How Can a Skinny Guy Get Bigger Rear Delts

Why Your Shoulders Look Narrow (It's Not Your Pressing Power)

You're wondering how can a skinny guy get bigger rear delts, and the answer is simpler and more counterintuitive than you think: you need to train them directly with 12-20 sets per week using light weight, not by adding another 10 pounds to your overhead press. If you're a skinny guy who lifts, you've probably focused on getting your bench press and overhead press up. You were told that's how you build big shoulders. Yet, when you look in the mirror from the side, your shoulders still seem to disappear, creating a slumped, forward-rolled posture. This is the classic sign of a massive imbalance. Your front delts are getting all the work from pressing movements, while your posterior (rear) deltoids are neglected. They are the missing piece of the puzzle for creating that 3D, capped shoulder look that makes you look wider and more powerful. Most training programs for beginners and intermediates are unintentionally designed to create this problem. They are press-heavy and pull-light. The solution isn't to train harder; it's to train smarter by isolating this small, stubborn muscle group with precision and high volume.

The Volume Equation Your Program Is Missing

Your shoulders are made of three heads: the anterior (front), lateral (side), and posterior (rear). A typical workout week for someone trying to gain size might include 4 sets of bench press, 4 sets of incline press, and 4 sets of overhead press. That’s 12 sets that hammer your front delts. Then you might do 4-6 sets of lateral raises for your side delts. Finally, you might throw in 3 sets of sloppy face pulls at the end. The score: Front Delts 12, Rear Delts 3. This 4-to-1 imbalance is exactly why your shoulders look flat from the back and side. To fix this, you need to flip the script. For every set of pressing you do, you should aim to do at least one set of direct rear delt work. That means if you're doing 12 sets of pressing per week, you need a minimum of 12 sets for your rear delts. For skinny guys with a significant imbalance, a 1.5-to-1 ratio (18 rear delt sets for 12 pressing sets) can accelerate growth. The number one mistake is using ego to train this muscle. The rear delt is a small muscle that responds to tension and metabolic stress, not heavy loads. Using a 45-lb plate for bent-over raises is training your lower back and traps, not your rear delts. You must use light weight, perfect form, and a high rep range (15-20) to actually stimulate growth.

You now have the volume target: 12-20 sets per week. But here's the real question: how many sets of direct rear delt work did you *actually* complete last week? Not what your program said, but what you did. If you don't know the exact number, you're not following a plan. You're just exercising and hoping for the best.

Stop guessing. Start growing.

Track your lifts. See your strength and size increase week by week.

The 8-Week Protocol to Build 3D Shoulders

This isn't about adding a new exercise; it's about adopting a new strategy. For the next 8 weeks, your mission is to become a rear delt specialist. This protocol is designed to be added to your existing routine.

Step 1: Master Three Key Movements

Forget fancy variations. You only need three exercises. Your goal is not to lift heavy but to feel an intense burn and pump directly in the back of your shoulder.

• Bent-Over Dumbbell Raise: Use 10, 15, or max 20-pound dumbbells. Hinge at your hips so your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. Let the dumbbells hang. Now, thinking of pushing your hands out to the walls, not up to the ceiling. Keep a slight bend in your elbows. If you feel it in your upper back or traps, the weight is too heavy.
• Face Pull: Use a rope attachment on a cable machine. Set the anchor point at chest height. The key is the end of the movement: as you pull the rope towards your face, actively try to rotate your hands up and back, like you're making a double-bicep pose. This external rotation is what isolates the rear delt.
• Reverse Pec-Deck: This machine is fantastic because it removes the stability requirement. Set the handles so they are in the rearmost position. Sit down and keep your chest glued to the pad. Don't let it lift off. Use a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together slightly as you push back. Again, think wide, not back.

Step 2: Implement High-Frequency Training

Rear delts are a small muscle group that can handle and, in fact, requires high-frequency training to grow. You will train them 3 times per week. The best time to do this is at the end of your existing workouts. This ensures you're not fatigued for your main compound lifts.

