10 Best Dumbbell Incline Fly Alternatives for Limited Equipment

Original Exercise: Dumbbell Incline Fly

Primary Muscle

Pectorals

Equipment

Dumbbell

Difficulty

Intermediate

Type

Isolation

Secondary Muscles: Shoulders

How to Perform Dumbbell Incline Fly

1. Set an incline bench to a 45-degree angle.
2. Sit on the bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
3. Lie back on the bench and press the dumbbells up to the starting position, directly above your chest.
4. Lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest.
5. Pause for a moment, then squeeze your chest muscles to bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position.
6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Best Dumbbell Incline Fly Alternatives

Best Match

1. Dumbbell Incline Twisted Flyes

99.4% Match

Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Set an incline bench to a 45-degree angle and sit on it with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
2. Lie back on the bench and press the dumbbells up to the starting position, directly above your chest, with your arms extended.
3. Lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest.
4. As you lower the dumbbells, rotate your wrists so that your palms face forward at the bottom of the movement.
5. Reverse the motion and bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position, squeezing your chest muscles together at the top.

2. Bodyweight Flyes

95% Match

Pectorals Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Position two equally loaded EZ bars on the ground next to each other. Ensure they are able to roll.
2. Assume a push-up position over the bars, supporting your weight on your toes and hands with your arms extended and body straight.
3. Place your hands on the bars. This will be your starting position.
4. Using a slow and controlled motion, move your hands away from the midline of your body, rolling the bars apart. Inhale during this portion of the motion.
5. After moving the bars as far apart as you can, return to the starting position by pulling them back together. Exhale as you perform this movement.

3. Dumbbell Decline Fly

93.4% Match

Pectorals Dumbbell Beginner Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Lie on a decline bench with your feet secured and your head lower than your hips.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other and your arms extended above your chest.
3. Lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest.
4. Pause for a moment, then squeeze your chest muscles to bring the dumbbells back to the starting position.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

4. Dumbbell Fly

93.4% Match

Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
2. Extend your arms straight up over your chest, with a slight bend in your elbows.
3. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, lower your arms out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest.
4. Pause for a moment, then reverse the movement and bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

5. Dumbbell Decline Twist Fly

92.9% Match

Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Lie down on a decline bench with your head lower than your hips.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other and your arms extended straight up over your chest.
3. Lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest.
4. As you lower the dumbbells, twist your wrists so that your palms face forward at the bottom of the movement.
5. Reverse the motion and bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position, squeezing your chest muscles at the top.

6. Dumbbell Incline Fly On Exercise Ball

90.2% Match

Pectorals Stability-ball Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
2. Sit on an exercise ball and roll forward until your upper back is resting on the incline bench.
3. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other and your arms extended above your chest.
4. Lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest.
5. Pause for a moment, then squeeze your chest muscles to bring the dumbbells back to the starting position.

7. Dumbbell Fly On Exercise Ball

90.2% Match

Pectorals Stability-ball Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Sit on an exercise ball and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Walk your feet forward and roll your body down until your head, neck, and upper back are supported by the ball.
3. Extend your arms straight up above your chest, palms facing each other.
4. Bend your elbows slightly and lower your arms out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest.
5. Pause for a moment, then reverse the movement and squeeze your chest muscles as you bring the dumbbells back to the starting position.

8. Decline Dumbbell Flyes

90.2% Match

Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and lie down with a dumbbell on each hand on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
2. Once you are laying down, move the dumbbells in front of you at shoulder width. The palms of the hands should be facing each other and the arms should be perpendicular to the floor and fully extended. This will be your starting position.
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. 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. Hold for a second at the contracted position and repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

9. Cable Incline Fly

90% Match

Pectorals Cable Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Adjust the cable machine to a low position and attach the handles.
2. Sit on an incline bench with your back against the pad and feet flat on the floor.
3. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and extend your arms straight out in front of you.
4. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, open your arms out to the sides in a controlled motion.
5. Pause for a moment at the fully extended position, then slowly return to the starting position.

10. Bent-Arm Dumbbell Pullover

89.2% Match

Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Place a dumbbell standing up on a flat bench.
2. Ensuring that the dumbbell stays securely placed at the top of the bench, lie perpendicular to the bench (torso across it as in forming a cross) with only your shoulders lying on the surface. Hips should be below the bench and legs bent with feet firmly on the floor. The head will be off the bench as well.
3. Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and hold it straight over your chest with a bend in your arms. Both palms should be pressing against the underside one of the sides of the dumbbell. This will be your starting position. Caution: Always ensure that the dumbbell used for this exercise is secure. Using a dumbbell with loose plates can result in the dumbbell falling apart and falling on your face.
4. While keeping your arms locked in the bent arm position, lower the weight slowly in an arc behind your head while breathing in until you feel a stretch on the chest.
5. At that point, bring the dumbbell back to the starting position using the arc through which the weight was lowered and exhale as you perform this movement.

Why You Might Need a Dumbbell Incline Fly Alternative

You may substitute the dumbbell incline fly for several practical reasons: shoulder pain during end-range external rotation, lack of an adjustable incline bench or appropriate dumbbells, or a need for constant tension and safer loading. The fly places the shoulder in abduction with external rotation, which can irritate the rotator cuff; choosing a cable or machine alternative reduces peak torque at the shoulder by altering load angle and maintaining tension. For rehab or stability concerns, pick unilateral or cable options to reduce compensatory anterior deltoid activation. Always cue scapular retraction and maintain a slight elbow flexion to keep emphasis on the clavicular head of the pectoralis major while minimizing deltoid involvement.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute based on equipment, desired muscle emphasis, and shoulder mechanics. If you want constant tension and a long range of motion, use an incline cable fly and keep the hands moving in a smooth arc with elbows fixed 10–20 degrees. If you need heavier overload for hypertrophy, choose incline dumbbell press and focus on controlled eccentrics to increase pectoral stretch. For shoulder sensitivity, prefer a machine fly or single-arm cable crossover to reduce rotational stress; lead with the elbow and stop if you feel anterior shoulder pinching. Prioritize exercises that let you maintain scapular retraction and a stable thorax so the pectorals remain the prime movers.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Exercise Alternatives

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Use our free tool to discover the best substitute exercises based on your available equipment and goals.