Back Fly with Bands

How to do it

1. Anchor a band at about chest height in front of you, or hold one end in each hand with the band across your front.
2. Step back until the band is under tension with your arms out in front of you at shoulder height.
3. Set a small bend at the elbows and hold it.
4. Draw both arms out and back in a wide arc until they are level with your body.
5. Squeeze briefly where the arms are furthest back.
6. Let the band draw the arms forward under control.

Common mistakes

• Squeezing the shoulder blades together to move the arms. That is a straight-arm row done by the rhomboids and middle trapezius; the blades stay still while the arms travel out.
• Letting the arms drop below shoulder height. The path is horizontal at shoulder level; dropping it turns the movement into a band pull-down.
• Bending the elbows to get further back. The elbow angle is fixed; bending it converts the fly into a row.
• Anchoring the band where it can slip. A band released while the arms are open travels toward your face at speed.

Muscles worked

Primary

• Posterior DeltoidShoulders

Secondary

• Rhomboids
• Middle TrapeziusTraps
• Triceps