Reverse Flyes With External Rotation
An intermediate isolation movement that trains the shoulders with a dumbbell.
Force Type
Pull
direction of effort
Difficulty
Intermediate
training level
Variations
0
equipment swaps
Muscles
1
primary + secondary
The verdict
Reverse Flyes With External Rotation has 7-step instructions, among the most thoroughly documented of the 127 shoulders exercises PlainExercise catalogues.
Ranked against the 127 shoulders exercises PlainExercise currently catalogues, not the full exercise-science literature.
Catalog lens
Two ways this record sits in the source corpus
These are placement measures for the documented record, not a score for exercise quality, safety, or suitability.
Instruction steps
#48 of 868
Most thoroughly documented
Numbered source steps, ranked across every documented exercise.
Instruction text
#77 of 868
Most thoroughly documented
A separate character-length placement prevents step count from standing in for explanatory detail.
Reverse Flyes With External Rotation vs every catalogued exercise by instruction-text length
Where this record's instruction-character count sits among all 873 Free Exercise DB exercises with instructions, not a rating of the movement itself.
1,105 76th of 873 higher than 796 of 873 exercises
All exercises, banded by instruction-text character count
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more exercises. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source Free Exercise DB · 2026-07-10
Reverse Flyes With External Rotation is documented from the Free Exercise DB (CC0) extract, last ingested July 2026. Classification, muscle roles and instruction text are source facts; the placement and cohort measures on this page are computed by PlainExercise and are not a rating of the movement.
What the Reverse Flyes With External Rotation Data Reveals · DEEP · PULL/ISOLATION
Reverse Flyes With External Rotation stands out on mechanic class: joint involvement separates this page from isolation peers.
Longer step lists usually mean finer setup cues, not a harder movement by themselves.
Across 127 catalogued shoulders movements, the average instruction record is 623 characters and 4.2 steps; 82 of those (64.6%) clear the same ≥500-character rich bar used here. This page ranks #5 of 127 by instruction-character length (1.77× the cohort average).
Among the 123 exercises that also use a dumbbell, average instruction length is 790 characters; 15 of those peers are longer than this record. Equipment-matched peers are the honest comparison when you are choosing a substitute implement for the same pattern.
Other well-documented shoulders movements (same ≥500-character bar):
- Clean and Jerk (8 steps, 2,551 chars)
- Clean and Press (7 steps, 1,667 chars)
- Cable Seated Lateral Raise (7 steps, 1,233 chars)
- External Rotation (6 steps, 1,212 chars)
- Dumbbell One-Arm Upright Row (5 steps, 1,005 chars)
Context matters: taxonomy (level, mechanic, force, musculature, equipment) does not account for individual biomechanics, joint history, or recovery. Common-mistake framing below is derived from classification fields, not case-specific coaching. Not medical or personal-training advice. Consult a physician or certified trainer before starting, especially with injuries, cardiovascular conditions, recent surgery, or pregnancy.
Reverse Flyes With External Rotation catalog footprint
Among 127 exercises whose primary muscle is shoulders, Reverse Flyes With External Rotation ranks #43 by catalogued variation count. The upstream file attaches 2 images to this slug. See the step-count ranking for shoulders for peer documentation depth.
Muscles worked
The Free Exercise DB classifies each muscle as primary or secondary. It does not measure activation, so we show involvement, not percentages.
Source: Free Exercise DB primary/secondary muscle classification. Actual recruitment varies by load and form.
Intensity context
For reference, here is where common activities sit on the MET intensity scale. Reverse Flyes With External Rotation does not have a measured MET in the source data, its intensity depends on the load and effort you use. Estimate calories for any activity with the calorie calculator.
MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., 2011). A general reference scale, not a rating of this specific movement.
How to do it
- To begin, lie down on an incline bench set at a 30-degree angle with the chest and stomach pressing against the incline.
