Chest · Dumbbell

Dumbbell Incline Fly

Carve the upper chest with a deep stretch.

Dumbbell Incline Fly exercise demonstration
ChestSecondary: ShouldersDumbbell

How to do it

  1. Set the bench to about 30 degrees and press the dumbbells up over your chest.
  2. Set a soft bend in your elbows and turn your palms to face each other.
  3. Open your arms wide in an arc until you feel a stretch across the chest.
  4. Hug the dumbbells back together over your chest and squeeze.

The one cue that matters

Keep that elbow bend fixed. It is a fly, not a press.

Muscles worked

Setting the bench to around 30 degrees points the stretch and the squeeze at the upper chest, the region flat pressing tends to leave behind. The wide arc with fixed elbows takes the pecs through a deep loaded stretch at the bottom, with the shoulders assisting to control the descent and stabilise the arms. It is the isolation move for filling out the top of the chest once your presses are doing their job.

FAQ

What incline angle is best for incline flys?

Around 30 degrees, as set here. Steeper than 45 starts handing the work to your shoulders, flatter loses the upper-chest bias that makes the incline version worth choosing over flat flys.

How deep should I lower the dumbbells?

Until you feel a strong stretch across the chest with the elbow bend unchanged, roughly level with your torso for most people. Sinking deeper by bending the elbows or letting the shoulders roll forward trades a good stretch for a risky one.

Why do my shoulders take over on flys?

Usually the arc has collapsed into a press, elbows bending on the way up, or the weight is too heavy to control wide. Lock the soft elbow bend, lighten the dumbbells, and think about hugging a barrel rather than pushing the weight.

Related exercises

All 85 chest exercises →
Track it in SUUPRLog sets, get smart progression hints, and train live with your crew.