The dumbbell chest fly is a fantastic exercise to do at the gym if you’re looking to build strength in your chest, shoulders, and arms. In addition to the strength training gains that come with this exercise, there are many other benefits you can enjoy.

In this blog, we’ll discuss how to do dumbbell chest flys, the muscles worked, and 12 surprising advantages of adding this workout to your regular rotation at AFAC’s gym in Thornton, Colorado.

How to Perform Dumbbell Chest Flys at the Gym

One advantage of dumbbell chest flys is that it requires minimal equipment. To do traditional dumbbell chest flys, all you’ll need is a pair of dumbbells and a flat bench.

Beginners should start with light dumbbells of about 3 to 5 pounds each. More advanced lifters can use 8- to 10-pound dumbbells or heavier. You can also increase the weight of the dumbbells as you become more experienced with the lift.

When doing dumbbell chest flys at the gym, your shoulders won’t be in a very stable position, so heavy weights are not typically recommended. You’re better off using lighter weights with more reps while you focus on flexing and controlling the muscles being worked.

This exercise is not a bulk-builder for the chest, but it will help tone and shape the chest muscles in a different way. If you’re looking to add bulk, the bench press is your best bet. The dumbbell chest fly is an excellent accessory exercise to include in your chest routine if you want to add shape to your upper body.

Flat Bench Dumbbell Chest Flys

Follow these instructions to do traditional flat bench dumbbell chest flys at the gym.

1. Get a flat incline bench and the pair of dumbbells you want to use for the exercise.
2. Lie flat on your back on the flat incline bench.
3. Place your feet firmly on the ground on either side of the bench.
4. Keep your head and back firmly placed on the bench throughout the exercise.
5. Gently pick up the dumbbells from the floor and hold one in each hand. You can also ask a spotter to hand you the dumbbells. Another option is to sit up, place one dumbbell on each knee, and push the dumbbells back with your knees as you recline on the bench.
6. Lift your arms up above your head so they’re extended but your elbows are not locked out. Make sure you’re holding the dumbbells over the lower part of your chest, not over the upper part of your chest.
7. Your palms and dumbbells should be facing each other. Your elbows should remain slightly bent throughout the exercise. Keep your wrists straight.
8. Slowly lower the dumbbells in an arc motion until your elbows just barely dip under your back.
9. Then, bring the dumbbells right back up to over your lower chest, flexing your chest the entire time. That’s one rep.
10. Perform 10-15 reps, then rest.
11. Complete a total of 3 sets.

Incline Dumbbell Chest Flys

One variation of dumbbell chest flys is to do them on an incline bench instead of a flat bench. This fly is basically the same as the flat bench dumbbell chest fly, but since you’ll be on an incline bench, you’ll target a little more of your upper chest and shoulders.

1. Start with an incline bench that’s raised to 30 degrees.
2. Hold one dumbbell in each hand.
3. Lie back and extend your arms straight up to the ceiling.
4. Your palms should be facing each other. Keep your elbows slightly bent throughout the exercise. Keep your wrists straight.
5. Allow your arms to slowly fan out until they’re parallel to the floor.
6. Bring your arms back up and stop right over your shoulders. That’s one rep.
7. Perform 10-15 reps, then rest.
8. Complete a total of 3 sets.

Other Variations of Chest Flys

In addition to doing dumbbell chest flys while lying on a flat or incline bench, you can also try T-bench flys to provide more stability for your shoulders.

Standing chest flys are another variation. You can’t do standing chest flys with dumbbells because you’d be working your shoulders instead of your pecs. To target your pecs, do standing chest flys with a resistance band, weight machine, or cable machine. The seated chest fly machine is another variation of the exercise that provides support for the back so you can practice good posture.

Alternatively, you can try performing dumbbell chest flys on an exercise ball to give yourself an extra challenge. This increases the difficulty of the move because you’ll need to brace your core to stabilize your body throughout the exercise.

What Muscles Do Dumbbell Chest Flys Work?

Dumbbell chest flys focus almost exclusively on the chest muscles, which means it’s the perfect exercise for those looking to build that area of their body. The specific muscles worked include those listed below.

The pectoralis major

The pectoralis major, or pecs, is comprised of two fan-shaped muscles on the front of your rib cage. They are the primary movers during dumbbell chest flys. These muscles work to draw your arms from a wide open position toward the middle of your chest.

The pectoralis major has two heads. The lower, or sternal, head works hardest when you perform this exercise on a flat bench or a decline bench. The upper, or clavicular, head works hardest when you perform this exercise on an incline bench.

The deltoids

The front (anterior) heads of the muscles that cover the tops of your shoulders (these muscles are also known as the deltoids or delts) work to assist your pectoralis muscles as they draw your arms across your body. This is particularly true during the incline bench version of this exercise.

