Incline Dumbbell Fly (Chest)

The incline dumbbell fly is a great chest exercise which targets the pectoralis major and minor which puts great emphasis on the upper chest. It’s a popular variation of the chest fly and really stretches the chest muscles while allowing for a full range of motion through the movement. But good form must be practiced at all times because the position of the exercise can potentially compromise shoulder safety.

However, the incline dumbbell fly is still a favorite exercise among many people, including bodybuilders and for good reason… it works really well for isolating the chest for muscle growth.

In this Exercise

• Target Muscle Group: Clavicular (Upper) Chest, pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, upper chest
• Type: Strength
• Mechanics: Isolation
• Equipment: Dumbbells, bench
• Difficulty: Intermediate

Exercise Instructions

1. Sit on an incline bench holding dumbbells on your thighs.
2. Kick the dumbbells back and lie down on the bench with feet flat on the floor.
3. Position your arms outward in a wide position with a neutral grip and slightly bend your elbows.
4. Bring the dumbbells together while internally rotating your shoulders and contracting your chest with arms extended.
5. Hold for a couple of seconds while squeezing the chest muscles.
6. Slowly lower back down until you feel a slight stretch in the chest muscles.
7. Repeat.

Variations & Tips

• You can adjust the bend in your elbows to increase or decrease the difficulty in the exercise.
• Always warm up with a lighter weight and pyramid up to heavier weights.
• The dumbbell chest fly gives a great stretch in the chest to really activate the muscle fibers.

Watch: How to do the incline dumbbell fly