Dumbbell Incline Fly

1. Set an incline bench to 30 to 45 degrees and lie back with a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Press the dumbbells up over your upper chest with palms facing each other and a slight bend in your elbows.
3. Pin your shoulder blades back and down against the bench and keep them there for the whole set.
4. Open your arms in a wide arc, lowering the dumbbells out to your sides while maintaining the same elbow bend.
5. Stop when you feel a deep stretch across your upper chest, roughly when your elbows reach shoulder level.
6. Reverse the arc by squeezing your pecs, as if hugging a barrel, until the dumbbells meet above your chest.
7. Squeeze the inner chest for a second at the top before starting the next rep.

Common Mistakes

• Turning the fly into a press: Bending the elbows more as the set gets hard recruits the triceps and shortens the arc. Lock in one elbow angle and keep it.
• Going too heavy: The fly puts long lever stress on the shoulder. If you cannot control the bottom stretch, drop the weight; this movement rewards moderate loads.
• Lowering the weights too far: Sinking well below shoulder level overstretches the pec and front delt under load. Stop at a strong stretch, not maximum depth.
• Losing shoulder blade position: Letting the shoulders roll forward at the top shifts tension off the chest. Keep the blades pinned throughout.