Sunday, March 7, 2021
  • Home
  • Deals
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
Bodybuilding, Fitness, CrossFit, Strongman and Powerlifting
  • Mr. OlympiaHOT
  • Workouts
    • All
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Cardio
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs
    • Workout Plans
    Best Combo Exercises

    The 10 Best Combo Exercises for More Efficient Workouts

    High Intensity Training

    Build Muscles in Minutes With High Intensity Training (HIT)

    Best Prison Workouts

    Solitary Fitness: The 10 Best Prison Workouts

  • Nutrition
    • All
    • Essential Nutrients
    • Nutrition Tips
    Loose Skin After Weight Loss

    How To Say Goodbye To Loose Skin After Weight Loss

    High-Calorie Low-Carb Foods

    11 High-Calorie Low-Carb Foods to Include in Your Diet

    Ronnie Coleman

    What Did Ronnie Coleman Eat in His Prime?

  • Training
  • Exercises
    • All
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
    Guide To Burpees

    The Ultimate Guide to Burpees: Muscles Worked, Benefits, How-to, and Variations  

    Lunges Alternatives

    The 10 Best Alternatives to Lunges for Bad Knees

    Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise

    Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise Exercise Guide and Videos

    How To Do Dead Hangs

    Dead Hangs: Muscles Worked, How-To, Benefits, and Variations

    Leg Extension Alternatives

    The 13 Best Leg Extension Alternatives for Quads Size and Strength  

    Samir Bannout

    The 10 Best Exercises for Stronger Rhomboids

    Chin Up Hypertrophy Guide

    The Chin-Ups For Size and Strength Guide

    Leg Curl Alternatives

    The 15 Best Leg Curl Alternatives for Stronger Hamstrings

    Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curl Exercise Guide

    Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curl Exercise Guide and Video

  • Food FactsTrending
  • News
    • Deals
    • Videos
    • Bodybuilding
    • CrossFit
    • Powerlifting
    • Strongman
    • MMA
  • Reviews
    • All
    • Lifting Gear & Accessories
    • Supplements
    Best Manual Treadmills

    9 Best Manual Treadmills Reviewed For 2021

    Best Pre-Workouts For Weight Loss

    10 Best Pre-Workouts For Weight Loss Reviewed (2021)

    Best Berberine Supplements

    Top 13 Best Berberine Supplements for 2021

    Trending Tags

    • Ample
    • pre-workout
    • Meal Replacement
    • Pre-Kaged
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt: Bodybuilding, Fitness, CrossFit, Strongman and Powerlifting
  • Mr. OlympiaHOT
  • Workouts
    • All
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Cardio
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs
    • Workout Plans
    Best Combo Exercises

    The 10 Best Combo Exercises for More Efficient Workouts

    High Intensity Training

    Build Muscles in Minutes With High Intensity Training (HIT)

    Best Prison Workouts

    Solitary Fitness: The 10 Best Prison Workouts

  • Nutrition
    • All
    • Essential Nutrients
    • Nutrition Tips
    Loose Skin After Weight Loss

    How To Say Goodbye To Loose Skin After Weight Loss

    High-Calorie Low-Carb Foods

    11 High-Calorie Low-Carb Foods to Include in Your Diet

    Ronnie Coleman

    What Did Ronnie Coleman Eat in His Prime?

  • Training
  • Exercises
    • All
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
    Guide To Burpees

    The Ultimate Guide to Burpees: Muscles Worked, Benefits, How-to, and Variations  

    Lunges Alternatives

    The 10 Best Alternatives to Lunges for Bad Knees

    Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise

    Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise Exercise Guide and Videos

    How To Do Dead Hangs

    Dead Hangs: Muscles Worked, How-To, Benefits, and Variations

    Leg Extension Alternatives

    The 13 Best Leg Extension Alternatives for Quads Size and Strength  

    Samir Bannout

    The 10 Best Exercises for Stronger Rhomboids

    Chin Up Hypertrophy Guide

    The Chin-Ups For Size and Strength Guide

    Leg Curl Alternatives

    The 15 Best Leg Curl Alternatives for Stronger Hamstrings

    Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curl Exercise Guide

    Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curl Exercise Guide and Video

  • Food FactsTrending
  • News
    • Deals
    • Videos
    • Bodybuilding
    • CrossFit
    • Powerlifting
    • Strongman
    • MMA
  • Reviews
    • All
    • Lifting Gear & Accessories
    • Supplements
    Best Manual Treadmills

    9 Best Manual Treadmills Reviewed For 2021

    Best Pre-Workouts For Weight Loss

    10 Best Pre-Workouts For Weight Loss Reviewed (2021)

    Best Berberine Supplements

    Top 13 Best Berberine Supplements for 2021

    Trending Tags

    • Ample
    • pre-workout
    • Meal Replacement
    • Pre-Kaged
No Result
View All Result
Bodybuilding, Fitness, CrossFit, Strongman and Powerlifting
No Result
View All Result
Home Muscle-Building

The Bench Press Vs The Dumbbell Fly

Justin RobertsonbyJustin Robertson
May 25, 2018
The Bench Press Vs The Dumbbell Fly

The Bench Press Vs The Dumbbell Fly

Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard LinkedIn

Now that I’ve covered the squat vs the leg press, traditional vs sumo deadlifts and pull-ups vs pulldowns, the next logical exercise is, of course, the bench press. To put the barbell bench press against the dumbbell or smith machine bench press was too similar an article to what my colleague Colin has already covered (a very worthy article to read if you want to know which of the three possibilities will suit your muscle-building needs best), so it made sense to me to instead post the bench press vs the dumbbell fly.

