Incline Dumbbell Fly
Also known as: incline dumbbell flye, incline dumbbell flys, incline dumbbell chest fly, dumbbell incline fly, incline fly
In SetGrip: Dumbbell Fly (Incline)
- Secondary muscles
- Delts
- Body part
- Chest
- Position
- Lying
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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Setting the bench to roughly 45 degrees redirects the fly's deep stretch into the upper chest fibers, which the flat dumbbell fly mostly leaves alone. The tradeoff is a longer, more exposed arc at the bottom, so take the dumbbells down a size from your flat fly and hold the stretch honestly instead of bouncing out of it.
How to do the Incline Dumbbell Fly
- Set an incline bench to a 45-degree angle.
- Sit on the bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
- Lie back on the bench and press the dumbbells up to the starting position, directly 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 up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Imagine hugging a barrel rather than pushing a weight.
Muscles worked
Primary
Pectorals · Chest
On chest flies and cable crossovers the pecs pull the arms together in an arc and should feel a deep stretch at the bottom and a hard squeeze at the top.
Secondary
- Delts — Rear delt flies work the back of the shoulder as the arms swing wide, and the front delt assists on any chest fly.
Common mistakes
- Elbows bending as you tire — this turns a fly into a press; set the elbow angle at the start and keep it constant for the whole set.
- Going too heavy — flies are a stretch and squeeze movement, not a strength lift; you should be able to pause at the bottom without the shoulders rolling forward.
- Stopping short of the stretch — let the arms open until you feel the chest or rear delts lengthen, then bring them back under control.
- Not squeezing at the finish — the last few inches are where the muscle shortens most, so hold the contraction for a count before opening again.
Where it fits in a workout
Flies are an isolation movement for after the pressing or rowing is done. Pair a chest fly with a rear delt fly for a balanced superset.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without dumbbell
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.