Reverse Flyes
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Reverse Flyes
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- The arms should be elevated until they are parallel to the floor.
- Feel the contraction and slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position while inhaling.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Reverse Flyes
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
-
1
Reverse Machine Flyes
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a machine.
-
2
Back Flyes - With Bands
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a resistance band.
-
3
Reverse Flyes With External Rotation
An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.
-
4
Sled Reverse Flye
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the shoulders.
-
5
Push-Ups
The push-up is a fundamental bodyweight exercise that targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders while engaging the core. It's one of the most effective exercises for building upper body strength without equipment.
-
6
Alternating Cable Shoulder Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a cable machine.
-
7
Anti-Gravity Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
-
8
Band Pull Apart
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a resistance band.
-
9
Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
-
10
Barbell Rear Delt Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do reverse flyes work?
Reverse Flyes primarily works the shoulders.
What equipment do I need for reverse flyes?
Reverse Flyes uses dumbbells.
Reverse Flyes: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Reverse Flyes is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of reverse flyes?
Reverse Machine Flyes, Back Flyes - With Bands, Reverse Flyes With External Rotation train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my reverse flyes reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; reverse flyes can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Reverse Flyes with AI
Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.