Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Dumbbell Incline Fly: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The dumbbell incline fly is a chest exercise performed on an incline bench, targeting the upper pectoral muscles. It involves lowering dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc and then bringing them back together, emphasizing a stretch and contraction of the chest.

Primary muscles
Chest
Secondary muscles
Shoulders
Equipment
Dumbbell
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound
Demonstration of the dumbbell incline fly
Front view: muscles worked by the dumbbell incline fly. Primary: chest. Secondary: shoulders.
Back view: muscles worked by the dumbbell incline fly. Primary: chest. Secondary: shoulders.
Primary Secondary

How to do the dumbbell incline fly

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

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the dumbbell incline fly by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Dumbbell Incline Fly alternatives

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.