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Exercise guide

Reverse Flyes

How to do the Reverse Flyes with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

IsolationDumbbellBeginnerPull
Primary muscles

Shoulders

Secondary

,

Equipment

Dumbbell

Step by step

How to do the Reverse Flyes

  1. 1

    To begin, lie down on an incline bench with the chest and stomach pressing against the incline. Have the dumbbells in each hand with the palms facing each other (neutral grip).

  2. 2

    Extend the arms in front of you so that they are perpendicular to the angle of the bench. The legs should be stationary while applying pressure with the ball of your toes. This is the starting position.

  3. 3

    Maintaining the slight bend of the elbows, move the weights out and away from each other (to the side) in an arc motion while exhaling. Tip: Try to squeeze your shoulder blades together to get the best results from this exercise.

  4. 4

    The arms should be elevated until they are parallel to the floor.

  5. 5

    Feel the contraction and slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position while inhaling.

  6. 6

    Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

In Ascend

Log it, see it on your body.

Every Reverse Flyes set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap, so your shoulders volume is visible at a glance, and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

Related

More shoulders exercises

FAQ

Reverse Flyes: common questions

What muscles does the Reverse Flyes work?

The Reverse Flyes primarily works the Shoulders.

Is the Reverse Flyes suitable for beginners?

Yes. The Reverse Flyes is a beginner-level exercise, so it's a solid choice if you're new to training. Start light and focus on the movement pattern before adding load.

What equipment do I need for the Reverse Flyes?

To do the Reverse Flyes you'll need a dumbbell.

Is the Reverse Flyes a compound or isolation exercise?

The Reverse Flyes is an isolation exercise, it targets the shoulders through a single joint, which makes it useful for focused, targeted work.

How do I do the Reverse Flyes with correct form?

To begin, lie down on an incline bench with the chest and stomach pressing against the incline. Have the dumbbells in each hand with the palms facing each other (neutral grip). Follow the full step-by-step above for the complete movement.

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