Chest-Supported Reverse Fly (Dumbbell)

Instructions

1. Set an incline bench to 30–45 degrees and lie face-down with your chest and torso resting fully on the pad.
2. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip, arms hanging straight down toward the floor.
3. Maintain a slight, fixed bend in your elbows throughout the entire movement — do not lock them out or bend them further as you lift.
4. Exhale and raise both dumbbells out to your sides in a wide arc, leading with your elbows, until your arms are roughly parallel to the floor and your body forms a “T” shape.
5. Squeeze your rear deltoids and upper back hard at the top for one count.
6. Inhale and lower the dumbbells back to the starting position in a slow, controlled manner.
7. Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Tips

• Let the bench carry all your bodyweight — if your lower back is engaged, you are not lying flat enough on the pad.
• Lead with your elbows, not your hands; think of pushing your elbows up and back rather than lifting the weights.
• Keep your neck neutral: look straight down at the floor, not forward.
• Do not shrug your traps at the top; focus on pulling your shoulder blades together and down.
• Use significantly lighter weight than you would for a standing bent-over reverse fly — the chest-supported position removes momentum and isolates the rear delts more strictly.
• Pause briefly at the top of each rep to maximise muscle activation before lowering.
• This is distinct from the standing Dumbbell Reverse Fly: the bench eliminates lower-back demand and prevents swinging, making it ideal for beginners or anyone with lower-back sensitivity.