Preseason Strength Training: Dumbbell Flies

Want to ski better than ever? Try our preseason strength training fitness plan, and we guarantee you will. Note: The weight you use for fly should be lighter than the one you use for chest press, because flies put a greater strain on your anterior deltoids/shoulder joints. Keep the weights very light until you are sure your form is correct. Lie face-up on a bench that is set so that your upper legs are parallel to the ground and your feet can be planted firmly on the floor. Your head, shoulder blades and sacrum should be firmly on the bench, but there should be a slight arch in your lower back. Once in this position, pull your shoulder blades together and hold them there throughout the full range of motion. Your arms should be aligned straight up from the shoulders, with the elbows slightly bent and the dumbbells parallel to one another, lower the arms to the count of two until your upper arms are almost parallel to the floor, hold for a second, then raise the weights to the starting position by squeezing the chest and without locking the elbows or rotating the shoulders.