Dumbbell Fly
Horizontal push, dumbbell, chest
The dumbbell fly opens the arms wide with a dumbbell in each hand while you lie on a bench, then brings them back together over the chest. It isolates the chest with a long stretch, with the front delts helping. It suits anyone who wants to add chest work beside presses, using light to moderate weights.
Setting up
- Lie on a flat bench with the feet flat on the floor or resting on the bench.
- Press a dumbbell in each hand up above the chest, palms facing each other.
- Bend the elbows slightly and keep that bend for the whole set.
- Start with dumbbells about half of what you would press.
How to do a dumbbell fly
- Open the arms out to the sides in a wide arc.
- Lower until the elbows are about level with the bench and you feel a stretch across the chest.
- Keep the bend in the elbows the same all the way down.
- Bring the dumbbells back up along the same arc, as if hugging a big tree.
- Stop when the dumbbells are above the chest, just short of touching.
Breathing. Breathe in as you open the arms and breathe out as you bring the dumbbells together.
Muscles worked
- Mainly
- Chest
- Also
- Front delts
Common mistakes
- Straightening the arms fully. Locked elbows turn the fly into a lever on the arms, so keep a soft bend that stays the same all the way.
- Lowering past the level of the shoulders. Past bench height the front of the shoulder reaches the end of its range with nothing more for the chest, so stop when the elbows are level with the bench.
- Turning it into a press. Bending the elbows more on the way up moves the work to the triceps, so keep the arm angle fixed.
- Using dumbbells too heavy. Heavy dumbbells force the arms to bend, so choose a load lighter than for a press.
Guide
Guide
