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Incline Dumbbell Fly

A dumbbell fly on a bench tilted upward, which shifts the stretch and squeeze to the upper chest.

beginnerdumbbellsincline bench

Incline Dumbbell Fly, start position
START
Incline Dumbbell Fly, end position
END
BEFORE YOU START2
  1. Set the bench to about 30 degrees.
  2. Choose light dumbbells.
HOW TO DO IT

Get into position

  1. Sit on the bench with a dumbbell standing on each thigh.
  2. Lean back and kick the dumbbells up to your shoulders, one at a time.
  3. Plant both feet flat on the floor.
  4. Hold the dumbbells above your upper chest with your palms facing each other.
  5. Bend your elbows slightly and keep them bent that way for the whole set.

Check: The dumbbells are above your upper chest, almost touching, with your elbows slightly bent.

Open your arms

  1. Move your arms out to the sides in a wide arc, keeping the same slight bend.
  2. Stop when the dumbbells are about level with your chest.

Check: You feel a stretch across your upper chest and your upper arms are level with the bench.

Bring them together

  1. Squeeze your chest to bring the dumbbells back up in the same arc.

Check: The dumbbells are back above your upper chest, almost touching.

That is one rep. Repeat for your set, then bring the dumbbells to your chest and sit up.

Breathe in as you open your arms for 2 to 3 seconds; breathe out as you bring them together in about 1 second.

MUSCLES WORKED
Incline Dumbbell Fly: muscles worked, front view
Incline Dumbbell Fly: muscles worked, back view

chestfront delts

Red marks the muscles doing the work; amber the assisting ones. Same body for every exercise, so guides compare at a glance.

COMMON MISTAKES2
  • Turning the fly into a press by bending the elbows. Fix: Keep the same slight bend the whole time.
  • Lowering the dumbbells far below chest level. Fix: Stop when your upper arms are level with the bench.
SAFETY2
  • Keep the weights light.
  • Stop if you feel pain in the front of the shoulder.
EQUIPMENT SETTINGS
  • dumbbells Much lighter than you would press.
  • incline bench · bench angle: 30 degrees
RELATED EXERCISES

easier: peck deck

variants: dumbbell fly, incline dumbbell bench press

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