The dumbbell fly

When I first gave thought to these two exercises it made sense to me that the fly was actually the superior of the two exercises as far as building muscle is concerned. The function of your pectoral muscle is to draw your arms across your chest – exactly the same movement that the chest dumbbell fly accomplishes. What makes me think that this exercise is not the clear winner is looking around the gym.

All of the big guys with the thick chests spend the majority of their time pressing and usually include some flies at the end of their workout as more of a shaping move of a finisher to get a pump. So which is it, which exercise is best for muscle development?

One thing is certain we all love the bench press. When I was in high school I remember periods of time when I bench pressed every day. Of course, I balanced this with lots of barbell curls to create a well-rounded physique (that was sarcasm in case there was any doubt). I can say with almost 100 percent certainty that the bench press is what drew all of us guys to the weight room and likely is what still keeps most of us there. It’s fun to do. You get to lay there and have your entire core stabilized by the bench and do what feels as simple as just using your arms to lower the bar down and then drive it up. Just thinking about it makes me want to bench.

The advantage that the bench press has over the chest dumbbell fly is that is uses multiple large muscle groups making the exercise a true muscle mass builder.

The bench press engages the entire pectoralis major, which is the large fan of muscle underneath your ‘breast’ that gives your chest its size and definition. It is the muscle that we think of when we think of our chest. The pectoralis minor is the smaller muscle that is located under your pectoralis major and is also worked when we bench press. Muscles of the shoulder and ribcage also are used such as the anterior deltoid, the serratus anterior, the coracobrachialis and the triceps as well. Your latissimus dorsi also assist in the press as does your core in order to provide spinal stability throughout the movement (the bench definitely helps, but the muscles of your core still need to contract if you want maximal stability which will translate into strength and power).

What all this means is that the bench press is a great exercise for building strength. You need to use a lot of upper body strength in order to hold the weighted bar directly above you and because there are so many muscles involved it means that you will be able to lift a fairly large amount of weight. This strength that you can build means that you can easily build muscle with this movement. The push portion of the bench press comes from the middle of your chest meaning it’s effective for developing chest thickness. Your chest will literally build more depth as opposed to width. Front to back size and not side-to-side.

The chest dumbbell fly

The chest dumbbell fly, however, builds chest width. You are bringing the weight out to the side of your body that engages the outer portion of the pectoralis major. As this exercise is often performed with lighter weights it can be used as an endurance builder. Of course the bench press can too but for the most part we tend to do that exercise as heavy as we can. There are some things we just can’t seem to change.

Another very big benefit to doing chest dumbbell flies is that it can increase thoracic expansion, which increases the size of our chest cavity (much in the same way the underutilized pullover does). This means that you can actually increase lung capacity by doing chest flies. As mentioned above, the exercise works the outer portion of the chest muscles so this creates the width that the bench press doesn’t. This, of course, will accentuate the desired v-taper that all of us want, regardless of our individual goals.

Conclusion

I don’t even feel I need to write a conclusion to this article as it pretty much just summed itself up all by itself. You obviously need to do both the bench press and the dumbbell fly in order to build a thick, wide chest and increase your lung capacity in the process. In this Vs battle, there is no clear winner. By doing one and not the other you are cheating yourself out of the full muscular development that you undoubtedly seek.

One thing I would like to add is that it is not a rule that you must perform the press before the fly. By changing the order of the exercises you will be able to work the muscle harder when fresh and performing flies and in turn your chest will have to work even harder due to the fatigue when it comes time to press. As always, variety is key to creating a complete physique. Until next time my friends,

Happy Lifting!

  • The Squat Vs The Leg Press
  • Traditional Vs Sumo Deadlift
  • The Pull Up Vs The Pulldown
  • The Bench Press Vs The Dumbbell Fly
  • The Standing Vs Seated Overhead Press
  • Crunches Vs Planks: The Best Exercise For Ripped Abs
  • The Deadlift Vs The Pull Up Vs The Barbell Row
  • EZ Curl Bar And Preacher Curls Vs Barbell And Dumbbell Curls
  • Compound Vs Isolation Movements
  • Free Weights Vs Machines
  • Dips Vs Bench Press: The Best Chest Building Exercise
  • The Romanian Vs Stiff Leg Deadlift
  • Whey Vs Casein
  • Dips Vs Close Grip Bench Press Vs Skullcrushers
  • Bench Press Vs Pull-Ups Vs Shoulder Press – The Best Upper Body Lift
  • Squats Vs Deadlifts – The BEST Lift
  • Squats Vs Deadlifts – The BEST Lift 2
  • Squats Vs Deadlifts – The Best Lift 3
For the latest news and updates please follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard LinkedIn
Categories: Muscle-Building Training Exercises
Tags: Bench PressDumbbell FlyMuscle-BuildingTraining Exercises
Previous Post

