Flyes (Dumbbell)

An isolation exercise for the chest performed by moving dumbbells in a wide arc while lying on a bench, emphasizing the stretch and squeeze of the chest muscles.

Instructions

1. Lie on a flat bench with your feet firmly on the floor or flat on the bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at chest level with a slight bend in your elbows.
2. Press the dumbbells together in front of your chest, stopping just short of full lockout. This is your starting position.
3. With a slight bend maintained in your elbows, lower the dumbbells in a wide arc to both sides until you feel a stretch across your chest.
4. Keep your arms relatively stationary with the movement occurring only at the shoulder joint.
5. Reverse the motion by bringing the dumbbells back together in the same arc, squeezing your chest muscles at the top.
6. Pause briefly at the top and repeat for the target number of repetitions.

Tips

• Maintain a slight bend in your elbows throughout to reduce stress on the shoulder joints.
• Lower the dumbbells until you feel a deep stretch in your chest without overstretching.
• Focus on chest contraction at the top of the movement.
• This is an isolation exercise best performed after compound movements like bench press.
• Breathe in as you lower the weights and exhale as you bring them together.