Incline Dumbbell Flyes
Incline Dumbbell Flyes is a beginner-level compound in the strength category that primarily works the chest. It also recruits the shoulders. It is performed with dumbbells.
How to do it
- 1Hold a dumbbell on each hand and lie on an incline bench that is set to an incline angle of no more than 30 degrees.
- 2Extend your arms above you with a slight bend at the elbows.
- 3Now rotate the wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing you. Tip: The pinky fingers should be next to each other. This will be your starting position.
- 4As you breathe in, start to slowly lower the arms to the side while keeping the arms extended and while rotating the wrists until the palms of the hand are facing each other. Tip: At the end of the movement the arms will be by your side with the palms facing the ceiling.
- 5As you exhale start to bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position by reversing the motion and rotating the hands so that the pinky fingers are next to each other again. Tip: Keep in mind that the movement will only happen at the shoulder joint and at the wrist. There is no motion that happens at the elbow joint.
- 6Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles in filled badges, secondary in grey. Tap for more exercises per muscle.
Tips and common mistakes
- •Keep your core braced and your spine neutral throughout the movement.
- •Add load only once you complete all reps with good form — progressive overload.
- •Press through the full range and avoid snapping the joints into lockout.
- •Prioritize full range of motion over heavy weight with partial reps.
Sets and reps
For hypertrophy: 3–4 sets × 8–12 reps with 1–2 reps in reserve (RPE 7–9) and 1–2 minutes rest. For strength: 3–5 × 4–6 with longer rest.