RIRLift app icon RIRLift

Exercises

Chest fly alternatives: swaps for the dumbbell fly, with machines or without

Published October 23, 2026

The best chest fly alternative is the pec deck, because it runs the same arc and keeps tension on your chest where your hands meet. With cables, do a cable fly. If dumbbell flys bother your shoulders, the floor fly or a hex press is easier on them; at home, a band chest fly copies the motion, and archer push-ups train your chest harder with no gear.

What a dumbbell chest fly alternative has to replace

The dumbbell fly opens your arms wide and brings them back together, the main job of your chest, with your triceps barely helping. It is heaviest at the bottom, where your chest is stretched, and almost weightless at the top.

A replacement has to keep the sweep with fixed elbows. Machines and cables add tension at the top; floor and press versions trim the deep stretch, which is the part that bothers shoulders.

How to do the dumbbell chest fly

Machines and cables

In a gym, these keep the fly's sweep and add the tension at the top that dumbbells lose.

Closest machine swap

Pec Deck Fly

Chest

The pec deck runs the same arc on a fixed path and keeps tension on your chest where your hands meet, which a dumbbell fly cannot. Use the same reps you ran on the fly.

How to do it

  1. Set the seat so your upper arms are level with your shoulders when your forearms rest on the pads.
  2. Sit tall with your back on the pad, elbows bent to about 90 degrees, forearms against the pads and hands on the handles.
  3. Drive your elbows forward and together until the pads nearly meet in front of your chest.
  4. Let the pads swing back slowly until your elbows are level with your shoulders, then repeat.

Cues

  • Push with your elbows, not your hands
  • Squeeze for a second
  • Chest up, shoulders down

Common mistakes

  • Letting the weight drag your elbows behind your shoulders: stop the return when they line up with your shoulders.
  • Hunching forward to close the pads: sit tall and use less weight.
Build a session with Pec Deck Fly

Best cable swap

Cable Fly

Chest

Cables keep your chest loaded from the stretch to the squeeze, and you can set the pulleys for the part of your chest you want. Use it when the cable station is free.

How to do it

  1. Set both pulleys at the lowest notch and take a handle in each hand.
  2. Stand in the middle with your feet about shoulder width and knees soft, arms low and slightly behind your hips, elbows softly bent.
  3. Sweep both handles forward and up in a wide arc until they meet in front of your chest.
  4. Lower them back down and out along the same arc until your chest is stretched, then repeat.

Cues

  • Scoop up and in
  • Elbow bend never changes
  • Shoulders down, chest up

Common mistakes

  • Bending and straightening the elbows, which turns it into a press: lock the angle and move only at the shoulder.
  • Leaning back to heave the handles up: stand tall and take a plate off the stack.
Build a session with Cable Fly

Same position, cable tension

Flat-Bench Cable Fly

Chest

Lying on a bench with low cables is the dumbbell fly with the dead spot at the top removed. Pick it if you like the bench but want the squeeze back.

How to do it

  1. Pull a flat bench into the middle of the cable station and set both pulleys at the bottom.
  2. Grab both handles, lie back with feet flat, and start with your arms open level with your chest, palms up and elbows soft.
  3. Sweep both handles up until they nearly touch above your chest.
  4. Lower them back out to the sides with control until your hands are level with the bench, then repeat.

Cues

  • Arms open like wings
  • Handles meet over your chest
  • Shoulder blades pinned to the bench

Common mistakes

  • Lowering your hands below the bench: stop at bench level, where the stretch is already deep.
  • Clanking the handles together at the top: stop an inch apart so the cables keep pulling.
Build a session with Flat-Bench Cable Fly

Cable swap for the lower chest

High-to-Low Cable Fly

Chest

From high pulleys your arms sweep down and together, which puts more work on the lower part of your chest than a flat fly.

How to do it

  1. Set both pulleys at the top, take a handle in each hand and step forward to the middle with one foot ahead.
  2. Lean your torso slightly forward and let your arms open out and up, elbows soft, until your chest is stretched.
  3. Sweep the handles down and together in a big arc until they meet in front of your hips.
  4. Pause for a second, then let the cables pull your arms back open along the same path.

Cues

  • Hug a wide tree
  • Hands finish at belt height
  • Same elbow bend all set

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows more as you pull, which makes it a press: fix the elbow angle and lighten the stack.
  • Letting the stack slam between reps: stop the return with your hands just behind your shoulders.
Build a session with High-to-Low Cable Fly

Other dumbbell flys and presses

Change the angle to change which part of your chest works, or trim the stretch if your shoulders complain.

Upper chest dumbbell swap

Incline Dumbbell Fly

Chest

The same fly on a low incline shifts work to your upper chest. Go a little lighter than your flat fly.

How to do it

  1. Set the bench to a low incline and lie back with the dumbbells over your upper chest.
  2. Turn your palms to face each other and soften your elbows.
  3. Lower the weights out and down until your chest is fully stretched.
  4. Bring them back up and in along the same arc, pausing at the top without clanking them.

