Reduction of arms with dumbbells. Lying dumbbell raises. With rotating brushes

Lie on a horizontal bench as shown in the figure, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Hands with dumbbells are pressed to the upper thighs. Palms facing each other.
Once you're lying down, help yourself push through your upper thighs and move the dumbbells, one at a time, in front of you, shoulder-width apart. Raise the dumbbells up. This will be your starting position.
Bend your elbows slightly to avoid putting too much strain on your biceps. As you inhale, lower your arms in a wide arc on either side of you until you feel a stretch. Tip: Keep in mind that during this exercise, the arms remain motionless and the movement is performed only at the shoulder joint.
As you exhale, return your arms to their original position along the same trajectory, tighten your chest.
Fix your hands in the starting position after a second pause.
Complete the required number of repetitions.

Variations: You can rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing forward.

Dumbbell flyes are one of the best isolating exercises (working only one shoulder joint) for the pectoral muscles. The exercise helps to achieve a round shape for the breasts and also creates a visual effect of separating the left and right halves of the chest.
By changing the inclination of the bench, you can shift the emphasis to different areas of the pectoral muscles (top, bottom, middle). To shift the load to the upper areas, you need to work on an inclined bench (30 degrees). To work the lower areas, exercise on a bench with a negative incline. The middle sections are a regular horizontal bench. Also, you should monitor the height of the bench; it should be such that you can fix your legs so as not to lose balance when raising your arms with dumbbells while lying down.
Execution technique
Lie down on a bench with your feet shoulder-width apart.

Take dumbbells and press them above your chest, arms slightly bent at the elbow joint.

Fix the angle at your elbows and maintain it throughout the entire range of motion.

Having taken the starting position (squeezing the dumbbells above you), begin to spread your arms. Try to lower the dumbbells as much as possible, but until you feel severe pain.

After spreading, start bringing your hands together. Try to tighten your chest muscles as much as possible at the top of the movement.

Inhale air when raising and exhale when lowering the dumbbell.

If you have impeccable execution technique and no problems with loss of balance, then you can put your feet on the bench. This way, you will press your back into the bench and thereby increase the load on the pectoral muscles.

Notes
Workout plan using dumbbell flyes
This scheme is ideal for you if you work the pectoral muscles on a separate training day:
Bench press on an incline bench (2 warm-ups + 4 X 8-12);

Incline dumbbell press (4 X 8-12);

Raising arms with dumbbells while lying on a horizontal bench (4 X 8-12);

Pullover for pectoral muscles (3 X 8-12).

This set of exercises will be enough for you to fully work out the pectoral muscles. Barbell and dumbbell presses are basic exercises that will build muscle mass in the pectoral regions, dumbbell flyes and pullovers will help you achieve an excellent visual effect.
If you still have any questions, we recommend watching a video that shows the correct technique for performing such an exercise as dumbbell flyes:

Is there a more expressive symbol of courage than developed and harmoniously formed breasts? I think no. At all times, bodybuilders attach special importance to this particular muscle group. Fortunately, today the exercises that work the pectoral muscles most effectively are already known for certain.

And if among the basic exercises the bench press has no competition, then the leader among the isolating chest exercises is unquestionably the lying dumbbell fly.

What is the secret to lying dumbbell flyes?

As already mentioned, lying dumbbell flyes are one of the most effective among various exercises aimed at working the muscles of the chest and arms. Of course, at this introductory postulate you will ask a completely natural question: why?

Indeed, in the gym, exercises such as dumbbell or barbell bench presses, as well as exercises in exercise machines, are much more popular. The legitimacy of such popularity can be debated for a long time, but the main thing that should “catch” the attention of a beginner or advanced bodybuilder is the fundamental difference between the lying dumbbell fly and all existing exercises for the pectoral muscles.

This difference lies in the clear focus of effort: that is, when performing, for example, a bench press, you use at least two joints - the shoulder and elbow. Each of the arsenal of basic exercises will require the same or even more joints to be used. Accordingly, the total tension will be distributed among all “participants” of the exercises, which means it will dissipate.

But this principle does not apply to lying dumbbell raises! This particular exercise involves only one joint - the shoulder, which means that the entire array of efforts will be concentrated exclusively in the area we need - the pectoral muscles. The absence of the need to “connect” secondary muscle groups allows you to achieve the maximum effect from each single repetition.

Thus, lying dumbbell flyes are an excellent choice of isolation exercise for working the chest muscles (especially the upper ones), which will help create a pronounced convex shape and visually clearly separate the right and left pectoral muscles.

