Written by Travis Halena | ACSM CPT
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
The bench press tends to get all of the love when it comes to chest workouts. And while it's essential to building your chest, it shouldn't be the only exercise in your chest-building arsenal.
In fact, if your goal is to build massive, evenly-developed pecs, pairing major compound moves, like the bench press, with isolation chest exercises is key.
This is where the dumbbell chest fly gets its chance to shine, as adding this isolation move to your routine can serve as icing on your chest-building cake.
Once you master the dumbbell fly form we're about to go over in detail and begin incorporating the exercise into your workout program, you’ll start seeing incredible chest separation come to life in your physique.
Ready to take your chest training to a whole new level? The dumbbell fly may be just what you need.
Table of Contents:
- What Is The Dumbbell Chest Fly?
- Dumbbell Chest Fly Muscles Worked
- Correct Dumbbell Fly Form
- Dumbbell Chest Fly Benefits
- 4 Best Dumbbell Fly Variations
- 3 Best Dumbbell Fly Alternatives
- Programming Tips For The Dumbbell Chest Fly
- Sample Workout Program
What is A Dumbbell Fly?
The dumbbell chest fly is an accessory movement that isolates the pectoral muscles.
This means its sole purpose is to target the pecs, whereas a compound pressing movement like a bench press activates several muscle groups. The extra attention it gives your chest, especially to the sternal head, allows you to sculpt your chest evenly.
It also acts as an excellent stretch for the pecs and shoulders (more on that in a bit!). Let’s first dive into the muscles it works.
Muscles Worked in the Dumbbell Fly
The pec major and minor are the stars of this isolation exercise, but your front delts and biceps must also help to successfully complete the move.
Pectoralis major:
The fan-shaped muscles that make up the bulk of your chest are highly activated during dumbbell flys. The pec major, which has two heads, the clavicular and sternal, works to adduct your upper arms back to the body's center line from the bottom of the fly.
Both heads are working during this exercise, but performing the chest fly on a flat bench targets the sternal head, or lower chest, the most, whereas the incline fly targets the clavicular head, or upper chest, more.
Pectoralis minor:
Triangular and located beneath the pec major on the upper chest lies the pec minor, the smaller of the two chest muscles.
This is not a big, eye-catching muscle, but it’s essential for stabilizing your scapula during the flat dumbbell fly. It originates on the ribs and inserts into the scapula.
Anterior deltoid:
This deltoid head sits on the front of the shoulder, beginning at your shoulder blade and collarbone, and inserting into your upper arm.
Its jobs are to help with shoulder flexion, internal rotation, and abduction, like when you raise your arms out to the sides of your body. It assists the pec major during the chest fly movements.
Biceps brachii:
Located on the front of your upper arm, the biceps' primary job is to flex your elbows. During the dumbbell chest fly, it works hard to contract isometrically to hold your elbows in the necessary position.
This exercise isn’t going to stimulate a ton of growth in the biceps, but it does help build considerable strength as the biceps work to protect your shoulder joints during the movement.
How to do the Dumbbell Chest Fly
If there is anything that makes or breaks an exercise like dumbbell flies, it’s the small details and form rules. The chest fly is a very effective isolation exercise, but when done incorrectly, it can cause injury to the shoulders.
Aside from injury risk, if you aren’t slowly moving through the correct motions, you may have difficulty feeling your pecs working, as the anterior delts may try to take over.
Focus on the mind-muscle connection while following these steps, and we guarantee your chest will feel the burn!
How to do the Dumbbell Chest Fly:
- Lie down on a flat bench, holding your set of dumbbells. As you lay back, bring the dumbbells directly over your chest with palms facing each other, arms straight, and a slight bend to your elbows. Plant your feet on the ground and keep your entire head on the bench.
- Retract your shoulder blades by squeezing them together as if you were pinching a pencil between your spine. Maintain shoulder blade retraction throughout the movement.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells to your sides in an arcing motion while keeping a small bend in your elbows. Your arms will be extended to your sides but not locked out. Lower until your elbows align with your shoulders and you feel a deep stretch in your pecs.
- Push your feet into the floor, brace your core, and exhale as you slowly pull your elbows and upper arms in the same arcing motion up and across your chest until they are raised back to the starting position.
- Repeat for indicated reps.
Common Dumbbell Fly Mistakes to Avoid
Looking to perfect your dumbbell fly form? Start by avoiding these common mistakes.
- Keeping Your Elbows Straight: If you bend your arms too much, the movement becomes a press. If you straighten your arms entirely, your shoulders and elbow joints will be under dangerous loads, and you’ll miss out on the pec activation. An easy fix is to slow down, use a weight you can control, and maintain the slight elbow bend the entire time.
