel.
Keep the weight light. The rear delt is a small muscle, and once your back starts swinging, your traps and lats take over. Two sessions a week, 12 to 20 reps a set, is plenty.
For more shoulder work, see our face pull alternatives, reverse fly alternatives and lateral raise alternatives. If you train chest on a machine too, here are our pec deck alternatives.