The dumbbell chest fly is a popular exercise that targets the pectoral or chest muscles. It attempts to isolate the chest muscles, stretching and contracting them while limiting involvement of the shoulders. Unlike a press, where the elbows bend and flex, flyes should keep a relatively consistent elbow angle. The motion is sometimes compared to "hugging a tree." Dumbbell flyes are usually performed for moderate to high reps, such as 8-12 reps per set or more, as part of a chest or upper-body focused workout.
