07/14/2026
I'm a proponent of targeting muscles in different ways to change the stimulus. Arnold called it "shocking the muscle."
Above is a decline dumbbell fly. Having a slight decline changes the stimulus compared to a conventional flat bench. Also, I have my feet up on the bench which adds in the challenge of maintaining balance.
For flyes you should always go light and do ~12-15+ repetitions. The movement puts your shoulder in an extreme position. You should also do flyes later in the chest workout - prioritize heavy compounds like the bench press and dips first, then burn them out with these. At the bottom get a good (but safe) stretch on the pecs. Maintain a good and controlled tempo - don't let the dumbbells fall down towards the ground (increases chance of a tear).