Cues

  • Low incline, same arc
  • Lead with your elbows
  • Slow the bottom inch

Common mistakes

  • Using your flat-fly weight: the incline is weaker, so start lighter.
  • Arching your lower back high off the pad: keep your hips and ribs down.
Build a session with Incline Dumbbell Fly

Lower chest dumbbell swap

Decline Dumbbell Fly

Chest

On a decline bench your arms sweep up over your lower chest. Keep it light and controlled at the stretch.

How to do it

  1. Hook your feet in on a decline bench and lie back, arms spread wide with the dumbbells and a slight bend in your elbows.
  2. Sweep both arms up and in until the dumbbells meet over your lower chest.
  3. Hold the squeeze for a second at the top.
  4. Let them travel back out slowly, keeping the elbow bend, until your upper arms line up with your torso.

Cues

  • Arc up over the lower chest
  • Slight elbow bend, fixed
  • Slow on the way out

Common mistakes

  • Letting the dumbbells drop fast at the bottom: control the stretch.
  • Going so heavy the arms bend into a press: keep it light and in higher reps.
Build a session with Decline Dumbbell Fly

Shoulder-friendly dumbbell swap

Dumbbell Floor Fly

Chest

The floor stops your elbows before the deepest stretch, the part of the fly that bothers most shoulders. Pick it if flys hurt.

How to do it

  1. Lie on the floor with your knees bent and both dumbbells up over your chest, palms facing each other.
  2. Bend your elbows a little and keep that angle fixed.
  3. Open your arms out to the sides until your upper arms just touch the floor.
  4. Sweep them back up to meet over your chest along the same curve.

Cues

  • Open like a book
  • Elbows stay slightly bent
  • Light touch on the floor

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows more each rep until it becomes a press: lighten the dumbbells.
  • Resting your arms on the floor between reps: touch down and come straight back up.
Build a session with Dumbbell Floor Fly

Dumbbell swap with no bench

Stability Ball Incline Dumbbell Fly

Chest

A stability ball gives you an incline fly when you have no bench. The balance demand means a much lighter pair, so use it for higher reps.

How to do it

  1. Holding two light dumbbells, sit on a stability ball, then step forward and let it roll up until it supports your upper back.
  2. Let your hips sink so your torso angles up toward your shoulders, feet planted wide.
  3. With the dumbbells over your upper chest and elbows soft, open your arms wide in an arc until you feel a stretch.
  4. Bring the dumbbells back together over your upper chest and repeat.

Cues

  • Hips low for the incline
  • Feet wide for balance
  • Light and slow

Common mistakes

  • Pushing your hips up into a flat bridge, which removes the incline: keep them dropped.
  • Using dumbbells heavy enough to roll you off the ball: pick a much lighter pair than on a bench.
Build a session with Stability Ball Incline Dumbbell Fly

Fly feel in a press

Dumbbell Hex Press

Chest

Pressing two dumbbells together keeps your chest squeezing the whole set without the stretched arms of a fly. Pick it if flys bother your shoulders but you want inner-chest work.

How to do it

  1. Lie on a flat bench holding two dumbbells pressed together over your chest, palms facing each other.
  2. Squeeze them into each other hard enough that they stay touching every rep.
  3. Lower the pair to the middle of your chest with your elbows tucked.
  4. Press back to straight arms while keeping the squeeze.

Cues

  • Crush the dumbbells together
  • Elbows along the ribs
  • Slow down, drive up

Common mistakes

  • Letting the dumbbells drift apart at the bottom: that is where the squeeze stops working, so go lighter.
  • Lowering toward your neck: the handles belong at the middle of your breastbone.
Build a session with Dumbbell Hex Press

Bands, straps and bodyweight

At home, a band or straps give you the fly's motion and push-ups give you the load.

Band swap at home

Single-Arm Band Chest Fly

Chest

A band anchored in a door gives you the fly's sweep one arm at a time, pulling hardest where your hand crosses your chest.

How to do it

  1. Anchor a band at chest height in a door or around a post, take the handle in one hand and stand with your back to the anchor.
  2. Step forward until the band is taut with your arm open wide and slightly bent.
  3. Sweep your hand across until it is in front of the middle of your chest.
  4. Let the band pull your arm back open slowly, finish your reps, then switch arms.

Cues

  • Reach across your body
  • Fixed elbow angle
  • Slow on the way back

Common mistakes

  • Standing so close the band goes slack at the stretch: step forward until it pulls the whole way.
  • Turning your torso to finish: brace and move only the arm.
Build a session with Single-Arm Band Chest Fly

Bodyweight fly on straps

TRX Chest Fly

Chest

Leaning into suspension straps turns the fly into a bodyweight exercise. Walk your feet back to make it harder.

How to do it

  1. Set the straps to about waist height, hold the handles and face away from the anchor.
  2. Lean forward with your arms straight out in front until your weight hangs on the handles, body in a straight line.
  3. Let your arms open out to the sides, elbows slightly bent, so your chest lowers between them.
  4. Squeeze your arms back together to return to the start. Walk your feet back to make it harder.