Dips Vs Bench Press: The Best Chest Building Exercise

Next Post

Extending Time Of Protein Synthesis

Justin Robertson

Justin Robertson

Related Posts

Julius Maddox 355kg Bench Presses
Powerlifting

Julius Maddox Bench Presses 355kg (782.6lbs); Sets New World Record

Malik Triolet
Powerlifting

17-yo Powerlifter Malik Triolet Scores World Record With Massive 705kg Total

Julius Maddox
Powerlifting

Julius Maddox Lands His Heaviest Raw Bench Yet With 771lb Press

Dumbbell Reverse Fly Exercise
Shoulders

Dumbbell Reverse Fly Exercise Guide and Videos

Jimmy Kolb
Powerlifting

Jimmy Kolb Crushes 1,050lb Bench Press To Score New All-Time World Record

Morgan Nicholls 1
Powerlifting

14-Year-Old Powerlifter Morgan Nicholls Bench Presses 184kg/405lbs

Julius Maddox 1
Powerlifting

Julius Maddox Does 750lb Bench Press With Ease, Looks Superhuman

Brad Castleberry
OP-ED

Brad Castleberry Reps Out 5 Plates On Incline Bench

Foundational Exercises
Powerlifting Program

15 Foundational Exercises For The Beginner Powerlifter

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Massive Bodybuilders Who Lost Their Gains

The 8 Massive Bodybuilders Who Completely Lost Their Gains

Richest Bodybuilders

9 Richest Bodybuilders In The World

Joe Rogan Mens Physique

Joe Rogan Mocks Men’s Physique Bodybuilding: ‘That Is So Strange!’

Ronnie Coleman May Never Walk Again

Ronnie Coleman: “I Might Never Walk Again” After Spending $2 Million On The Last 3 Surgeries

Cass Martin

Cass Martin – Complete Profile: Height, Weight, Biography

Dexter Jackson Downsized

Dexter Jackson Downsized From 265 to 225lbs Since Retiring

Kai Greene

Kai Greene Has Crazy Back and Conditioning Workout With Blessing Awodibu

Ed Coan Deadlift Programme

Developing Your Deadlift With The Ed Coan Routine

Recent Reviews

Best Manual Treadmills

9 Best Manual Treadmills Reviewed For 2021

Best Pre-Workouts For Weight Loss

10 Best Pre-Workouts For Weight Loss Reviewed (2021)

Best Berberine Supplements

Top 13 Best Berberine Supplements for 2021

Fitness Volt

At FitnessVolt.com our mission is to educate and inform you about the latest in professional bodybuilding, fitness, and sports-related content. We believe you should have the best information at your fingertips to help you reach your fitness goals and to stay up to date on everything happening in the bodybuilding, fitness and strength sports industry... Read more.

Email: sm(at)fitnessvolt.com

Disclosure: FitnessVolt.com has an affiliate relationship with different brands and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. However, our reviews are based on well research backed analysis.
FitnessVolt.com - 1700 Lincoln St. Denver, CO. 

Follow Us

Trending Topics

  • Mr. Olympia 2020
  • Bodybuilding
  • Strongman
  • Powerlifting
  • CrossFit
  • At Home Workouts
  • Bodyweight Exercises
  • Best Pre-workouts
  • Boost Testosterone
  • German Volume Training
  • Protein-Packed Foods
  • Jefferson Deadlift
  • What Is Hypertrophy

Calculators

    • IF Calculator
    • TDEE Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
    • Keto Calculator
    • RMR Calculator
    • Macronutrient Calculator
    • Creatine Calculator
    • Wilks Calculator
    • EER Calculator
    • FFMI Calculator
    • IBW Calculator
    • LBM Calculator
    • Fat Intake Calculator

 

  • Food Nutrition Analysis
  • Carb Cycling Calculator
  • Weight Gain Calculator
  • Calories Burned Calculator
  • Strength Standards
  • One Rep Max Calculator
  • Body Fat Calculator
  • EER Calculator
  • Weight Loss Percentage
  • Treadmill Calorie Calculator
  • Body Surface Area Calculator
  • Running Pace Calculator
  • Bench Press Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Water Intake Calculator
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Syndication
  • Scholarship
  • Sitemap
  • DMCA
  • Copyrights
  • Terms
  • Privacy

© Copyright 2010 - 2021 Fitnes Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Mr. Olympia
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • CrossFit
  • Workouts
  • Exercise Guides
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
  • Training
  • Nutrition
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Diet
    • News
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • Food Facts
    • Deals
    • Fitness Calculator

© Copyright 2010 - 2021 Fitnes Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.

21470