Execution technique

Sit on a bench with your pelvis close to its edge.
Take dumbbells in your hands and place them on your knees (so that the bar of the dumbbell is in a vertical position, perpendicular to the floor).
Lean back on the bench, raising your knees bent and throwing the dumbbells back to the starting point.
Do not lower your legs to the floor, leave them bent at the knees, and place your feet on the edge of the bench - this position will avoid involuntary arching in the lower back. Always pay attention to the position of the lower back when performing lying dumbbell flyes - bending, even to a slight extent, removes the load from the pectoral muscles and transfers it to the lower back, which distorts both the exercise and the result.
Raise your arms so that your hands are positioned clearly above your shoulders. Pay attention to the position of the elbow joint: the arms should not be straight, there should be a slight bend in the elbows (a right angle is already a very large bend in the elbow, carefully control this aspect).
Spread your arms to the sides to the lowest point - it is where the feeling of a pleasant stretch of the pectoral muscles gives way to pain and discomfort. Do not allow pain when performing the exercise, this will reduce all efforts to nothing - the muscle will only be injured.
Slowly bring your hands together until the dumbbells touch each other. Additional influence on the muscles can be exerted as follows: at the top point, as the dumbbells approach each other, touch them with slight pressure (as if you are trying to combine them).

Nuances of execution technique

Errors

A common mistake in the technique of performing this exercise is an attempt to bring the shoulder blades together, while the task is the opposite - to “protrude” the chest as much as possible to saturate the muscles with oxygen. Make sure that your shoulder blades are locked while doing dumbbell flyes.
Dumbbells that are too heavy will cause your elbows to bend. And since we must use only one joint, the shoulder, rationalism should be preferred to maximalism. Choose a weight that is moderate for your own capabilities.
You should not strive for maximum stretching. When the elbows drop significantly below the shoulders, the entire load is concentrated on the shoulder joint, and not on the desired muscle.
By carefully controlling the bend in the elbow, extremes should be avoided - straight arms when performing a fly will inevitably injure the elbow joint. If you have a good eye, then focus on a bending angle of approximately 150 degrees.

Craftsmanship is in the details

When performing any exercise, 50% of the effectiveness depends on proper breathing. And lying dumbbell flyes are no exception. Take a deep breath and expand the chest as you move your arms to the side, smoothly exit as you return your arms to the starting point.
Smoothness and low speed is the key aspect of performing this isolation exercise. Place emphasis on the lower and upper points - here the position of the hands must be fixed for a few seconds. By spreading your arms to the sides, you should feel the stretching of the muscles well, and only then return your arms to their original position, thereby achieving peak muscle contraction.
Lifting your arms with dumbbells while lying down completely eliminates cheating - refocusing the weight from an isolated muscle group to other, not yet tired muscles. Undoubtedly, cheating allows you to “take” larger weights and significantly increase the number of repetitions in one set. However, using such a trick in this exercise will ruin all your efforts.

Lying dumbbell flyes are recommended to be performed at the end of strength training on the chest, when you have already sufficiently worked with the maximum weights for you in basic exercises (for example, you have performed a bench press).
The moment of turning the hands is fundamental: the classical technique assumes a position of the hands in which the knuckles of the fingers, when grasping the bar of the dumbbell, are turned inward, located strictly at the same level and “look” at each other. At any point in the exercise, make sure that the dumbbells are strictly parallel to each other.
Manipulate the concepts of supination and pronation of the hands. That is, spread your arms so that at the bottom the dumbbells are parallel to each other, and at the top they line up in one line - this is proning. Supination is the reverse movement: at the top point the dumbbells will be parallel, and when raised, the hands turn in such a way that at the bottom point the dumbbells form a straight line interrupted by the body.
Proning allows you to engage the lower pectoral muscles.

Bench: horizontal or at an angle?

Often, depending on the bench, there are two distinct exercises:

Dumbbell flyes lying on a horizontal (straight) bench.
Dumbbell flyes lying on a bench at an angle.

What is the fundamental difference?

In fact, it all depends on your goals: flyes at any angle are an excellent “finishing” exercise for the pectoral muscles. The only question is the right accent:

by exercising on a horizontal bench, you will work the inner edge and middle part of the chest;
lying on a bench at one angle or another will provide load to the upper chest.

The conclusion suggests itself: alternating different angles of inclination of the bench is a condition for optimal distribution of the total load across the entire muscle group.

