What Is a Dumbbell Fly?
The dumbbell fly is a compound weight lifting exercise that primarily focuses on the pectoral muscles with secondary focus on the shoulders and triceps. This weight lifting exercise is performed by lying flat on a weight bench with dumbbell weights extended from both hands. The dumbbell fly is an excellent exercise for building width rather than thickness in the chest area. To perform a dumbbell fly, the participant should lie flat on a weight bench with a dumbbell in each arm. Both arms are extended toward the ceiling and palms face each other. The weight lifter then lowers the arms to each side in a fully extended position as if to mimic a bird expanding its wings. Finally the weights are lifted back to the starting position, with the arms extended toward the ceiling.
