Stability Ball Single Arm Dumbbell Fly

In SetGrip: Dumbbell Fly (Stability Ball, Single Arm)

Secondary muscles
Delts, Triceps
Body part
Chest
Position
Lying
Laterality
Unilateral (one arm at a time)
Category
Strength

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Combining the ball bridge with a single dumbbell doubles the stability problem: your hips fight to stay level while the one-sided weight arcs away from your midline. Progress to it from the two-arm stability ball fly rather than from the bench single arm version, and expect the workable load to drop by more than you would guess.

How to do the Stability Ball Single Arm Dumbbell Fly

  1. Sit on an exercise ball with a dumbbell in one hand and your feet flat on the ground.
  2. Walk your feet forward, rolling the ball until your upper back is supported on the ball and your head, neck, and shoulders are off the ball.
  3. Extend your arm with the dumbbell straight up above your chest, palm facing inward.
  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.

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.
  • Triceps

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

Easier and harder

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

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. 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.