Health aNd Fitness Guide

Sit down on the bench first and rest your weights on your knees until you are ready to begin. Lower yourself slowly onto the bench with caution, keeping the weights on your knees until you are flat. Bring one dumbbell in by bending the arm at the elbow and holding the weight at the chest and then the other weight to the chest as well. Extend both arms up, lifting the dumbbells over your chest, and keep your elbows soft (bent). With your palms facing each other, you are ready to begin the flyes.

Imagine your arms are wrapped around a barrel; the arms create a rounder position with the weight above. As you lower the dumbbells toward the floor by slowly opening the arms out to the side, feel the pulling of the chest muscles on the outer side of the chest, where the shoulder and the chest interconnect. This is the all-important stretch you need to feel in order to challenge the muscle to get stronger. When you drop the weight lower than your body, stop and press the weight back up to the starting position. Concentrate on feeling the inside part of your chest as you raise and lower the weight against gravity. By doing so, you are always present in the exercise and the performance gets a better reaction for the muscles.