Dumbbell Chest Fly
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The Dumbbell Chest Fly is a strength exercise that involves lying on a bench while holding dumbbells above your chest with slightly bent elbows, then lowering them out to the sides in a wide arc before squeezing back to the top. Its primary purpose is to isolate and stretch the chest muscles for enhanced hypertrophy and definition. It mainly targets the pectoralis major, with secondary engagement of the anterior deltoids and triceps, and benefits intermediate lifters seeking balanced chest development using just a flat bench and dumbbells.
How to Perform Dumbbell Chest Fly
- 1Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the floor for stability. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing inward.
- 2Extend your arms straight up over your chest, dumbbells above your shoulders, with a slight bend in your elbows (like a goalpost position).
- 3Engage your core and keep your shoulder blades retracted and pressed into the bench.
- 4Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc, keeping elbows slightly bent, until you feel a stretch in your chest.
- 5Exhale as you squeeze your chest to bring the dumbbells back up in a controlled arc to the starting position, without locking out your elbows.
- 6Repeat for desired reps, maintaining control throughout.
- 7Key form tips: Keep a slight bend in elbows to protect shoulders—avoid straightening arms fully. Do not lower weights below bench level to prevent shoulder strain. Move slowly to prioritize muscle tension over momentum. Stop if you feel pain in shoulders.