High Crossover Cable Rear Delt Fly

Also known as: high cable reverse fly, high cable rear delt fly, cross cable rear delt fly, cable crossover reverse fly, standing cable reverse fly, cable rear delt crossover, high cable crossover rear delt fly

In SetGrip: Cable Rear Delt Fly (High Crossover)

Secondary muscles
Traps, Rhomboids
Body part
Shoulders
Position
Standing
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

Track this exercise in SetGrip — no account needed

Download SetGrip on the App Store

Standing between shoulder-height pulleys with the cables crossed puts the line of pull directly in line with your rear delts, no bent-over hinge required. That makes it easier to hold position deep into a session than the bent-over cable rear delt fly, at the cost of some cheating room; step back from the stack if it starts moving you.

How to do the High Crossover Cable Rear Delt Fly

  1. Attach a D-handle to each side of a cable machine at shoulder height.
  2. Stand in the middle of the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and extend your arms out to the sides, palms facing forward.
  4. Keep a slight bend in your elbows and maintain a straight back throughout the exercise.
  5. Engage your shoulder muscles and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull the handles towards the front of your body.
  6. Pause for a moment at the peak of the movement, then slowly return to the starting position.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Imagine hugging a barrel rather than pushing a weight.

Muscles worked

Primary

Delts · Shoulders

Rear delt flies work the back of the shoulder as the arms swing wide, and the front delt assists on any chest fly.

Secondary

Common mistakes

  • Elbows bending as you tire — this turns a fly into a press; set the elbow angle at the start and keep it constant for the whole set.
  • Going too heavy — flies are a stretch and squeeze movement, not a strength lift; you should be able to pause at the bottom without the shoulders rolling forward.
  • Stopping short of the stretch — let the arms open until you feel the chest or rear delts lengthen, then bring them back under control.
  • Not squeezing at the finish — the last few inches are where the muscle shortens most, so hold the contraction for a count before opening again.

Where it fits in a workout

Flies are an isolation movement for after the pressing or rowing is done. Pair a chest fly with a rear delt fly for a balanced superset.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without cable

Easier and harder

When to talk to someone

  • Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
  • Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
  • Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

Track the High Crossover Cable Rear Delt Fly in SetGrip

All 1,100+ exercises with animations are in the app. No account, no sign-up — your history stays on your iPhone and in your private iCloud. Works with Apple Watch.

Download SetGrip on the App Store

More exercises

Sources

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.

Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.