Chest
Cable fly
The cable fly sweeps your arms together against cable resistance, isolating the chest with constant tension.
- Primary
- Chest
- Secondary
- None
- Equipment
- Cable
- Type
- isolation
Why it earns a spot
Unlike dumbbell flys, cables keep the muscle loaded through the whole arc, including the squeeze at the middle.
How to do it
- Set both pulleys to about shoulder height and grab a handle in each hand.
- Step forward into a split stance with a slight bend in your elbows.
- Sweep your hands together in a wide arc until they meet in front of your chest.
- Squeeze for a beat, then reopen slowly until you feel a stretch across the chest.
- Keep your elbows at the same slight bend the whole time.
Common mistakes
- Turning the fly into a press by bending and straightening the elbows; keep the angle fixed.
- Letting the handles pull your shoulders forward; keep your shoulder blades set.
- Using so much weight that the range disappears; drop the load until you can stretch fully.
How to program it
| Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| 2-3 | 10-15 | 60-90 sec |
Add reps to 15, then increase the stack by one plate. Stop each set before your form breaks down.
Swaps and alternatives
Fortis · free while in beta
Log every cable fly set.
Fortis keeps your sets, reps and weights in one place and shows the trend over time, so progress is a number instead of a feeling.
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