• Day 1 (e.g., Push Day): 4 sets of Bent-Over Dumbbell Raises, 15-20 reps.
• Day 2 (e.g., Leg Day): 4 sets of Face Pulls, 15-20 reps.
• Day 3 (e.g., Pull Day): 4 sets of Reverse Pec-Deck, 15-20 reps.

This schedule provides 12 high-quality sets per week. Rest only 45-60 seconds between sets to maximize metabolic stress.

Step 3: Use the Double Progression Model

Progress isn't about adding 5 pounds every week. For a small muscle like the rear delt, that's impossible. Instead, we use a more intelligent method.

1. Start with a weight you can do for 15 perfect reps.
2. Your goal is to get all 4 sets to 20 reps. Each week, just try to add one more rep to each set. Maybe one week you get 16, 16, 15, 15. The next week you aim for 17, 17, 16, 16.
3. Once you can successfully complete all 4 sets of 20 reps with perfect form, only then do you increase the weight. Go up by the smallest possible increment (e.g., from 15-pound dumbbells to 17.5s, or one notch on the cable stack).

Step 4: Fuel the Growth

This is critical for the "skinny guy." You cannot build muscle out of thin air. If you're not gaining weight on the scale, you're not building muscle. Period. You need to be in a modest calorie surplus.

• Calorie Surplus: Aim for 250-300 calories above your maintenance level. This is enough to fuel muscle growth without adding significant fat.
• Protein Intake: Consume at least 0.8 grams of protein per pound of your body weight daily. For a 150-pound guy, that's a minimum of 120 grams of protein every single day.

What to Expect: Your First 60 Days

Building muscle takes time, and the rear delts are no exception. Sticking to the protocol is everything. Here is a realistic timeline of what you will experience.

• Week 1-2: The Awkward Phase. The weights will feel frustratingly light. You'll be tempted to use more, but don't. Your main focus is learning to feel the muscle work. You won't see any visible changes, but you will start to feel a deep burn in the back of your shoulders during your sets. This is the connection you're building.
• Month 1 (Weeks 3-4): The Pump Phase. By now, the mind-muscle connection is solid. You can get an incredible pump in your rear delts. After your sessions, your shoulders will look and feel fuller for an hour or two. This is a great sign. You might notice a very subtle improvement in your posture as the stronger rear delts begin to pull your shoulders back.
• Month 2 (Weeks 5-8): The Visible Change Phase. This is where the hard work starts to pay off. When you look at your shoulder from the side in the mirror, you'll begin to see a curve where it was once flat. T-shirts will start to hang differently on your upper back. This is the beginning of building that 3D look. It won't be dramatic, but it will be undeniable proof that the protocol is working. From here, it's all about consistency.

That's the plan. Three exercises, three times a week. Track the weight, sets, and reps for each. And remember what you did last time to ensure you're doing more this time. It's a lot of data points to manage in your head or a messy notebook. The people who succeed with this don't have better genetics; they just have a better system for tracking their work.

Your progress. All in one place.

Every workout logged. Proof you're building the body you want.

Frequently Asked Questions

Rear Delts vs. Traps: How to Feel the Difference

If you feel it in your upper back (traps), you're likely shrugging or pulling your shoulder blades together too much. To isolate the rear delt, think about pushing your hands out to the sides, away from your body, rather than pulling them back. Lower the weight.

Training Frequency: Can I Train Rear Delts Every Day?

No. While they recover quickly, training them every day is unnecessary and can lead to joint irritation. Three to four non-consecutive days per week is the sweet spot for maximum growth and recovery. More is not better; better is better.

Weight Selection: How Heavy Is Too Heavy?

If you have to use any body momentum or swing the weight, it's too heavy. If you can't pause for one second at the peak of the contraction, it's too heavy. For rear delts, a weight that you can control for 15-20 perfect reps is ideal.

Exercise Order: Should I Train Rear Delts First?

No. As a small muscle group, training them first would compromise your strength on major compound lifts like bench press or rows. Always place direct rear delt work at the end of your workout to avoid this interference.

The Role of Diet for Building Shoulder Mass

Diet is non-negotiable. To build any muscle, including rear delts, you must be in a consistent calorie surplus of 250-500 calories per day with adequate protein (0.8-1g per pound of bodyweight). Without the raw materials, your training will not produce results.