Chest · Isolation movement
Decline Dumbbell Fly
An isolation exercise for the chest. You need dumbbells and a flat bench.
Primary muscle
Chest
Secondary muscles
–
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Beginner
How to perform the Decline Dumbbell Fly
- Lie back (or stand between the cables) with the shoulder blades retracted and depressed.
- Hold the handles with a slight bend in the elbows, and keep that elbow angle fixed for every rep.
- Open the arms out to the sides in a wide arc, letting the chest stretch but stopping before the elbows drop below shoulder level.
- Reverse the motion by squeezing the chest to pull the handles back together along the same arc, keeping the elbow bend constant.
- Stop before the hands clatter together at the top, holding the contracted position briefly without letting the shoulders roll forward.
Suggested working range: 12–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.
Common mistakes
- •Bending the elbows further through the rep to turn the fly into a press.
- •Letting the elbows drop below shoulder level at the stretch, which loads the front of the shoulder.
- •Going too heavy and bouncing out of the stretched position with the torso.
- •Rolling the shoulders forward at the top of the rep instead of keeping them retracted.
Variations & alternatives
Swap in one of these when the equipment is taken or the main lift has stalled.
Use this exercise in a program
The Decline Dumbbell Fly fits into hypertrophy and strength splits that prioritize chest volume.
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