Exercises · chest

Dumbbell Incline Fly

A chest isolation exercise done on an incline bench by opening the arms wide with dumbbells and squeezing them back together.

chestpectoralsdumbbellbeginnerisolation

Secondary muscles

shoulders

How to do it

  1. Set an incline bench and sit with a dumbbell in each hand on your thighs.
  2. Lie back and press the dumbbells above your upper chest with your palms facing each other.
  3. Bend your elbows slightly and keep that bend locked in.
  4. Lower the dumbbells out to your sides in a wide arc until they reach chest level or a gentle chest stretch.
  5. Squeeze your chest to bring the dumbbells back together over your upper chest along the same arc.
  6. Stop with the dumbbells nearly touching and repeat.

Form cues

  • Soft elbows, fixed angle
  • Open wide, not too low
  • Squeeze chest at the top
  • Keep shoulders down

Common mistakes

  • Bending and straightening the elbows like a press
  • Lowering the dumbbells far below chest level
  • Letting the dumbbells drift behind the shoulders
  • Clanging the dumbbells together at the top

Breathing

Inhale as you lower the dumbbells out to the sides, and exhale as you bring them back together over your chest.

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