How many reps of the decline dumbbell fly should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Go one pair lighter than you would use on a flat bench and run three sets of 10 to 12, since getting the dumbbells overhead from a decline is the hard part of the exercise. Keep the rests short and the sets brisk so you are not lying head-down any longer than the work needs.

What can I do instead of the decline dumbbell fly?

A high-pulley cable crossover trains the same lower-chest line while you stand up, which most people find more comfortable. With no gym, put both hands up on a bench and do push-ups from there; raising the hands biases the lower chest in the same way, with the triceps sharing the load.

What is the decline dumbbell fly for, and when should I skip it?

It isolates the lower chest and shortens the range at the top where the shoulder feels most exposed, which makes it a comfortable accessory after decline or flat pressing. Leave it out when lying head-down makes you dizzy or brings on reflux, and leave it out when you have no safe way to get the dumbbells into place, since kicking a heavy pair up while inverted is where people hurt themselves.

Intermediate

Decline Dumbbell Fly

The decline angle shifts the line of pull toward the lower chest and shortens the range where the shoulder feels vulnerable. It gives you a deep stretch at the bottom and a strong lower-pec contraction up top. Run it as an accessory after decline or flat pressing.

Equipment: Bench, Dumbbell
Body part: Chest
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Pectoralis Major Sternocostal
Browse by movement: Horizontal Adduction

How to do it

1
Secure your legs and lie back on a decline bench holding a dumbbell in each hand.
2
Press the dumbbells up over the chest with palms facing each other and elbows slightly bent.
3
Lower the weights out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch across the chest.
4
Keep the elbow angle fixed as the arms spread.
5
Reverse the arc and bring the dumbbells back together over the lower chest, squeezing the pecs.

Tips

Do not let the elbows bend further as you descend, or it becomes a press.
Control the eccentric and stop the stretch where your shoulders stay comfortable.
Think about hugging a barrel to keep the arc smooth and pec-driven.

Variations

Common mistakes

Getting the dumbbells into position head-down is where people strain something; rest them on your thighs, lie back, and use your legs to help push them up.
The dumbbells come together over the throat instead of the lower chest, which cancels out the reason you set the bench on a decline in the first place.
A steep decline adds discomfort in the head much faster than it adds lower-chest work; 15 to 30 degrees is enough.
Once the legs are hooked under the pads, people start pushing against them and the back arches off the bench; the legs only anchor you, nothing more.
Nothing stops the arms here the way the floor does, so they can sink well past the line of your torso before you notice the shoulder taking the load.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the decline dumbbell fly should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Go one pair lighter than you would use on a flat bench and run three sets of 10 to 12, since getting the dumbbells overhead from a decline is the hard part of the exercise. Keep the rests short and the sets brisk so you are not lying head-down any longer than the work needs.
What can I do instead of the decline dumbbell fly?: A high-pulley cable crossover trains the same lower-chest line while you stand up, which most people find more comfortable. With no gym, put both hands up on a bench and do push-ups from there; raising the hands biases the lower chest in the same way, with the triceps sharing the load.
What is the decline dumbbell fly for, and when should I skip it?: It isolates the lower chest and shortens the range at the top where the shoulder feels most exposed, which makes it a comfortable accessory after decline or flat pressing. Leave it out when lying head-down makes you dizzy or brings on reflux, and leave it out when you have no safe way to get the dumbbells into place, since kicking a heavy pair up while inverted is where people hurt themselves.

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