Rear Delts vs Side Delts: Key Differences & Why They Matter

If you’ve started hitting the gym regularly or are just starting with weight training, you’ve likely heard trainers talk about working your delts, right? Maybe even rear delts and side delts. We know that it can sound a little “too technical” at first, but trust us, it’s worth understanding!

Your delts, both rear and side delts, can play a major role in not just how you look but also how well you move and how stable your shoulders are during lifts.. 

That’s why understanding the difference between rear delts and side delts matters more than you might think! Let’s break down how these muscles differ and how you can start training them the right way to get real results quickly!

What Exactly Are Delts?

Delts are actually the short form of the word “deltoids,” which are the muscles that cap your shoulders. 

Wondering what their purpose is? Well, they give your upper body that strong, rounded look when developed. Plus, they are involved in a lot of upper-body movements. 

Your deltoids are made of three parts, or “heads,” and these heads help you move your shoulders in different directions.

• Front Delts (front portion of your shoulders).
• Side Delts (outer portion of your shoulders).
• Rear Delts (the back portion of your shoulders).

If you’re a fan of pressing exercises like bench press or shoulder press, it means you naturally hit your front delts while exercising. But there’s a high chance that your rear and side delts often get neglected while you are exercising, and that’s a big mistake. 

Even though these three deltoids work together to move your shoulder, rear delts, and side delts, each serves very different roles, and that’s what we’re gonna discuss next.

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1. Side Delts: Build Your Shoulder-Width

Side delts, which people often call “lateral delts,” are the muscles that give your shoulder that wide, V-taper look. Have you ever admired someone’s broad-shouldered silhouette in a T-shirt and thought to yourself, “I’ll build my body exactly like that?” Well, it’s possible if you build your side delts properly.

Why Do They Matter?

• First off, it’ll add an aesthetic appeal to your frame! If you want a more “athletic” or “built” look, working on your side delts can be the ultimate solution!
• Building your side delts means you’re also working to improve your shoulder stability and balance out the strength from your chest and back.
• Working on your side delts can help you lift your arms to the side and are also important in overhead lifting movements.

Exercises to Build Your Side Delts

Now that you know the perks of working on your side delts, let’s see some of the exercises that can help you build your side delts!

• Overhead Press,
• Lateral Raises,
• Upright Rows,
• Arnold Press,

When you’re doing lateral raises, don’t cheat the movement by swinging your body or using momentum! Trust us, lighter weights with strict form can do wonders (instead of heavy, sloppy reps).

2. Rear Delts: Protect Your Postures

The rear delts, or posterior delts, are present on the back side of your shoulders. You might be surprised to know that these little muscles are often the most under-trained part of the shoulder complex. But here’s why training these muscles is important!

Why Do They Matter?

• If you have a bad or desk-hunch posture, you can work on it by building your rear delts, as they pull your shoulders back and help you avoid these bad postures.
• You can improve your shoulder joint health (especially during pulling or overhead movements) by building strong rear delts.
• You can get a rounded and strong upper back look that you’ll absolutely love!

Exercises to Build Your Rear Delts

You can follow these exercises to have well-built rear delts!

• Chin-ups,
• Deadlifts,
• Rows,
• Bent-Over Reverse Flyes,
• Face Pulls,
• Rear Delt Flyes.

As rear delts are small muscles, you can train them with moderate weight and focus on the mind-muscle connection!

Difference Between Rear and Side Delts

Feature	Rear Delts	Side Delts
Location	Back of the shoulder	External side of the shoulder
Properties	Improves posture	Helps in adding shoulder-width
Perks of Training	Face pulls, rows	Raises, Praises
Trained With	Better posture	V-taper look

Why Training Both Delts Really Matters

Now that you know what side delts and rear delts are all about, the difference between the two should be pretty clear. While side delts help you lift arms out to the side and give you that wide, athletic look, the rear delts pull your shoulders backward and support good posture and upper-back strength. 

But the next question you might have is, “What actually happens if you ignore one and overtrain the other?

Well, if you’re serious about weight training or just trying to move and feel better, training both the rear and side delts is very important! Ignoring one of the delts can lead to:

• Shoulder pain,
• Muscle imbalances,
• Poor posture,
• Lack of overall upper-body strength
• Lack of symmetry,
• General discomfort

If you give these muscle groups the attention they deserve, you’ll not only build stronger, better-looking shoulders, but you’ll also improve your overall performance, prevent injuries, and feel more confident both in and out of the gym!

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Takeaway

If you want strong, balanced, and well-built shoulders, don’t ignore working on your rear or side delts. For building your shoulder width, working on your side delts is pretty important. Also, if you want to protect your posture and get a strong and rounded upper back look, building your rear delts is a must! 

Each of these two deltoids plays a big role in how you move, lift, and feel. So, why ignore them? If you’re starting out or deep into strength training, making time to train both your rear and side delts can make all the difference in your results and long-term progress!

Read More About:

• Quick Guide To Building Muscle: Training, Diet, And Workouts

• Strength Training Myths And Facts Every Woman Should Know

• Different Types Of Sets For Your Strength Training Routine
• What Is A Superset? How Can It Help Boost Your Strength Training?

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