Lying Floor Fly
Build a stronger chest with the Lying Floor Fly. This dumbbell exercise effectively isolates your pectoral muscles, offering a controlled range of motion
- Movement
- Isolation
- Force
- Push
- Per set
- 1 min
- Rest
- 2 min
Free · iPhone only · Available on the App Store
Variations of Lying Floor Fly
Description
This exercise targets your chest muscles by making you lie on the floor with a dumbbell in each hand and then slowly bringing the weights together above your chest.
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How to do Lying Floor Fly
- 01Setup
Lie supine on the floor, holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing each other. Extend your arms directly above your chest, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
- 02Setup
Position your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, to stabilize your lower body and maintain a neutral spine against the floor.
- 03
Slowly lower the dumbbells out to your sides in a wide arc, maintaining the slight elbow bend, until your upper arms lightly touch the floor. Feel a stretch across your chest.
- 04
Engage your chest muscles to reverse the movement, bringing the dumbbells back up in the same wide arc until they meet directly above your chest. Exhale as you return to the starting position.
Tips
- Maintain a constant slight bend in your elbows throughout the entire movement to protect your elbow joints and keep tension on your chest.
- Focus on squeezing your pectoral muscles together at the top of the movement, imagining you are hugging a barrel to maximize muscle activation.
- Control both the lowering and raising phases of the exercise, avoiding momentum to ensure your chest muscles are doing the work.
- Keep your lower back pressed into the floor to maintain spinal stability and prevent arching, which can shift tension away from the chest.
Common mistakes
- People often straighten their arms completely, which puts undue stress on the elbow joints; instead, maintain a soft, slight bend in your elbows throughout the entire fly motion.
- Swinging the weights up instead of controlling the movement reduces chest activation; instead, perform the exercise slowly and deliberately, focusing on muscle contraction.
- Lifting the lower back off the floor can lead to injury and reduce chest engagement; instead, keep your entire back, especially the lower back, pressed firmly against the floor.
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Get Ellim — FreeQuestions
Is Lying Floor Fly good for beginners?
Lying Floor Fly is rated intermediate. Beginners can still attempt it with lighter weight and careful form, but it's best to master easier variations first.
What equipment do I need for Lying Floor Fly?
You need Body weight to perform Lying Floor Fly. If you don't have this equipment, look for variations that target the same muscles with what you have available.
What are the best tips for Lying Floor Fly?
Maintain a constant slight bend in your elbows throughout the entire movement to protect your elbow joints and keep tension on your chest. Focus on squeezing your pectoral muscles together at the top of the movement, imagining you are hugging a barrel to maximize muscle activation. Control both the lowering and raising phases of the exercise, avoiding momentum to ensure your chest muscles are doing the work. Keep your lower back pressed into the floor to maintain spinal stability and prevent arching, which can shift tension away from the chest.
What are common mistakes when doing Lying Floor Fly?
People often straighten their arms completely, which puts undue stress on the elbow joints; instead, maintain a soft, slight bend in your elbows throughout the entire fly motion. Swinging the weights up instead of controlling the movement reduces chest activation; instead, perform the exercise slowly and deliberately, focusing on muscle contraction. Lifting the lower back off the floor can lead to injury and reduce chest engagement; instead, keep your entire back, especially the lower back, pressed firmly against the floor.
Related exercises
Ring Chest Fly
Chest · Body weight
Fly agains Chains
Chest · Body weight
Floor Fly (with barbell)
Chest · Pectoralis Major Sternal Head · Barbell
Floor Fly with Towels
Chest · Pectoralis Major Clavicular Head · Body weight
Dumbbell Complex Push-up Row Clean and Press
Back · Chest · Dumbbell
Bodyweight Kneeling Push-up Row
Chest · Infraspinatus · Body weight
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Free · iPhone only · Available on the App Store