what are some do's and dont's for dumbbell flys?

[bodyflash]

I have done them a few times and I feel the exercise has potential, but somehow I'm not really doing them right I think. What are some general do's and dont's considering this exercise?

[ironwill2008]

I have done them a few times and I feel the exercise has potential, but somehow I'm not really doing them right I think. What are some general do's and dont's considering this exercise?

Don't use so much weight that you have to bend your elbows to 90 degrees just to move it.

Don't go any deeper than your arms even with the bench (or maybe a little bit lower).

[DivaJana]

^^^^ This,

also keep the DBs over your chest not your shoulders, tuck your shoulder blades together and keep your shoulders backward.

[magic15]

no need to touch the dumbells at the top of the motion, since almost all of the benefits are in the stretched position, unlike cable flys where you have constant tension throughout

[bodyflash]

thanks, those tips sound pretty handy to keep in mind.

what kind of weight do you recommend for using flys? Like 20% of what you bench press, or even less?

[DivaJana]

No percentages. Use the maximum weight that allows you to do your target reps using a very good form

[Justamonsta]

^This. Just start with 20lb dumbbells, and if it isn't working your muscles hard enough, move up in 5lb increments. Once you are getting the proper stretch/workload, then use that for your working reps.