Dumbbell Shoulder flys, also popular as dumbbell flyes are weight-training exercises performed for increasing upper body strength.
While a dumbbell fly primarily engages your shoulder muscles, it works the muscles in your arms and back as well. Flys can be done using a cable machine, but the simplest equipment used is the dumbbell.
The dumbbell shoulder flys is a good exercise, but you have to do it right, and that usually means picking the right weight.
It is important not to attempt to lift too heavy with this exercise, as that can put you out of shape and put too much stress on the shoulder joint. Always start light, and remember that what felt fine on the first rep can feel very heavy by the fifth.
Know More About Shoulder Muscles
In fitness, “shoulder exercises” refers to resistance exercises that target the deltoid muscle.
The deltoid is the superficial muscle that forms the rounded contour of your shoulder. While the deltoid is technically a single muscle, anatomically speaking it has three distinct sets of muscles fibers and muscle bellies, which are referred to as deltoid “heads.
The deltoid muscle of the shoulder consists of three separate sections or heads.
- Anterior deltoid (In front),
- lateral deltoid (at the side), and
- Posterior deltoid (Rear or behind),
What is Shoulder Fly
The shoulder fly or shoulder raise is a fundamental weight training exercise that is great for people who want to build strength or create more definition in the shoulders.
Shoulder flys should be included in upper-body strength training routines, and they should be performed after compounds of exercises that involve the shoulder, such as incline dumbbell press, shoulder press, push-ups, or pull-ups.
There are many different ways to do a fly, such as a front fly, a lateral fly, or a reverse delt fly.
The front fly or front raise primarily strengthens the anterior deltoids, but also works the upper chest (pectorals). It is an isolation exercise for shoulder flexion and can help you build strength and definition in the front of your shoulders.
The side or lateral fly or raise is an effective shoulder-strengthening movement designed to isolate the lateral head of the deltoid muscle
The reverse flys hits the rear deltoid and back parts of your shoulders as effectively as any other exercise, which will contribute greatly to building broader shoulders.
Dumbbell Lateral fly
Dumbbell Shoulder lateral Fly aka Lateral raise is one of the best lateral deltoid exercises to build side deltoids.
To build the middle head of the deltoid muscle, make lateral raises a regular part of your shoulder workout. It’s a must-do exercise.
Muscles Worked
Primary: Lateral deltoid.
Secondary: Anterior deltoid, posterior deltoid, trapezius, supraspinatus.
How To Do
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and bring the weights together in front of you. The palms should be facing each other.
- Now bend your elbows and raise the dumbbells to your sides.
- Lift them to a point slightly higher than your shoulders.
- Now lower the dumbbells in a controlled manner back to the starting position.
Tips
- Remember to exhale while you exert.
- The form is a very important part of this exercise.
- Don’t just swing your arms. Keep controlled motion throughout the exercise.
- Perform a warm-up with 50% weight for 1-2 sets.
- Always use weights that you can handle comfortably.
Standing Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly
The bent-over dumbbell reverse fly, also known as the bent-over rear delt fly, is a great exercise to assist you in building a complete set of shoulders.
Many lifters utilize the bent-over dumbbell reverse fly to target the rear delts, an often lagging muscle for many lifters alike.
Strengthening the rear delts by using the bent over rear delt fly can lead to improved posture and a greater level of strength on other lifts. Must add this exercise to your dumbbell shoulder fly workout regime.
Read More for How To Do Seated Rear shoulder Fly Properly
Muscles Worked
Primary: Posterior deltoid.
Secondary: Lateral deltoid, trapezius, rhomboids, infraspinatus
How To Do
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, bend at the hips and knees until your torso is parallel to the floor.
- The back should be straight and your arms should be hanging in front of you, with your palms facing inwards (neutral grip).W
- Keeping your elbows slightly bent, raise both arms out to the sides until the dumbbells are level with the height of your shoulders
- Hold for a count of two and then slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position in a controlled manner. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tips
- Do not swing the dumbbells upward. Keep your back straight and your body still.
- Your arms should be parallel to your shoulders.
- Keep strict form to isolate the rear delts.
Recommendation:
You should aim to complete 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps of the dumbbell rear delt fly. Of course, as you get more comfortable with the form, feel free to change up your set and rep ranges to challenge yourself.