Cues

  • Body straight like a plank
  • Arms open into a wide T
  • Start with a small lean

Common mistakes

  • Leaning too far on your first sets: the angle gets hard fast, so start nearly upright.
  • Hips sagging as your arms open: brace your stomach and squeeze your glutes.
Build a session with TRX Chest Fly

Hardest push-up with no equipment

Archer Push-Up

Chest

With no gear, a hard press does more for your chest than any improvised fly, and the archer push-up loads one side at a time.

How to do it

  1. Set your hands about twice shoulder width apart in a plank, fingers turned slightly out.
  2. Lower toward your right hand, bending the right elbow while the left arm stays straight.
  3. Bring your chest close to your right hand, then press back to the middle.
  4. Repeat to the left and keep alternating, or finish one side first.

Cues

  • Bent arm does the work
  • Straight arm only balances
  • Hips stay square

Common mistakes

  • Bending both arms equally, which makes it a wide push-up: keep the helping arm straight.
  • Twisting your hips toward the floor: hold the plank level as you shift.
Build a session with Archer Push-Up

To pair with them

Flys work best after a heavier press, so the gym session starts with one.

Press to pair with the swaps

Machine Chest Press

Chest

A press first lets the flys after it finish your chest. The gym session starts with it.

How to do it

  1. Raise or lower the seat until the handles line up with the middle of your chest, then sit with your back on the pad.
  2. Take the handles with straight wrists and your shoulder blades pressed back.
  3. Push forward until your arms are nearly straight.
  4. Return slowly until your hands are level with your chest, then press again.

Cues

  • Handles at mid-chest
  • Back stays on the pad
  • Slow on the way back

Common mistakes

  • Seat too high, so your shoulders take over: lower it until the handles meet your mid-chest.
  • Stopping the handles short of your chest: let them come all the way back each rep.
Build a session with Machine Chest Press

Example sessions without the dumbbell chest fly

Session 1

Gym with machines and cables

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentChest Press, Cable Crossover, Flat Bench, Fly Machine

You train in a gym and would rather use machines and cables than dumbbell flys.

The machine chest press does the heavy work, the flat-bench cable fly keeps the fly's position with tension at the top, and the pec deck finishes with a squeeze. 10 working sets.

Chest
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Machine Chest Press1 warm-up set first 4 × 8–12 2 2 min
Flat-Bench Cable Fly 3 × 10–15 1 75 s
Pec Deck Fly 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Once or twice a week on your chest day.
How to progress
When every set reaches the top of its range at the RIR shown, add the smallest weight jump on the stack and start again at the bottom of the range.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Flys bother your shoulders

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Flat Bench, Resistance Bands

You train at home with dumbbells, a flat bench and a band, and the deep stretch of a dumbbell fly hurts your shoulder.

The hex press gives your chest heavy work without opening your arms, the floor fly trains the fly with the stretch capped, and the band fly adds high reps with tension where your hand crosses your chest. 10 working sets.

Chest
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Hex Press1 warm-up set first 4 × 8–12 2 90 s
Dumbbell Floor Fly 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Single-Arm Band Chest FlySets are per arm. 3 × 15–20 1 45 s
How to run it
Twice a week. If the floor fly still bothers you, stop each rep a few inches above the floor.
How to progress
Add reps first. When every set reaches the top of its range, move up one dumbbell size or use a thicker band.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Home, no bench, light dumbbells

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets30 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentSuspension Trainer, Dumbbells, Exercise Ball

You train at home with suspension straps, a stability ball and a light pair of dumbbells.

Archer push-ups load your chest hardest, the suspension fly copies the fly's arc with your bodyweight, and the ball incline fly finishes the upper chest with light dumbbells. The fly reps run high because the loads are light. 10 working sets.

Chest
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Archer Push-UpSets are per side. 4 × 5–8 2 90 s
TRX Chest Fly 3 × 10–15 1 75 s
Stability Ball Incline Dumbbell Fly 3 × 12–20 1 1 min
How to run it
Two or three times a week. Take every set to about one rep short of failure.
How to progress
Add reps until you reach the top of each range, then make it harder: hands wider on the archers, feet further back on the straps, a slower lowering on the ball fly.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

Do I really need chest flys?

No. Presses train your chest well on their own. A fly is a useful extra because it works your chest with little triceps help, so your chest can be pushed closer to failure.

How do you do chest flys without a machine?

Lie on a bench and do a dumbbell fly, or on the floor if you have no bench. At home, anchor a band in a door at chest height and do one arm at a time.

How can I do chest flys at home?

With dumbbells, do floor flys or ball incline flys. With a band, do a one-arm band fly from a door anchor. With suspension straps, lean forward and let your arms open.

What is a safer alternative to chest flys for shoulder pain?

The dumbbell floor fly, because the floor stops your elbows before the deepest stretch. The hex press, also called the squeeze press, works your chest with your arms never opening wide.

How do you do a chest fly with dumbbells?

Lie on a flat bench with the dumbbells over your chest, palms facing each other and elbows slightly bent. Open your arms in a wide arc until your chest stretches, then hug them back up without bending your elbows more.

What are the top 3 chest exercises?

A flat press (barbell or dumbbell), an incline press and dips cover most of what your chest needs. A fly or pec deck is a useful fourth.