How to do the Standing Bodyweight Flye
- Stand tall, upper arms out at shoulder height, elbows bent 90 degrees.
- Bring your elbows and forearms together in front of your face.
- Squeeze your chest with your palms pressed together.
- Open your arms back out to the sides under control.
Full technique — 6 steps
- Stand tall with feet about hip width apart.
- Raise your upper arms out to the sides at shoulder height with elbows bent about 90 degrees and palms facing forward.
- Keep your shoulders down and back and your forearms vertical.
- Bring your elbows together in front of your face without changing your elbow angle.
- Finish with your forearms and palms pressed together and squeeze your chest.
- Open your arms back out to the sides under control for the next rep.
Common mistakes
- Letting shoulders roll forward
- Dropping elbows below shoulder height
- Bending and straightening the elbows
- Shrugging shoulders toward ears
- Rushing the arms back open
Form cues
- Keep elbow bend fixed
- Keep forearms vertical
- Keep shoulders down
- Elbows stay at shoulder height
- Meet forearms in front
Substitutes by equipment
Same muscles, same movement — pick the version you have the gear for.
Cable machine
- Mid Cable Flye Harder
- Lying Cable Flye Harder
Resistance bands
Dumbbells
- Incline Dumbbell Svend Press Harder
- Stability Ball Dumbbell Flye Harder
Weight plates
- Incline Svend Press Harder
- Lying Svend Press Same level
Where to start and where to go next
Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.
- This exercise Standing Bodyweight Flye
- Harder Dumbbell Floor Flye
- Harder Dumbbell Flye
Quick answers
What muscles does the Standing Bodyweight Flye work?
Primary: Mid chest 7/10. Also works: Front delts 5/10, Upper chest 5/10, Serratus anterior 3/10.
When should I do the Standing Bodyweight Flye in a workout?
Warm-up. Done at the start to get the body ready. ≈ 3 min with rest.
How many sets and reps of the Standing Bodyweight Flye?
Strength: 2 sets of 10–15 reps, rest 45 s, 5 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 45 s, 4–5 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 20–30 reps, rest 30 s, 5 reps in reserve.
What can I do instead of the Standing Bodyweight Flye?
Cable machine: Mid Cable Flye, Lying Cable Flye. Resistance bands: Incline Resistance Band Flye, Single Arm Resistance Band Chest Flye. Dumbbells: Incline Dumbbell Svend Press, Stability Ball Dumbbell Flye. Weight plates: Incline Svend Press, Lying Svend Press.
What is a harder version of the Standing Bodyweight Flye?
Dumbbell Floor Flye (Beginner), Dumbbell Flye (Beginner).