Side-Lying Rear Delt Fly
The side-lying rear shoulder fly is a shoulder exercise used to target the rear delts. It is a great unilateral exercise used to target a smaller and often lagging muscle group. Instead of lying on the floor, you can lie on a bench.
The side-lying reverse dumbbell fly is also known as the side-lying dumbbell rear delt raise.
Muscles Worked
Primary Movers: Posterior Deltoid
Secondary Muscles: Lateral Deltoid, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor, Rhomboids, Middle and Lower Trapezius.
How To Do
- Lie on the floor on your right side, and grasp the dumbbell with your left hand using a neutral grip (palm facing downward).
- Keeping your elbow fixed and your body still, exhale as you raise the dumbbell from the floor until it is almost vertical. Hold for a count of two.
- Inhale as you reverse the movement and lower the dumbbell towards the starting position, stopping before the dumbbell touches the floor.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. Repeat the exercise on your opposite side with your right arm.
Tips
- Do not allow the dumbbell to touch the floor.
- Keep the abs braced, and don’t arch the back at the top of the movement.
- Allow the arms to move freely, but don’t lock out the elbows.
Head-supported reverse dumbbell fly
The head-supported reverse dumbbell fly is also known as the head-supported bent-over dumbbell lateral raise.
To target your posterior deltoids during the head-supported reverse dumbbell fly, keep your torso horizontal. The more upright your torso is, the more emphasis you will place on your lateral deltoids instead of on your posterior deltoids.
Muscles Worked
Primary: Posterior deltoid.
Secondary: Lateral deltoid, trapezius, rhomboids, infraspinatus, teres minor, teres major.
How To Do
- Raise a bench to hip height and, hold a dumbbell in each hand, bend at the hips and and rest your forehead on the edge of the bench.
- The back should be straight and your arms should be hanging in front of you, with your palms facing inwards (neutral grip).
- Keeping your elbows slightly bent, raise both arms out to the sides until the dumbbells are level with the height of your shoulders
- Hold for a count of two and then slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position in a controlled manner. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tips
- Do not swing the dumbbells upward. Keep your back straight and your body still.
- Keep your body still. Only your arms should move.
Best Alternative of shoulder flys
1. Cable Shoulder Fly
The cable front shoulder fly or raise is a variation of the front raise and an exercise used to build the muscles of the shoulders.
Utilizing the cable pulley machine is useful in that it provides constant tension on the target muscle group as you move the weight through the range of motion.
You can also perform the cable front raise using a rope attachment or a single stirrup, one arm at a time.
2. Shoulder fly with plates
The plate front fly is classified as an upper body isolation exercise, with the anterior head of the deltoid muscle group being the main focus of this exercise.
You can do the plate front raise seated or standing, but it’s best to keep the weight moderate for most lifters to ensure the safety of the shoulder joints.
You could also try doing Plate Front Raises with rotation for targets to the fronts and sides of the shoulders.
3. Machine Fly
Machine Rear shoulder fly is an excellent exercise for the rear deltoid. The rear deltoid fly machine provides a uniform resistance throughout the range of motion.
This machine also offers several technical adjustments to grip. Trajectory and range of motion to help isolate the posterior deltoid.
Takeaways
The shoulder flyes are an effective exercise for building size, strength, and functional competence of the shoulders.
There are many variations of this exercise, and it’s a variation in itself, so it’s also a good idea to mix things up and benefit from the advantages that each offers.
Frequently Asked Question
Are reverse flyes for back or shoulders?
The reverse fly targets the muscles in the upper back, but it mainly focuses on the rear deltoid (backside of the shoulder).
Related Posts
10 Best DUMBBELL SHOULDER EXERCISES You Need For Sculpted Shoulders
Recent Posts
Incline Chest Fly: Benefits, Muscles Worked, Form
Looking to add some serious definition to your chest muscles? Look no further than the incline chest…
Incline Cable Fly: Muscle Worked, Benefits, Alternate
Looking to take your upper chest workout to the next level? Look no further than the incline cable f…
Cable fly: Muscle Worked, Alternate, Variations
If you want to build to bigger and stronger chest muscles, cable fly is one of the best exercises yo…
Great Article