- Have the dumbbells in each hand with the palms facing down to the floor. Your arms should be in front of you so that they are perpendicular to the angle of the bench. Tip: Your elbows should have a slight bend. The legs should be stationary while applying pressure with the ball of your toes (your heels should not be touching the floor). This is the starting position.
- Maintaining the slight bend of the elbows, move the weights out and away from each other in an arc motion while exhaling.
- As you lift the weight, your wrist should externally rotate by 90-degrees so that you go from a palms down (pronated) grip to a palms facing each other (neutral) grip. Tip: Try to squeeze your shoulder blades together to get the best results from this exercise.
- The arms should be elevated until they are level with the head.
- Feel the contraction and slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position while inhaling.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Common mistakes
- Rushing through reps, controlled tempo (2-3s down, 1-2s up) is what drives muscle tension on Reverse Flyes With External Rotation, not raw speed.
- Cutting the range of motion short - moving the shoulders through its full safe range on Reverse Flyes With External Rotation is what most reliably separates effective reps from wasted ones.
- Using momentum instead of muscle, isolation movements like Reverse Flyes With External Rotation reward strict form. If you're swinging the weight, it's too heavy.
- Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears on pull movements, keep shoulder blades down and back to load the correct muscles.
- Breathing out of sync with the lift on Reverse Flyes With External Rotation - brace and inhale during the lowering phase, exhale on the exertion, especially important with a dumbbell where control matters most.
Who this is for
- People with 6+ months of consistent training who can perform basic compound lifts with good form
- People who want to train the Shoulders
- People who have access to a dumbbell
Who this is NOT for
- People hunting equipment swaps, this record has none to offer; browse the peer shoulders exercises for alternate patterns instead.
- Anyone with acute pain in the joints or muscles involved, pain is a stop signal, not a soreness signal
- People with unresolved injuries in the loaded joints, seek clearance from a physical therapist first
- Anyone with a recent surgery, cardiovascular limitation, or pregnancy complication without physician clearance
Progression path
Once Reverse Flyes With External Rotation feels comfortable with your current load, progress by (a) adding reps until you can complete 12+ per set, (b) increasing resistance by 2.5-5%, (c) moving to harder variations such as single-limb or longer lever versions, and eventually (d) stepping up to expert-level movements that train the same muscle.
See the Progression guide for a full framework on when to advance, and the Compound vs Isolation guide to decide when to prioritize this movement in your program.
Safety notes · DUMBBELL · PULL/ISOLATION · MID
- Intermediate PULL/ISOLATION: warm up mobility matching shoulders before Reverse Flyes With External Rotation with a dumbbell.
- Sharp or joint pain is a stop signal. Muscle soreness during sets is normal; pain is not.
- Adjust sets, reps, and rest to recovery; 7 upstream steps are a template, not a prescription.
- General information only. Consult a physician or certified trainer before starting any new exercise program.
Curated workout appearances
Reverse Flyes With External Rotation is not currently featured in one of the 186 curated workout routines on this site.
Nationwide exercises with similar documentation depth
Two Free Exercise DB peer sets for Reverse Flyes With External Rotation, drawn across all muscles (not the shoulders-only related list below). Each metric produces a different neighborhood.
Similar instruction step count
Nearest catalog records by numbered steps.
Similar instruction text length
Nearest catalog records by upstream instruction characters.
Related exercises
Other exercises that target the Shoulders.
See all Shoulders exercises.
Using the reverse flyes with external rotation
Three ways to put it to work.
- Train the shoulders 2–3 times a week with 48+ hours between hard sets; pair this with other shoulders movements for balanced development. All shoulders exercises
- Match the load and rep range to your goal, strength, size, or endurance each call for a different scheme. Strength vs hypertrophy
- As an isolation movement, use it to target the shoulders directly after your compound lifts. Compound vs isolation
Form before load. If a movement causes sharp or joint pain, stop and substitute a safer alternative, this is general information, not medical or training advice.