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Chest ยท Fly

Dumbbell Fly

An isolation fly exercise for the chest, done with a dumbbell and a bench. It also works the front delts.

DumbbellBench Isolation Reps and weight Also called: db fly, flat fly
Illustrations: Everkinetic, CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence)

Muscles worked

Primary

Chest

Do most of the work.

Secondary

Front delts

Help during each rep.

  • ChestPecsPrimary
  • Front deltsFront of the shouldersSecondary

How to do it

  1. Pick your dumbbells. Choose a weight you can control for every rep of the set.
  2. Soft, fixed bend in the elbows the whole set.
  3. Open to a comfortable stretch across the chest, no further.
  4. Bring the hands together by squeezing the chest, not bending the arms.
  5. Control every rep. Breathe out through the hardest part and stop the set when your form changes.

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows more as you go. That turns the fly into a press. Keep the same soft bend all set.
  • Opening too wide. Go to a comfortable stretch across the chest, not as far as the arms will go.

Alternatives that train the same movement

General guidance, not medical advice. If a movement hurts, stop and ask a qualified coach or physio.