Strength Training · Bodybuilding
Incline Dumbbell Chest Fly
The incline dumbbell chest fly trains your chest, with an emphasis on the upper portion, by bringing your arms together in a wide arc while lying on an angled bench.
- Intermediate
- Isolation
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 1 min
How to do it
- Set the bench to a 15–30-degree incline.
- Sit on the bench with a dumbbell resting upright on each thigh.
- Lie back with the dumbbells held close to your chest.
- Extend your arms above your upper chest with palms facing each other and elbows slightly bent.
- Lower the dumbbells out to your sides in a wide arc until your upper arms are roughly level with your torso.
- Sweep the dumbbells back above your upper chest along the same arc.
Form cues
- Keep your wrists straight.
- Keep your feet planted.
- Exhale as you close the arc.
Common mistakes
- Turning the fly into a pressKeep the same slight elbow bend throughout instead of bending deeply at the bottom and straightening on the way up.
- Shrugging your shouldersKeep your shoulder blades gently drawn back against the bench and away from your ears.
- Clanging the dumbbells togetherSlow the final part of the arc so the weights meet without striking each other.
Safety
The wide arm position puts substantial leverage on your shoulders, even with light weights. Excessive depth or losing control under fatigue can strain the chest or front of the shoulder.
- Start with substantially less weight than you use for dumbbell presses.
- Shorten the lowering range if you feel shoulder discomfort rather than a comfortable chest stretch.
- End the set when you can no longer lower the weights smoothly.
- Finish by bringing the dumbbells close to your chest before sitting up with them supported against your thighs.
If you have current shoulder pain or a history of shoulder dislocation or chest injury, ask a physiotherapist about a suitable range or alternative first.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Adjustable Bench
- Dumbbell
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 10–15 reps
- Rest
- 1 min
Choose a weight that leaves you able to complete about two more controlled reps.