Scapular stabilizers

The scapular stabilizers are the muscles surrounding your shoulder joints, or scapula. These stabilize your anterior shoulder muscles which, in turn, support your pectoral muscles when you perform dumbbell chest flys.

Biceps

This “show your muscle” muscle is located at the front of your upper arm. The biceps stabilize your shoulder joints and forearms as you lower the weights during chest flys.

12 Benefits of Doing Chest Flys at the Gym

For decades, dumbbell chest flys have been one of the go-to chest exercises for bodybuilders. This exercise is included in many chest day routines along with bench presses, dips, push-ups, and pullovers.

Here are a dozen reasons why dumbbell chest flys have maintained their popularity over the years!

1. They isolate the pecs. Chest flys are one of the few exercises that focus almost exclusively on the pectoralis muscles in the chest, especially the pectoralis major. The simplicity of the move can help you focus on proper form and is beneficial for chest training in general.
2. They can improve the appearance of your chest. Unlike compound exercises like push-ups and presses that call heavily on your shoulders and back muscles for help, the dumbbell chest fly puts more focus on your pectorals. If you’re trying to boost the appearance of your chest, dumbbell chest flys are among the most direct chest-builders you can do.
3. They help you with day-to-day activities. The chest muscles that you work during dumbbell chest flys assist you with many foundational, everyday activities like lifting heavy grocery bags, picking up a child, or pushing open a door.
4. They help you breathe. The pectoralis muscles control the chest and rib cage when you take a deep breath. The chest also plays an important role in breathing by expanding and contracting as you inhale and exhale.
5. They make a great warm-up or cool-down exercise. Dumbbell chest flys are ideal as a warm-up before — or cool-down after — a more intense workout routine. After some dumbbell chest flys, your chest muscles will be warmed up and stretched out before you dig into another heavy-duty workout. Or, they can be an accessory exercise after heavier compound lifts like barbell bench presses, decline presses, and incline presses. At the end of your chest day, you can use dumbbell chest flys to squeeze out every ounce of work from your muscles before you call it quits for the day. This also can help you stretch out your chest so your body is able to rest and recover.
6. They open your chest. Dumbbell chest flys open up your chest muscles. This move can help increase your range of motion, reduce tightness in your upper body, and reduce upper back pain. If you’re trying to open up your chest muscles with chest flys, consider using lighter weights or no weights at all. This will help you achieve a full range of motion without overexerting yourself.
7. They can help with scapular retraction. Scapular retraction is when you pull your shoulder blades together toward your spine. Dumbbell chest flys can help with this movement and can also help you gain strength in the shoulder region.
8. They can help you prevent injury. The chest muscles you work during dumbbell chest flys are important for supporting the shoulder joint. The shoulder joint plays a key role in pushing, pulling, rotating, and lifting, so it’s a heavily worked joint that’s prone to injury. By strengthening the chest muscles with dumbbell chest flys, you can prevent injuries to your shoulder joints.
9. They can help you build endurance. By developing the chest muscles with dumbbell chest flys, you’ll increase chest muscle tone, mass, and strength. This will help you strength train in general for longer periods of time and get in even better shape.
10. They can help prevent chronic pain and degeneration as you age. The dumbbell chest fly can keep your body mobile, healthy, flexible, strong, and youthful. This exercise strengthens a major muscle group so that it can support the rest of your body as it ages.
11. They can improve your posture. It’s important to have good posture, especially these days when most of us spend too much time sitting at our desks and slouching over our phones. Developing your chest keeps the anterior (front) of your body proud, which helps you maintain good posture.
12. They can help you address muscle imbalances. Since you’re using dumbbells during dumbbell chest flys, you’re isolating each side of your body. That means, if you have a weaker side on your chest, you will notice the imbalance and be able to work on it.

Soar Toward Your Fitness Goals With Dumbbell Chest Flys at AFAC Gym

Bodybuilders, rock climbers, field athletes, gym beginners, and those who just want to keep fit can all enjoy benefits from doing dumbbell chest flys at the gym. AFAC has a full range of dumbbells at our gym and plenty of benches for you to take advantage of this amazing exercise.

The experienced team of personal trainers on our staff can assist you with performing any variation of chest flys. They can also design a personalized workout program for you that targets all your muscle groups so that you can achieve your fitness goals.

As the best gym in Thornton, Colorado, AFAC’s huge selection of strength training and cardio equipment will provide everything you need for your workouts. If you’d like to challenge your body in new ways and meet friends at the gym, sign up for one or more of our many group classes held throughout the morning, afternoon, and evening. These are some of the many ways that AFAC gym is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of our members and ensuring they see the results they’re working toward.

If you’re not a member of AFAC gym but would like more information, please stop by and speak to our team. For more information and assistance, you can also contact our gym owner, Susan, at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club.