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Dumbbell Back Fly being performed with proper form
Dumbbell Back Fly demonstration video — proper form for the full movement.

How to do a Dumbbell Back Fly

Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology

About this exercise

Sets Logged
1,464,147
Popularity Rank
113th
Difficulty
Beginner
Shoulders Strength
97 mSCORE 7th
Equipment Required

Workouts with Dumbbell Back Fly

    Target muscles worked

    Primary Muscles
    Shoulders
    Secondary Muscles
    Back

    Instructions for Proper Form

    Dumbbell Back Fly is an isolation exercise that primarily targets your shoulder, more specifically your posterior deltoid (back of the shoulder). It’s most closely related to a shoulder raise, with the main difference being that you’re leaning forward into an incline bench. This position allows you to better isolate the back of your shoulder. In addition, the incline bench adds more stability than some other variations.

    1. Grab a pair of dumbbells and position your chest on an incline bench while standing with knees slightly bent.
    2. Once in a comfortable position, position the dumbbells in front of your shoulders so your shoulders are at a 90 degree from your torso with palms facing forward.
    3. Keeping your elbows slightly flexed and your back straight, raise the dumbbells out laterally with emphasis on tightening between your shoulder blades once the dumbbells reach shoulder height.
    4. Control the dumbbells as you return to the starting position.

    Common Form Mistakes

    • Swinging the Dumbbells

      Using momentum, or recruiting additional muscle groups can help you lift heavier weights with this exercise. However it also reduces the effectiveness, and increases the risk of injury. Keep your weights on the lighter side, and focus on controlling the weight. If you’re struggling, consider using a seated variation. This can help you prevent swinging the dumbbells or adding additional movements to this exercise.

    • Limit Range of Motion

      Raising the weight too high can increase your risk of injury, and isn’t particularly beneficial for these exercises. Limit your range of motion to around shoulder height. If you’re looking to make the exercise more challenging consider pausing for a moment at the top of the movement.

    Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator

    Average Dumbbell Back Fly standards by male, female, weight, age and height

    Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.

    • beginner
      8
      reps
      15
      lbs
      1 Rep Max
      20
      lbs
    • intermediate
      8
      reps
      17.5
      lbs
      22.5
      lbs
    • advanced
      8
      reps
      22.5
      lbs
      30
      lbs

    Enter your stats to calculate your Reps & Weight

    How is this calculated?

    Alternatives & Variations to Dumbbell Back Fly

    Filter By

    1. 1. Dumbbell Front Raise

      Photo of Dumbbell Front Raise being performed
      98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 11,634 TIMES

      Dumbbell Front Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, more specifically the anterior deltoid (front of the shoulder). This is a very common shoulder exercise, and can work well to isolate the shoulders to build strength and muscle mass. By using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.

    2. 2. Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise

      Photo of Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise being performed
      94.7 mSCORESWAPPED 11,018 TIMES

      Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise is a variation of Dumbbell Shoulder Raise. Similar to other shoulder raises, this is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. By hinging your hips back, and leaning forward slightly, you can further emphasize your rear deltoids (back of the shoulder).

    3. 3. Dumbbell Shoulder Press

      Photo of Dumbbell Shoulder Press being performed
      99.5 mSCORESWAPPED 10,397 TIMES

      Dumbbell Shoulder Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. The use of dumbbells allows for slightly more instability than with equipment like barbells. This can help you recruit and develop stabilizing muscles around the shoulders. In addition, by using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.

    4. 4. Cable Lateral Raise

      Photo of Cable Lateral Raise being performed
      97.7 mSCORESWAPPED 9,688 TIMES

      Cable Lateral Raise is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Shoulder Raise. Similar to the Dumbbell Shoulder Raise, this isolation exercise primarily targets the shoulders, and more specifically the medial deltoid (middle of the shoulder). By using a cable machine, you have more control over the direction your resistance is coming from, and can easily make adjustments. In addition, by isolating each side of the body, you can more easily identify and address strength imbalances between sides.

    5. 5. Dumbbell Shoulder Raise

      Photo of Dumbbell Shoulder Raise being performed
      97.8 mSCORESWAPPED 8,545 TIMES

      Dumbbell Shoulder Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, more specifically the medial deltoid (middle of the shoulder). This is a very common shoulder exercise and can work well for building muscle mass and strengthening the shoulders. By using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.

    6. 6. Cable Face Pull

      Photo of Cable Face Pull being performed
      96 mSCORESWAPPED 6,101 TIMES

      Cable Face Pull is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders, more specifically your posterior deltoids (back of the shoulder). By using a cable machine, you have more control over where the resistance is coming from, and can easily make adjustments by either moving towards or away from the cable machine, or by adjusting the height of the pulley.

    7. 7. Dumbbell Lateral Raise

      Photo of Dumbbell Lateral Raise being performed
      95.5 mSCORESWAPPED 4,390 TIMES

      An isolation exercise using dumbbells to raise the arms sideways, targeting the deltoid muscles.

    8. 8. Barbell Shoulder Press

      Photo of Barbell Shoulder Press being performed
      97 mSCORESWAPPED 3,968 TIMES

      Barbell Shoulder Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders. By using a barbell instead of other pieces of equipment, you can add more stability to the movement, which allows you to focus more on exertion rather than stability. This is one of the best exercises for developing vertical pressing strength.

    9. 9. Machine Reverse Fly

      Photo of Machine Reverse Fly being performed
      68.9 mSCORESWAPPED 3,889 TIMES

      Machine Reverse Fly is an isolation exercise that primarily targets your shoulders, and more specifically your posterior deltoids (back of your shoulder). Using a machine restricts your range and adds stability to the movement. In addition, this machine will often place you in a more comfortable seated position compared to many other reverse fly variations.

    10. 10. Arnold Dumbbell Press

      Photo of Arnold Dumbbell Press being performed
      93.2 mSCORESWAPPED 3,875 TIMES

      Arnold Dumbbell Press is a compound movement that primarily targets the shoulders. The difference between the Arnold Press and a standard Shoulder Press is that you bring the dumbbells in front of you at the bottom of the movement rather than stopping when they reach your shoulders. Bringing the dumbbells in front of you can be more a comfortable movement as well as improve muscle activation.