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Exercise library / Dumbbell Fly

Dumbbell Fly

Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.

An isolation exercise that stretches and contracts the pectorals through a wide arc of motion.

Main focus
Strength
Level
Starting
Equipment
Dumbbells, A mat
Load
Free weight
Stability
Supported by a seat, bench or wall
Before you start
  • Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
  • Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
  • Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
  • Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.

Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.

What you need

A pair of dumbbells, or one, in a weight you can lift with control. A mat or a firm, clear patch of floor, and a sturdy chair or bench nearby to help you get up.

How to do it

  1. Lie flat on a bench with dumbbells held above your chest, palms facing each other.
  2. With a slight bend in the elbows, lower the dumbbells out to the sides.
  3. Return to the start by squeezing your chest.
  4. Repeat.

How much

To start: 1 to 2 sets of 8 to 12 slow repetitions, resting 1 to 2 minutes between sets.

As it gets easier: 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 12 repetitions with good form, resting 1 to 3 minutes. Add load or repetitions gradually, no more than about once a week.

How it should feel: The muscles you are working should feel the effort. The last repetitions should be hard but controlled, never shaky or painful.

Make it easier

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Make it harder

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Tips

  • Keep a consistent bend in the elbows throughout.
  • Do not let the dumbbells go too low.

Safety

  • Warm up first, and keep your breathing steady. Breathe out on the effort and in as you ease off. Do not hold your breath.
  • Move with control. Do not lock your joints straight at the end of a movement.
  • Choose a version, load and number of repetitions you can finish with good form. The last few should feel hard but not shaky.
  • Pick up and put down dumbbells by bending your knees, with a straight back.
More safety notes
  • Choose a weight you can lift for the planned repetitions with good form.
  • Keep your wrists straight and your grip firm.
  • Getting down to the floor and back up is part of this exercise. Use a sturdy chair or bench to help you, and move slowly.
  • If you cannot get up from the floor on your own, choose a standing or seated alternative, or have someone with you.
  • Pad bony spots, such as knees, with a mat or folded towel.

From the source

  • Do not let the dumbbells go too low.

When to stop

  • Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
  • Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
  • Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
  • Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
  • After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
  • A weight slips or you cannot control it.
  • You feel pain in a wrist, elbow or shoulder.
  • You cannot get up from the floor without help.
  • You feel dizzy when you change position.

Other ways to do this movement

Sign in and we will show other ways to do this, with other equipment or at a different level, chosen from your own answers. Sign in

Where this comes from

Steps and tips are from an open exercise dataset named below. Starting amounts, equipment and safety notes are Fitafter50's general guidance. Nothing here is clinically reviewed.

Steps and tips: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co). License: RepDB Free Tier License v1.0: personal or commercial use inside applications, visible attribution, no redistribution as a dataset or API. All credits.

    This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.