Now you know everything to make your breasts truly outstanding! Try to briefly remember the main nuances so that each workout is truly effective:

When performing the fly, use moderate weight.
Lying dumbbell flyes are not a basic exercise, but an isolating exercise designed to “finish off” the muscle group being trained: perform it at the end of the workout.
Vary the modification of the classic technique: change the angle of the bench (from 0 to 45 degrees), as well as the rotation of the hands - this will diversify the training and increase its effectiveness.
Control the position of your hands and the bend of your elbow joint.
Watch your breathing: saturate your muscles with oxygen by inhaling deeply during the fly, exhale while bringing the dumbbells together.

Remember that the favorite bodybuilder's saying, “do the base to failure,” certainly has a reason to be the motto of every workout. But only training, built taking into account targeted isolation exercises, allows you to achieve filigree forms, almost a jewel-like relief of muscle groups.

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Lying dumbbell raises are one of the main isolation exercises for the pectoral muscles. The exercise gives the chest a bulging shape and is also good for creating a distinct separation between the left and right pectoralis major muscles. Also, this exercise is very well suited for leveling the lag of one of the pectorals from the other. Do the exercise on a bench with different inclination angles to distribute the load throughout the pectoral muscle.

Exercise options

1. Reduction of arms with dumbbells lying on a horizontal bench

Main working muscles:

Chest muscles

Initial position:

Take dumbbells and lie down on a bench. The shoulder blades are retracted. There is a deflection in the lower back. The legs rest firmly on the floor. Hold dumbbells at arm's length above your chest, palms facing each other.

You should not bend your elbows too much during the exercise, as this will shift part of the load from the chest to the triceps. Try to perform the movement in a wide arc, without rotating your hands and in the same plane. Also, do not fully connect the dumbbells at the top to maintain continuity of stress on the chest muscles. On the spread - inhale, on the convergence - exhale.

2. Reduction of arms with dumbbells while lying on an inclined bench

This exercise shifts the focus to the upper part of the pectoralis major muscle.

Main working muscles:

Chest muscles (with emphasis on the upper part)

Additional muscles worked:

Deltoid muscles (anterior bundle)

Initial position:

Take dumbbells and lie on an incline bench (45 degree incline). The shoulder blades are retracted. There is a deflection in the lower back. The legs rest firmly on the floor. Hold dumbbells at arm's length above your chest, palms facing each other.

Exercise technique:

As you inhale, begin to spread your arms to the sides, slightly bending them at the elbows.
As you exhale, bring your arms together, returning to the starting position.

Do not use overly heavy dumbbells. They will force you to bend your elbows and lower your elbows well below shoulder level. Moreover, by lowering your elbows much lower than shoulder level, you dangerously transfer the focus of the load to the shoulder joint.

3. Reduction of arms with dumbbells lying on a bench with a negative incline

In this variation, the emphasis shifts to the lower part of the pectoralis major muscle.

Main working muscles:

Chest muscles (with emphasis on the lower part)

Additional muscles worked:

Deltoid muscles (anterior bundle)

Initial position:

Take dumbbells and lie on a bench with a negative incline (inclination angle -45 degrees). The shoulder blades are retracted. There is a deflection in the lower back. The legs rest firmly on the floor. Hold dumbbells at arm's length above your chest, palms facing each other.

Exercise technique:

As you inhale, begin to spread your arms to the sides, slightly bending them at the elbows.
As you exhale, bring your arms together, returning to the starting position.

Avoid excessive extension of the arms at the elbow joints and overload of the shoulder joints. Your arms should remain slightly bent at the elbows at an angle of approximately 10°. Bring your arms together by squeezing your chest muscles, rather than squeezing the dumbbells upward using your arm muscles.

Grip. The arm raise exercise is most effective with a neutral grip, however, as an option, a straight grip (palms on top) can also be used.

Range of motion. The lower you lower the dumbbells, the greater the stretch of the pectoralis major muscle, but the likelihood of injury increases. Therefore, the lowest point of the movement trajectory should be at chest level.

Perform the movements in such a way that the dumbbells do not touch each other at the top of the amplitude. With this performance, the muscles are constantly in a tense state.

To reduce the load on the elbow joints, your arms should be slightly bent. Perform the exercise smoothly, without sudden movements.

If the exercise is performed incorrectly, your arms bend at the elbows and, thus, you perform a press rather than spreading your arms. At the same time, working weights increase, but the load on the upper chest decreases.

Execution technique

Lying on a bench, raise your arms with dumbbells straight in front of you. The grip is neutral (palms facing each other).
Spread your arms slightly bent at the elbows to the sides so that the dumbbells are at chest level.
Raise the dumbbells to the starting position.