Dumbell Flys

[blacknwhite5783]

Hey,

 

I read in a bb book in the mall yesterday that you shouldn't use real heavy weights for dumbell flys. I don't know how heavy is heavy. Any truth in this claim?

 

Thanks.

[katz]

I can see flys being an issue if you hyperextend the shoulder girdle on the negative movement, which most of us probably have a tendency to do...Although...I go pretty deep when doing flys & I've never had an issue...

[chewybaws]

Fly's always aggravated my shoulders when getting heavy even with strict form, and keeping the reps over 6 or 7. Even when slowly building up to it. I prefer just to bench now, if I wanted an isolation exercise I'd just use a machine I think.

 

It's obviously different for everyone. Just start light and build it up gradually. Don't make any stupid jumps you can't control.

[VeganEssentials]

When I do them on a bench, it never feels comfortable. The rare times I throw them in as a "finisher", I do them lying flat on the floor, moderate weight to where I can squeeze out higher reps (usually 15-25), keeping the arms straight and only focusing on squeezing with the chest. You won't get the same stretch that way, but I think when many people do them on benches, they're getting a good stretch but aren't being effective on the remainder of the movement. It's easy to "cheat" your leverages on a bench with flyes by bringing the hands in toward the torso on the way up, and you'll feel a big difference doing them straight arm style on the floor.

[hsorlando]

I agree with whats been said here. Be careful, and try not to go too deep on the negative movement.

[blacknwhite5783]

What's a negative? The movement of the dumbell down?

 

I'm using 16kg dumbells now, and I can control them, need some effort to push them up though.

 

I like it when the dumbell is on my sides and I feel my chest sort of tearing apart. Good burn.

[JXiiXViii]

I've been doing them at the end of my chest workout on an exercise ball using either cables or dumbbells. The ball makes the eccentric movement feel more smooth and comfortable and helps me to get a better stretch.

 

Like VeganEssentials said, try to keep your arms straight and don't bend. You will feel it more doing it this way.

[robert]

I also do these very carefully, keeping my arms pretty straight and really focusing on squeezing my pecs, just having my arms as handles holding the weights. I don't go very heavy, don't go too deep, and I prefer to do them on an incline bench.

 

For me these are also usually done at the of a workout. Keep your contraction the whole time. Don't let gravity just pull you down, especially pull you down so far you hurt your shoulder.

 

This one of the few exercises that you can really totally feel the muscle working, like I said, just imagining your arms are only handles, but your chest pulls your arms in during the movement, making the contraction.

 

I love em!