Dumbbell Flyes

Chest

Equipment: Dumbbell

New to this

Your first dumbbell flyes

What weight should I start with on the dumbbell flyes?

Take about half of what you would press. If you press 20 lb dumbbells, fly with 10. Beginners almost always grab too much here and turn it into a sloppy press.

You have got it right if you can hold the bottom position for a full second without your elbows collapsing.

What usually goes wrong on the dumbbell flyes?

Lie flat with the dumbbells over your chest, palms facing each other. Bend your elbows to about 15 degrees and keep them locked there for the whole set. The angle never changes.

Open your arms in a wide arc until your upper arms are roughly level with the bench, then bring them back up along the same arc and stop before the dumbbells touch.

Most common mistake: bending and straightening the elbows, which quietly turns the movement into a bad press. Set the elbow angle before the first rep and hold it.

If both flat benches are busy

The pec deck is the same movement with the path fixed for you, which makes it the safer option while you are learning; use it first if flyes feel awkward. The cable crossover gives constant tension through the whole range, so pick it when the machine is taken but the cable station is open.

How to do it

Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell on each hand resting on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
Then using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells, lift the dumbbells one at a time so you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width with the palms of your hands facing each other. Raise the dumbbells up like you're pressing them, but stop and hold just before you lock out. This will be your starting position.
With a slight bend on your elbows in order to prevent stress at the biceps tendon, lower your arms out at both sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch on your chest. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement.
Tip: Keep in mind that throughout the movement, the arms should remain stationary; the movement should only occur at the shoulder joint.
Return your arms back to the starting position as you squeeze your chest muscles and breathe out.
Tip: Make sure to use the same arc of motion used to lower the weights.
Hold for a second at the contracted position and repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.