- Losing Tension At The Top: It’s common to see people touch or bounce the dumbbells off each other at the top of the rep as it gives them some momentum and extra power. But, this causes a decrease in tension at the top of the movement. Instead, bring them close together without touching them.
- Squeezing Too Tight: If you find yourself clutching the dumbbells like you are holding on for dear life, this will activate the forearms and biceps more and lessen your chest activation. Soften your hold on the dumbbells, so you can maximize your chest muscles working.
- Going Too Low: Letting your arms drop lower than shoulder level is another way to increase your chance of injuring your shoulders. Only lower until you feel the pecs stretching, letting your arms reach shoulder level, and no farther.
- Going Too Heavy: You will not be able to use the same weights you use for a press. As with any isolation exercise, check your ego at the door and focus on the pump as much as possible, instead of lifting as heavy as possible. You can still follow progressive overload and challenge yourself, but form is king for this movement.
- Moving Too Fast: The money-making part of this exercise is during the slow eccentric portion. Gravity acts on the dumbbells as your chest stretches at the bottom, so try lowering for at least 3 seconds to ensure you are allowing your chest to get a deep stretch.
What Are The Benefits of the Dumbbell Chest Fly?
Here are 3 great reasons to start including the dumbbell chest fly in your chest workout.
1. Builds your inner chest:
One of the main draws of the chest fly is that it's a great inner chest exercise, primarily targeting the sternal head. This means the fly builds the inside of your chest, which can sometimes look hollow or concave.
Sculpting your body is an art and honing in on aesthetics requires the correct tools for the job. The dumbbell chest fly is one of those tools!
2. Improves posture:
When done correctly, the stretch in this exercise can open up your chest and improve your upper body posture. It also improves your scapula's ability to retract. Slumped, rounded shoulders are a widespread problem, and tight chest muscles play a role in this.
Adding the chest fly, along with these chest stretches, to your workout routine is a great way to improve your overall posture.
3. Increases muscle activation for other chest exercises:
If you have difficulty feeling your pecs working during pressing movements, mastering dumbbell flyes can help your brain connect to your chest muscles. Once you've got a strong mind-muscle connection, it will carry through to other movements as well.
When you're able to better feel a muscle working, you can build more muscle, increase muscular strength, and maintain control, leading to a decreased injury risk.
4 Best Dumbbell Fly Variations
Looking for an alternative to using dumbbells? One of these 4 exercises may be perfect for you!
1. Floor dumbbell chest fly:
This movement is the same as the dumbbell chest fly but safer as the floor ensures you do not over-stretch your shoulder capsule. Think of this fly variation as one that includes a built-in spotter.
Add this to your chest and shoulders workout, and your upper body will thank you! Want to make it more challenging? Turn it into a unilateral exercise, only moving one arm at a time.
How to do the Floor Dumbbell Chest Fly:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit down on the floor, putting the weights on your thighs. Gently rock back so you are lying on the floor, and bring the weights to your chest.
- Straighten your legs, and rest your head on the floor. Raise your weights above your chest, keeping a slight elbow bend and palms neutral.
- Slowly lower your arms until your upper arm touches the floor. Reverse the motion and squeeze your pecs together, back to the starting position.
2. Incline Dumbbell fly:
You can perform the same fly movements, but focus on the upper chest, by raising your bench to the incline position.
Aside from the incline, the movements remain the same.
How to do the Incline Chest Fly:
- Set up your bench between a 30-45 degree angle on an incline.
- Sit down with your dumbbells and place them on your thighs. Lean back on the bench, using a slight boost from your knees to bring the dumbbells toward your chest. Press them above your chest.
- Pull your shoulder blades back, slightly bend your elbows, and slowly lower your arms to your sides until they are in line with your shoulders.
- Squeeze your pecs to reverse the arcing motion until the weights are back to the starting position.
3. Standing Cable fly:
During the standing cable fly, your pecs receive maximum tension and can also be loaded with more weight.
Cable machine exercises like this one are a great way to isolate the pecs in a shoulder-friendly way.
How to do the Standing Cable Fly:
- Set the cable stack up to chest height on both sides and stand facing away from the stack with one handle in each hand.
- Bring your arms up to your sides and step forward to increase tension. Place one foot slightly in front of the other in a kickstand for balance.
- Bend your elbows slightly, ensuring they start in line with your shoulders as you squeeze your pecs, bringing your hands in front until they touch. Slowly lower your arms back as the pecs stretch until your back is in line with your shoulders.
4. TRX Fly:
If you have access to TRX straps or gymnastic rings, this exercise will maximize body control and increase core strength while using your body weight to build your pecs.
Even though you're using body weight, you can change your angle to increase the difficulty or make it easier.
