Home › Exercises › Dumbbell Flyes

Dumbbell Flyes

The Dumbbell Flyes primarily targets your Chest. It requires dumbbell and is best suited to beginner lifters.

Beginner level · Equipment: Dumbbell · Isolation · Push

Primary muscles: Chest

How to perform Dumbbell Flyes

  1. Step 1. 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.
  2. Step 2. 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.
  3. Step 3. 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.
  4. Step 4. 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.
  5. Step 5. Hold for a second at the contracted position and repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

Sample sets & reps for Dumbbell Flyes

  • Form first: 3 sets × 10-12 reps, 60s rest. RPE 6, focus on the target muscle.
  • Hypertrophy: 3 sets × 12-15 reps, 45-60s rest. RPE 7-8, controlled eccentric.
  • Burnout finisher: 2 sets × 15-20 reps, 45s rest. RPE 9, last set to failure.

Pick the scheme that matches your goal. Beginners should start at the lower end of every range; progress weight only when you hit the upper end of the rep range with one or two reps in reserve.

Related Chest exercises

  • Alternating Floor Press — kettlebell
  • Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip — barbell
  • Barbell Guillotine Bench Press — barbell
  • Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip — barbell
  • Behind Head Chest Stretch — stretch

See all Chest exercises →

Want a workout that includes Dumbbell Flyes and 870+ other exercises? Try the AI Planner — 2 weeks free