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Chest

Dumbbell Fly

The Dumbbell Fly is a strength exercise with dumbbells for your chest. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: mid chest 45%, upper chest 16% and front delts 14%.

Level: BeginnerEquipment: DumbbellSingle-joint (isolation)
Dumbbell Fly demonstration

How to do it

  1. Sit on the end of a flat bench with a dumbbell on each thigh, then lie back and bring them over your chest.
  2. Press the dumbbells up over your mid chest with the palms facing each other and the elbows slightly bent.
  3. Plant your feet on the floor and set the shoulder blades back and down.
  4. Lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch across the chest.
  5. Sweep them back up along the same arc until they meet over your chest.

Tips

  • Keep the elbow angle locked so the movement happens only at the shoulders.
  • Stop the stretch at bench level where you still feel control.

Common mistakes

  • Straight, locked elbows that load the joint instead of the chest.
  • Dropping the weights too far below the bench.
  • Arching the lower back off the bench to move heavier dumbbells.

Muscles worked by the Dumbbell Fly

  • Mid chest Primary45%
  • Upper chest Secondary16%
  • Front delts Secondary14%
  • Lower chest Primary14%
  • Biceps (short head) Minor4%
  • Serratus anterior Stabilizer4%
  • Rotator cuff Stabilizer3%

Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.

A fly is pure shoulder horizontal adduction with the elbow fixed, so the pec does nearly all the work and the triceps drop out.

Dumbbell Fly alternatives

Same equipment

Different equipment

Make it harder

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Dumbbell Fly work?

Mainly the mid chest and lower chest. The upper chest and front delts assist.

Is the Dumbbell Fly good for beginners?

Yes. The Dumbbell Fly is rated beginner in the Zulta library: the technique is easy to learn with a light weight.

What is a good alternative to the Dumbbell Fly?

For example the Band Fly, Cable Fly and Flat Bench Cable Fly. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.

How do you make the Dumbbell Fly harder?

Add weight or reps, or move on to the Flat Bench Cable Fly and TRX Chest Fly.

Sources

  • Welsch et al. 2005, JSCR 19(2):449-452 (bench, incline, fly)
  • Solstad et al. 2020, J Sports Sci Med 19(4):645-651 (bench press vs fly)

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