Decline Dumbbell Flyes

Execution

1. Keep a slight, fixed bend in the elbows for the whole set to take stress off the biceps tendon.
2. Inhale and lower your arms out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a clear stretch across your lower chest.
3. Keep your torso and legs still on the bench, letting the motion happen only at the shoulder joint.
4. Exhale and bring your arms back together above your chest along the same arc you lowered on, squeezing the chest hard at the closest point.
5. Hold a beat at the squeezed position before lowering again for the next rep.
6. At the end of the set, bring your arms together above the chest, bend the elbows to bring the dumbbells in to your chest, rest them on your thighs, unhook your feet and sit up slowly, because your head is below your heart.

Quick cues

• A soft, fixed bend in the elbows.
• Wide arc, not a straight pull.
• Feet hooked firm under the pad.
• Squeeze the lower chest at the top.

Common faults

• Fault: Locking the elbows completely straight on the way down

  Fix: Hold a fixed, slight bend in the elbows for the whole set to protect the biceps tendon.

• Fault: Lowering the dumbbells too far, past shoulder level

  Fix: Stop as soon as you feel a clear stretch in the chest, and use a lighter dumbbell if the shoulder feels overstretched.

• Fault: Bringing the dumbbells back by bending the elbows into a press

  Fix: Keep the elbow angle fixed and think about hugging a large ball as you close your arms.

• Fault: The feet slipping out of the pad mid-set, the body sliding down the bench

  Fix: Hook the heels firmly under the pad and recheck before every set, dropping the weight if you still slide.