10 Best One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye Alternatives for Limited Equipment

The One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye is done lying on your back with dumbbells. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Dumbbell Incline One Arm Fly On Exercise Ball, the Dumbbell One Arm Chest Fly On Exercise Ball and the Dumbbell One Arm Fly On Exercise Ball. Three harder versions, the Dumbbell Decline One Arm Fly, the Dumbbell Incline One Arm Fly and the Dumbbell One Arm Bench Fly, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye

The steps for the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Pectorals · Dumbbell · Intermediate · Isolation

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Hold for a second at the contracted position and repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
  6. Switch arms and repeat the exercise.

The 10 Best One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Dumbbell Incline One Arm Fly On Exercise BallPlay demonstration

    1. Dumbbell Incline One Arm Fly On Exercise Ball

    96% match

    Pectorals · Advanced · Isolation

    A good swap when you have a stability ball to work with, and it still works the pectorals.

    • Stability-ball
    How to perform it
    1. Sit on an exercise ball with a dumbbell in one hand.
    2. Walk your feet forward and roll your body down until your head, neck, and upper back are supported on the ball.
    3. Hold the dumbbell with your arm extended straight up over your chest, palm facing inwards.
    4. Slowly lower the dumbbell out to the side, keeping a slight bend in your elbow.
    5. Pause for a moment when your arm is parallel to the ground.
    6. Engage your chest muscles to bring the dumbbell back up to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: chest fly, the same as the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye
  2. Dumbbell Decline One Arm FlyPlay demonstration

    Progression

    2. Dumbbell Decline One Arm Fly

    98% match

    Pectorals · Advanced · Isolation

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the pectorals.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie down on a decline bench with a dumbbell in one hand, resting it on your thigh.
    2. Using your thigh to help raise the dumbbell, lift it up to shoulder width with your palm facing your torso.
    3. Rotate your wrist so that the palm of your hand is facing forward.
    4. As you breathe in, lower the dumbbell slowly to the side until you feel a stretch in your chest.
    5. Exhale and use your chest muscles to bring the dumbbell back up to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: chest fly, the same as the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye
  7. Dumbbell Decline Twist FlyPlay demonstration

    7. Dumbbell Decline Twist Fly

    93% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Isolation

    It uses the same equipment and still works the pectorals.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    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. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: chest fly, the same as the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye

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 One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye 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.

One-arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye FAQ

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.

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