Dumbbell Fly
Description
The dumbbell fly is a single-joint chest isolation exercise performed lying on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand. With a slight bend in your elbows held throughout, you lower the weights out to your sides in a wide arc and bring them back together over your chest. It is one of the best exercises for stretching and isolating the pectoralis major.
Muscle Group
Equipment Required
Dumbbell Fly Instructions
- Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Plant your feet firmly on the floor and pull your shoulder blades down and back into the bench.
- Press the dumbbells up over your chest with your palms facing each other and a soft bend in your elbows.
- Lock that elbow bend in place. It should not change throughout the set; if your elbows straighten and bend, you are doing a press, not a fly.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc, leading with your elbows. Stop when your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor or you feel a strong stretch across your chest.
- Reverse the motion by squeezing your chest to bring the dumbbells back together over your chest. Imagine hugging a large barrel.
- Pause briefly at the top with your pecs flexed, then repeat for the desired number of reps.
Dumbbell Fly Form & Visual
Dumbbell Fly Benefits
- Isolates the chest with minimal triceps involvement, unlike pressing movements
- Trains the pecs through a long, stretched range of motion that pressing exercises miss
- Helps build chest size and improve the mind-muscle connection
- Pairs well with pressing exercises in a complete chest workout
- Light loads make it joint-friendly when performed with proper form
Dumbbell Fly Muscles Worked
- Pectoralis major (sternal and clavicular heads)
- Pectoralis minor
- Anterior deltoid (secondary)
- Biceps brachii (stabilizer)
Dumbbell Fly Variations & Alternatives
- Incline Dumbbell Fly
- Decline Dumbbell Fly
- Cable Crossover
- Dumbbell Pullover
- Single-Arm Dumbbell Fly
- Floor Dumbbell Fly
- Stability Ball Dumbbell Fly
