10 Best One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye Alternatives for Limited Equipment
If you can't do the one-arm flat bench dumbbell flye, use unilateral or cable chest moves that preserve horizontal adduction and pectoral tension. Effective swaps include single-arm cable flyes, floor dumbbell flyes with a neutral grip, and single-arm pec-deck presses. Cue: keep a slight elbow bend and drive from the chest.
Original Exercise: One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye
How to Perform One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye
- Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in one hand resting on top of your thigh. The palm of your hand with the dumbbell in it should be at a neutral grip.
- By using your thighs to help you get the dumbbell up, clean the dumbbell so that you can hold it in front of you with your lifting arm being fully extended. Remember to maintain a neutral grip with this exercise. Your non lifting hand should be to the side holding the flat bench for better support. This will be your starting position.
- Your arm with the weight should have a slight bend on your elbow in order to prevent stress at the biceps tendon. Begin by lowering your arm with the weight in it out 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, your lifting arm should remain stationary; the movement should only occur at the shoulder joint.
- Return your lifting arm 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.
- Hold for a second at the contracted position and repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- Switch arms and repeat the exercise.
Pro Tips
- Category: Strength
- Force: Push
- Movement type: Isolation
Best One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye Alternatives
1. Dumbbell Decline One Arm Fly
98.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie down on a decline bench with a dumbbell in one hand, resting it on your thigh.
- Using your thigh to help raise the dumbbell, lift it up to shoulder width with your palm facing your torso.
- Rotate your wrist so that the palm of your hand is facing forward.
- As you breathe in, lower the dumbbell slowly to the side until you feel a stretch in your chest.
- Exhale and use your chest muscles to bring the dumbbell back up to the starting position.
2. Dumbbell Incline One Arm Fly
98.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Adjust the incline bench to a 30-45 degree angle.
- Sit on the bench with a dumbbell in one hand, resting it on your thigh.
- Lie back on the bench, keeping your feet flat on the ground.
- Hold the dumbbell with your arm extended straight up over your chest.
- Lower the dumbbell out to the side in a wide arc, keeping a slight bend in your elbow.
3. Dumbbell One Arm Bench Fly
98.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell in one hand, resting it on top of your thigh.
- Lie back on the bench, keeping the dumbbell pressed against your thigh.
- Using your free hand, help lift the dumbbell up to the starting position.
- Hold the dumbbell directly above your shoulder with your arm extended and palm facing inward.
- Lower the dumbbell out to the side in a wide arc, keeping a slight bend in your elbow.
4. Dumbbell One Arm Fly On Exercise Ball
96% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on an exercise ball with a dumbbell in one hand and your feet flat on the ground.
- Walk your feet forward and roll your body down until your upper back is resting on the exercise ball.
- Extend your arm with the dumbbell straight up above your chest, palm facing inwards.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell out to the side, keeping a slight bend in your elbow.
- Pause for a moment, then squeeze your chest muscles to bring the dumbbell back to the starting position.
5. Dumbbell Incline One Arm Fly On Exercise Ball
96% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on an exercise ball with a dumbbell in one hand.
- Walk your feet forward and roll your body down until your head, neck, and upper back are supported on the ball.
- Hold the dumbbell with your arm extended straight up over your chest, palm facing inwards.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell out to the side, keeping a slight bend in your elbow.
- Pause for a moment when your arm is parallel to the ground.
6. Dumbbell One Arm Chest Fly On Exercise Ball
96% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on an exercise ball with a dumbbell in one hand and your feet flat on the ground.
- Walk your feet forward, rolling the ball until your upper back is supported on the ball and your head, neck, and shoulders are off the ball.
- Extend your arm with the dumbbell straight up above your chest, palm facing inward.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell out to the side, keeping a slight bend in your elbow.
- Pause for a moment when your arm is parallel to the ground.
7. Dumbbell Decline Twist Fly
93% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie down on a decline bench with your head lower than your hips.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other and your arms extended straight up over your chest.
- Lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest.
- As you lower the dumbbells, twist your wrists so that your palms face forward at the bottom of the movement.
- Reverse the motion and bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position, squeezing your chest muscles at the top.
8. Dumbbell Fly
92.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
- Extend your arms straight up over your chest, with a slight bend in your elbows.
- 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.
- Pause for a moment, then reverse the movement and bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
9. Dumbbell Decline Fly
92.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on a decline bench with your feet secured and your head lower than your hips.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other and your arms extended above your chest.
- Lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch in your chest.
- Pause for a moment, then squeeze your chest muscles to bring the dumbbells back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
10. Bodyweight Flyes
90.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Position two equally loaded EZ bars on the ground next to each other. Ensure they are able to roll.
- Assume a push-up position over the bars, supporting your weight on your toes and hands with your arms extended and body straight.
- Place your hands on the bars. This will be your starting position.
- 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.
- 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.
Why You Might Need a One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye Alternative
You may substitute the one-arm flye because of shoulder pain at end-range abduction, lack of a stable bench, or to correct unilateral imbalances. Alternatives let you keep pectoral loading while changing scapular mechanics, range of motion, and tension profile. For rehab, choose cable or machine flyes to maintain continuous tension and control; cue: retract and depress the scapula before each rep to protect the glenohumeral joint. For equipment limits, the floor fly limits humeral extension and lowers rotator cuff strain while still targeting the pec major via horizontal adduction.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute based on equipment, pain history, and training goal. If you have cables, single-arm cable flyes replicate horizontal adduction and allow precise hand paths; cue: lead with the elbow rather than the hand to bias pec fibers. If your shoulder hurts, use floor flyes or neutral-grip DB presses to limit humeral extension and reduce supraspinatus load. For hypertrophy, pick exercises that preserve chest tension through midline and permit progressive overload via weight, reps, or tempo to maximize pectoralis major recruitment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye work?
The one-arm flye primarily targets the pectoralis major by driving horizontal adduction of the humerus, emphasizing the sternal fibers. It also engages the anterior deltoid and scapular stabilizers (serratus anterior and rhomboids) to control shoulder position during the fly arc.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye?
The archer push-up is the best bodyweight alternative because it loads one side through horizontal adduction while the other arm assists. Cue: keep the torso braced, lower with a controlled eccentric on the loaded side, and drive from the chest to mirror pectoral recruitment similar to the unilateral flye.
Can I build muscle without doing One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye?
Yes. Compound presses (barbell or dumbbell bench press) plus bilateral or unilateral fly variations and controlled eccentrics produce hypertrophy. Focus on exercises that keep the chest under tension—cue: maintain a slight elbow bend and full horizontal adduction range to maximize pec major activation while progressively overloading.
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