Exercise guide · Chest
Dumbbell Chest Fly
A flat-bench dumbbell fly for chest isolation. Keep a soft, fixed elbow bend and use a wide arc to stretch the chest without turning the move into a press.
- Targets: Chest
- Equipment: Dumbbell
- Type: Isolation
Step by step
How to do the Dumbbell Chest Fly
- Lie on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended above your chest, palms facing each other.
- Keep a slight, fixed bend in your elbows throughout the set.
- Open your arms in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest—stop near bench height with your upper arms.
- Squeeze your chest to raise the dumbbells back together over your chest in the same arc.
- Repeat without swinging the weights or changing your elbow angle.
Form cues
- Hug a barrel on the way up
- Keep shoulders pinned to the bench
- Lead with your elbows, not your hands
- Control the bottom stretch
Common mistakes
- Pressing the weights instead of flying
- Going too deep and stressing the shoulders
- Letting shoulders roll forward off the bench
- Swinging the dumbbells with momentum
Muscles worked
Primary
Chest
Secondary
None significant
Safety: Start light and avoid letting your shoulders roll forward at the bottom of the stretch.
Alternatives
