# Stability Ball Dumbbell Flye

A dumbbell chest fly with your upper back on a stability ball and your hips held up level with your knees. Trains the chest through a wide arc, while the glutes and legs work to hold the bridge on an unstable support.

- Intermediate · Isolation
- Equipment: Dumbbells, Stability ball
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/dumbbell-incline-fly-on-exercise-ball/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/stability-ball-dumbbell-flye/

## Muscles worked

- Mid chest: 9/10
- Upper chest: 6/10
- Front delts: 5/10
- Biceps: 3/10
- Rotator Cuff: 3/10

## How to do the Stability Ball Dumbbell Flye

1. Upper back on the ball, hips up level with your knees.
2. Hold the dumbbells over your chest, palms facing each other.
3. Slowly lower the weights out to the sides in a wide arc.
4. Bring the dumbbells back up, squeezing your chest as you finish.

### Full technique — 7 steps

1. Sit on a stability ball holding a dumbbell in each hand, then walk your feet forward until your upper back rests on the ball.
2. Raise your hips level with your knees, knees bent about 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor.
3. Hold the dumbbells over your chest, palms facing each other, with a slight, fixed bend in your elbows.
4. Lower the weights out to your sides in a wide arc without changing your elbow angle.
5. Descend until your chest is fully stretched and your upper arms reach about shoulder level.
6. Bring the dumbbells back together along the same arc by drawing your upper arms inward.
7. Keep your hips up and still throughout the set.

## Common mistakes

- Turning the flye into a press
- Bending and straightening the elbows
- Dropping too deep at bottom
- Letting the hips sag toward the floor
- Rolling off center on the ball

## Form cues

- Slight elbow bend, fixed angle
- Hug in a wide arc
- Stretch, don't force depth
- Keep hips up

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 3 sets of 8–10 reps · rest 1 min 30 s · 3 reps in reserve · lower 3 s, lift 2 s
- **Muscle growth** (good fit): 3–4 sets of 10–12 reps · rest 1 min 15 s · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 3 s, lift 2 s
- **Endurance** (good fit): 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps · rest 45 s · 3–4 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 2 s

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Substitutes by equipment

Same muscles, same movement — pick the version you have the gear for.

- **Cable machine**: [Lying Cable Flye](https://seto.fit/exercises/lying-cable-flye/), [Mid Cable Flye](https://seto.fit/exercises/mid-cable-flye/)
- **Resistance bands**: [Single Arm Resistance Band Chest Flye](https://seto.fit/exercises/single-arm-resistance-band-chest-flye/), [Incline Resistance Band Flye](https://seto.fit/exercises/incline-resistance-band-flye/)
- **No equipment**: [Standing Bodyweight Flye](https://seto.fit/exercises/standing-bodyweight-flye/)
- **Weight plates**: [Lying Svend Press](https://seto.fit/exercises/lying-svend-press/), [Incline Svend Press](https://seto.fit/exercises/incline-svend-press/)

## Where to start and where to go next

Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.

- Easier: [Dumbbell Floor Flye](https://seto.fit/exercises/dumbbell-floor-flye/) — Beginner
- Easier: [Dumbbell Flye](https://seto.fit/exercises/dumbbell-flye/) — Beginner
- **This exercise: Stability Ball Dumbbell Flye — Intermediate**

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Stability Ball Dumbbell Flye work?

Primary: Mid chest 9/10. Also works: Upper chest 6/10, Front delts 5/10, Biceps 3/10, Rotator Cuff 3/10.

### When should I do the Stability Ball Dumbbell Flye in a workout?

Finisher. Goes last, once the heavy work is done. ≈ 6 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Stability Ball Dumbbell Flye?

Strength: 3 sets of 8–10 reps, rest 1 min 30 s, 3 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 10–12 reps, rest 1 min 15 s, 2–3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 45 s, 3–4 reps in reserve.

### What can I do instead of the Stability Ball Dumbbell Flye?

Cable machine: Lying Cable Flye, Mid Cable Flye. Resistance bands: Single Arm Resistance Band Chest Flye, Incline Resistance Band Flye. No equipment: Standing Bodyweight Flye. Weight plates: Lying Svend Press, Incline Svend Press.

### What is an easier version of the Stability Ball Dumbbell Flye?

Dumbbell Flye (Beginner), Dumbbell Floor Flye (Beginner).

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

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