Dumbbell Fly

Setup

1. 01Sit with dumbbells on the thighs before lying back on a flat bench.
2. 02Press the dumbbells up so they meet over the chest with palms facing each other.
3. 03Set a slight, fixed bend in the elbows.
4. 04Pull the shoulder blades down and back into the bench.

Execution

1. 01Open the arms wide in a smooth arc, keeping the elbow angle fixed.
2. 02Lower until a strong stretch is felt across the chest at about chest level.
3. 03Stop before the shoulders roll forward or the stretch turns into pain.
4. 04Squeeze the chest to bring the dumbbells back together over the chest.

Checkpoints

• -The elbow bend stays constant throughout the rep.
• -The motion is a wide arc, not a press.
• -The stretch is felt in the chest, not the front of the shoulder.
• -Shoulder blades stay pinned to the bench.

Common mistakes

• -Bending and straightening the elbows to turn it into a press.
• -Lowering too deep and overloading the shoulder joint.
• -Using weight that forces the arc to break down.
• -Letting the shoulders shrug up off the bench at the bottom.