Dumbbell Fly

How to perform the Dumbbell Fly

1. Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand pressed out over the chest, palms facing each other and elbows softly bent.
2. Set the shoulder blades down and back against the bench and keep that fixed elbow angle for the entire set.
3. Lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc, where dumbbell resistance is greatest through the mid-range of the movement.
4. Descend only until the upper arms are roughly level with the bench and you feel a controlled stretch, never dropping so deep that the shoulder capsule takes the strain.
5. Reverse the arc by pulling the dumbbells back together over the chest, leading with the elbows and squeezing the pecs at the top.
6. Keep the wrists neutral and avoid pressing; the dumbbells should trace an arc, not travel straight up like a bench press.

Suggested working range: 12–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Bending the elbows to press the dumbbells up instead of tracing a wide fly arc.
• •Dropping the dumbbells too deep at the bottom and loading the shoulder capsule rather than the chest.
• •Using so much weight that the arc collapses into a clumsy neutral-grip press.
• •Letting the shoulder blades unpin and roll forward off the bench during the stretch.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.