The dumbbell incline fly is a chest exercise performed on an incline bench, targeting the upper pectoral muscles. It involves lowering dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc and then bringing them back together, emphasizing a stretch and contraction of the chest.
Also Works
Shoulders
How to Perform
1
Set an incline bench to a 45 degree angle.
2
Sit on the bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
3
Lie back on the bench and press the dumbbells up to the starting position, directly above your chest.
4
Lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest.
5
Pause for a moment, then squeeze your chest muscles to bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position.
6
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Set the bench at 30-45 degrees. With a slight, fixed elbow bend, lower the dumbbells in a wide arc until you feel a deep stretch across the upper chest.
•Bring the dumbbells together above your upper chest, not your face. The angle should match the incline to target the clavicular pec fibers.
•Use lighter weight than flat flyes since the incline angle is a weaker position for the chest.
Common Mistakes
•Setting the bench too high, which turns this into a front raise instead of a fly and shifts tension to the shoulders.
•Bending the elbows too much, which converts the fly into an incline press.
•Not going deep enough to stretch the upper chest, which limits the muscle-building stimulus.