Exercise guide
Dumbbell Floor Fly
- Beginner
- Isolation
- Rep-based
- Chest
The Dumbbell Floor Fly is a chest isolation exercise that uses the floor as a safety stop to prevent overstretching the shoulder joint while maximizing pectoral contraction. It effectively targets the chest fibers with reduced injury risk compared to a traditional bench fly.
Reviewed by the Crucible Fit team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Sit on the floor with knees bent and feet flat, holding a dumbbell in each hand resting on your thighs.
- Lie back slowly and press the dumbbells straight up over your shoulders with palms facing each other.
- Retract your shoulder blades, pressing them firmly into the floor to create a stable base.
- Maintain a slight, fixed bend in your elbows throughout the setup.
How to do it
- Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells out to the sides in a wide arc until your upper arms lightly touch the floor.
- Maintain the same elbow angle throughout the descent; do not let the weights touch the floor, only your triceps.
- Exhale and squeeze your chest muscles to bring the dumbbells back to the starting position following the same wide arc.
- Perform the movement with a controlled 2-1-2 tempo (2 seconds down, 1 second squeeze, 2 seconds up).
Form checklist
- Keep a slight, consistent bend in the elbows to avoid bicep strain.
- Ensure the back of your upper arms touch the floor gently without bouncing.
- Keep your wrists neutral and stacked over your elbows at the bottom of the movement.
- Stop the dumbbells just before they touch at the top to maintain constant tension on the pectorals.
Pro tips
- Visualize 'hugging a large tree' to maintain the correct circular path and maximize pectoral recruitment.
- Focus on driving your biceps toward the sides of your chest at the top of the rep for a stronger peak contraction.
Make it harder
- Implement a 3-5 second eccentric (lowering) phase to increase time under tension.
- Lift your feet off the floor into a tabletop position to increase core stability demands during the fly.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the dumbbell floor fly work?
- The dumbbell floor fly primarily targets the pectorals, and also works the abs and serratus anterior as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the dumbbell floor fly?
- The dumbbell floor fly uses dumbbell.
- Is the dumbbell floor fly good for beginners?
- Yes. The dumbbell floor fly is a beginner-friendly movement and a strong foundation to build on.