Dumbbell Iron Cross

Lie flat on your back on a workout bench. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms fully extended out to the sides, forming a T-shape. Keep your palms facing upwards throughout the exercise. In a controlled motion, bring your arms up and together, crossing them over your chest. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Dumbbell Iron Cross

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Dumbbell Iron Cross using your dumbbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your pectoralis major.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your pectoralis major rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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