Incline Dumbbell Flyes
A dumbbell fly done on an incline bench, lowering the arms out to the sides to stretch and then squeeze the upper chest. It suits beginners building chest isolation work at an incline.
How to do the incline dumbbell flyes
- Lie back on an incline bench set to no more than a moderate angle, holding a dumbbell in each hand above you.
- Keep a slight bend in your elbows and rotate your wrists so your palms face each other.
- Lower your arms out to the sides in a wide arc as you inhale, feeling a stretch across your chest.
- Continue until your arms are roughly level with your torso, palms facing the ceiling.
- Reverse the arc to bring the dumbbells back up, squeezing your chest as you exhale.
Original library instructions (6 steps)
- Hold a dumbbell on each hand and lie on an incline bench that is set to an incline angle of no more than 30 degrees.
- Extend your arms above you with a slight bend at the elbows.
- Now rotate the wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing you. Tip: The pinky fingers should be next to each other. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, start to slowly lower the arms to the side while keeping the arms extended and while rotating the wrists until the palms of the hand are facing each other. Tip: At the end of the movement the arms will be by your side with the palms facing the ceiling.
- As you exhale start to bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position by reversing the motion and rotating the hands so that the pinky fingers are next to each other again. Tip: Keep in mind that the movement will only happen at the shoulder joint and at the wrist. There is no motion that happens at the elbow joint.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Common mistakes
- Setting the bench angle too steep, which shifts more work onto the shoulders than the chest.
- Bending the elbows more as the set goes on, turning the fly into more of a press.
- Lowering the dumbbells too far, which puts unnecessary strain on the shoulder joints.
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Sets, reps and rest |
|---|---|
| Strength | 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps, 90 seconds rest |
| Muscle | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, 60 to 90 seconds rest |
| Endurance | 2 to 3 sets of 15 reps, 45 seconds rest |
Ranges, not prescriptions. Start at the low end and add a set or a rep when every set feels controlled.
Tips
- Keep the bench at a moderate incline angle rather than a steep one to keep the focus on the chest.
- Use lighter dumbbells than you would for an incline press, since the wide arc is more demanding on the shoulders.
In the app: this exercise is one of 873 in GymPilot's library, with the same photos, form cues and a link back to the moment in an imported video it came from.
Questions
Are incline dumbbell flyes good for beginners?
They work well once a beginner already has some experience with flat dumbbell flyes, since the incline adds a bit more emphasis on the upper chest.
What muscles do incline dumbbell flyes work?
They mainly work the chest, with the shoulders helping to guide the arms through the wide arc of the movement.