How to do the TRX Fly:
- Grab the handles in each hand with palms in a neutral grip. Bring your arms under your chest without letting the straps scrape against your body, placing your hands close together. Start standing upright and step your feet back until you find a comfortable angle of difficulty.
- Keep your entire body tight, like holding an upright plank, as you lean into the straps. Your body will continue to travel forward, so keep your hips and core tight.
- Begin with your arms extended in front of your body (similar to how they are above your chest when lying on the bench to perform a dumbbell fly).
- With elbows slightly bent, move your arms out to your sides until they are in line with your shoulders. Your body may move forward some as you do this, but make sure you keep the straight plank position the entire time.
- Squeeze your pecs together and pull through your hands to bring your arms across your body and back to the starting position.
3 Dumbbell Fly Alternatives
Not feeling the chest fly? Try a dumbbell fly alternative instead.
1. Stability ball push-up:
This more advanced bodyweight push-up variation will stimulate the chest fibers similarly to the chest fly.
It requires a lot of core strength, so if you are unable to perform it right away, try doing it modified on your knees or sticking with regular push-ups to start, working your way up to this variation.
How to do Stability Ball Push Ups:
- Start on the floor as if you were going to set up to plank on the stability ball. Put your hands on the sides of the ball. It should feel like you are clamping the ball between your hands.
- Step your feet back to the push up position, keeping your back flat. Push your body away from the ball until your arms are extended, and the ball is beneath your chest.
- Squeeze your butt and hips tight to maintain core control and lower your body until your chest is as close to the ball as possible without touching it. Push back to the starting position and repeat.
2. Pec deck:
The pec deck machine is as beginner friendly as it gets for a chest fly. The machine makes this much safer on your shoulders as it takes out the stability aspect of the exercise.
This is an excellent finisher for your chest day workout.
How to do the Pec Deck:
- Pick an appropriate weight that isn’t too heavy, and sit down at the pec deck with your back against the pad.
- Reach out and grab the handles with a neutral grip and a slight bend in your elbows. Press your back against the pad and squeeze your pecs together, driving your arms across your body.
- Pause for a second when your hands are as close as possible, then slowly lower the weight until your hands align with your shoulders.
3. Kettlebell Fly Press:
This press gives you the best of both worlds as it combines the press and fly motions.
The way the weight is distributed with the kettlebells gives you an easy cue to ensure your form is correct, so although it seems more advanced, it has an easy learning curve for all fitness levels.
How to do the KB Fly Press:
- Lying flat on a bench or on the floor, bring the kettlebells above your chest, straightening your arms.
- Keep a neutral grip and begin to bend your elbows, lowering your arms down at a 45-degree angle to your body. Your primary cue is to ensure your hands do not rotate and your forearms remain vertical like parallel lines.
- Lower down to a 90-degree angle with your arms, exhale, and press the weights back to the starting position.
Kettlebell Fly Press Demo on YouTube
Programming Tips for the Dumbbell Chest Fly
Follow these programming dumbbell fly tips to make the most of your dumbbell chest fly.
- As a warmup or priming exercise before a compound lift like the bench press, try 2 sets of 20 reps using a slow controlled tempo to activate your chest.
- For muscle hypertrophy, try 3 sets of 8-12 reps with moderately heavy weight while focusing on maximum muscle connection.
- For muscular endurance, try 3 sets of 15-20 reps with a lighter weight. Think of this as weighted stretching with high reps.
Sample Chest Workout
Curious how to best incorporate the chest fly into your routine? This sample workout is great for building chest muscles and showing you how to utilize the dumbbell fly.
For the superset, perform 1 set of the pec deck, immediately followed by push-ups. Rest briefly, and perform the set again.
|
Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
|
Superset: |
|
|
|
Barbell Bench Press |
4 |
6 |
|
Incline DB Press |
2 |
10 |
|
Decline DB Press |
2 |
10 |
|
Flat DB Chest Fly |
3 |
12 |
|
Bodyweight Dips |
2 |
To Fail |
|
Cable Chest Fly |
2 |
20 |
Perfect the Dumbbell Chest Fly For Serious Results
Dumbbell chest flies are a great addition to your program, as long as you take your time mastering the form and working through the movements.
They must be done with maximum control and tension to get the isolation benefits to your pecs. Otherwise, they may do more harm than good, which would be a real shame, considering it's a pretty awesome exercise!
If you can follow these tips without your ego taking over, you’ll be well on your way to pumping up your chest.
Looking for more great chest-building moves? Check out these 13 Dumbbell Chest Exercises - No Bench Needed!
Prepare to maximize your gains with our exclusive 12-week hypertrophy training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and gain 2-12 pounds of muscle over 90 days...
Travis Halena
Author