Muscles worked
What the dumbbell chest fly trains
Tap a muscle to see just that one and what it does in the lift.
Before the first rep
How to set up
- 01
Pick a light pair. Choose dumbbells much lighter than you use for dumbbell presses, light enough to control a slow stretch for 12 to 15 reps.
- 02
Get into position. Sit on the end of the bench with the dumbbells on your thighs, then lie back and use your knees to help lift them up over your chest.
- 03
Palms in, soft elbows. Hold the dumbbells over your chest with palms facing each other and a slight bend in your elbows. Keep that bend for the whole set.
- 04
Shoulder blades back. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and down into the bench, and keep your chest up. Plant your feet flat on the floor.
Step by step
How to do the dumbbell chest fly
- 01
Open the arms. Breathe in and lower the dumbbells out to your sides in a wide arc. Only your shoulders move; the elbow angle stays the same.
- 02
Stop at the stretch. Go down until your upper arms are about level with your torso, roughly parallel to the floor, and you feel a clear stretch across your chest. Do not force your arms lower than your shoulders comfortably allow.
- 03
Hug them back up. Breathe out and squeeze your chest to bring the dumbbells back up along the same arc, as if wrapping your arms around a big tree.
- 04
Finish over the chest. Stop with the dumbbells a few inches apart over your chest, squeeze for a moment, then start the next rep. Do not clank them together.
Cues to say in your head
- Hug a big tree
- Soft elbows, fixed angle
- Chest up, shoulders back
- Stretch, then squeeze
- Arms move, elbows don't
Fix these first
Common mistakes
Bending and straightening the elbows
Lock in a slight bend and keep it. If your elbows bend more at the bottom, the lift turns into a press and the weight is probably too heavy.
Going too heavy
Drop the weight until you can control the stretch for 10 or more reps. Flies build the chest through range and tension, not big loads.
Dropping too deep
Stop when your upper arms are about level with your torso. Letting them sink well below that loads the front of the shoulder more than the chest.
Arms fully locked
Keep a slight bend. Dead straight arms put more strain on the elbow and the biceps tendon.
Shoulders rolling forward at the top
Keep your shoulder blades pinned to the bench and stop with the dumbbells a few inches apart instead of reaching up.
Rushing the bottom
Lower for about two to three seconds and pause briefly at the stretch. Bouncing out of the bottom is where shoulders get tweaked.
Stay safe
Flies load the shoulder in a stretched position, so use a weight you control and stop each set a rep or two short of failure. If you cannot finish a rep, bend your elbows, bring the dumbbells in to your chest and sit up with them on your thighs, or lower them to the floor beside you under control; do not drop them from arm's length. Stop if you feel a pinch or sharp pain in the front of the shoulder, shorten the range, and get it checked if pain carries into daily life.
Programming
Sets, reps and how much weight
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle | 3 to 4 | 10 to 15 | 60–70% 1RM | 1 to 2 min |
| Endurance | 2 to 3 | 15 to 20 | 50–60% 1RM | 45 to 90 sec |
| Technique | 2 to 3 | 12 to 15 | 40–55% 1RM | 1 min |
Plan your next session
Put in a recent set. You get working weights for your goal, a warm-up and the plates to load.
Estimated 1RM 216 lb
Endurance sets
108–129lb
2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps, 45 to 90 sec rest. A light finisher after your presses. Keep the same arc on every rep.
Estimates use the Epley formula and work best from sets of 3 to 8 reps. Treat them as a starting point and adjust by how the first working set moves.
Questions
Dumbbell Chest Fly questions
What muscles does the dumbbell fly work?
Mainly the chest, with the front of the shoulders helping. Your biceps hold the elbow angle and your upper back keeps your shoulder blades steady on the bench.
Should my arms be straight or bent on dumbbell flies?
Slightly bent, and the bend stays the same for the whole rep. Straight arms strain the elbows, and bending more on each rep turns the fly into a press.
How low should I go on a dumbbell fly?
Lower until your upper arms are about level with your torso and you feel a stretch across your chest. Going much deeper than that tends to load the front of the shoulder more than the chest.
What angle is best for the incline dumbbell fly?
Most people set the bench at about 30 to 45 degrees. The lower end tends to keep the work on the upper chest, while steeper angles bring in more front shoulder.
What is a Svend press?
A standing chest exercise where you squeeze two light plates together between flat palms at chest height, press them straight out, and bring them back while keeping the squeeze. It works the chest through squeezing the hands together rather than through a stretch.
How heavy should dumbbell flies be?
Much lighter than your dumbbell press, light enough to control a slow stretch for 10 to 15 reps. If your elbows start bending to move the weight, go lighter.
Train in Protocol
Log your dumbbell chest fly by voice. Protocol tracks the rest.
Your last session shows up before every set, warm-ups and plates are worked out for you, and your coach sees every lift next to your sleep and recovery.