1. Home
  2. Exercises
  3. Incline dumbbell flyes
Chest

Incline dumbbell flyes: how to do it right

These are dumbbell flyes on an incline bench. They stretch and isolate your upper chest.

Main muscle
Chest
Also works
Front delts
Equipment
Dumbbells and incline bench
Level
Intermediate
Incline dumbbell flyes: start position
Start position
Incline dumbbell flyes: end position
End position

Step by step

  1. Raise the backrest to about 30° and lie back with the dumbbells over your chest, palms facing.
  2. Bend your elbows slightly and lock that angle.
  3. Open your arms in an arc until you feel your chest stretch.
  4. Close along the same arc until the dumbbells meet over your chest.

Tip: Lower slowly, over two or three seconds: that's the part that works your chest most.

Common mistakes

Bench too steep

Above 45° it works your shoulder more than your chest.

Locked elbows

Always keep a slight bend to protect your elbow and shoulder.

Too much weight

Heavy weight turns it into a press. Use a load you can open with control.

Sets and reps

Guide ranges. Start with a weight where the last rep is hard but your technique holds.

GoalSetsRepsRest
Strength3–53–62–3 min
Build muscle3–46–121.5–2 min
Health and fitness2–310–151 min

In GymOrbita you log every set and the app suggests the weight for your next session based on what you did last time.

Alternatives

If the machine is busy or you want a variation:

FAQ

How many reps?

It works best with medium to high reps, 10 to 15, and a weight you can control.

General technique information, not a substitute for professional advice. If you have an injury or pain, check with a doctor or physiotherapist first.

Add incline dumbbell flyes to your routine

GymOrbita has this exercise with its animation: log the weight and reps of every set and track your progress. Free.