How to Do the Machine Cable Fly Exercise to Build Chest Muscle

For many, chest training is simply the pursuit of raw strength and greatness. Pressing (whether on the barbell bench, dumbbell tilt, etc) is about pushing up as much weight as possible and you will build lots of chest girth and strength as you climb the ladder. But if you want to define your pecs, there are a few other exercises that you need to add to your repertoire. This is where movements come into play that tense your chest muscles by bringing your arms to the center line of your body like flies – especially the chest fly with a cable machine.

“There comes a point where you want to build details into your chest and start carving your midsection,” says Ebenezer Samuel, CSCS, Men’s Health director of fitness for your chest – it’s the classic cable pull. “

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But the exercise is more subtle than grabbing a pair of cable handles and letting it snap. You need to focus on your positioning, movement, and more to get the most out of the cable flight. Check out this exercise guide, which also includes MH fitness editor Brett Williams, NASM, for the most effective ways to do it. “It’s the ultimate breast-tag finisher, so it’ll leave you with a massive breast pump,” says Samuel.

How to do the Cable Chest Fly

Set up properly

The placement of the cables is important for the cable pull. While other types of bow ties may require you to work with the cables in different places, this version requires the handles to be directly over your shoulders. “You want it a little over your shoulders, but not so high that you basically have to bend your torso forward to hit the position,” advises Samuel.

The way you hold the cable handles is also important. Instead of taking a death grip with the handle in the center of your palm, loosen up. “He wants the cord near the palm of his hand so you don’t even have to grab it when you don’t want to,” he continues. “All we want to do is think of our arms as a lever that helps us close our chest and really flex our chest.” To remember this cue, don’t even wrap your thumb around the handle.

Squeeze your shoulder blades together

Once you’re ready for action, one of the most important points should be on your shoulder blades. “Make sure you hold a pencil between your shoulder blades and hold that feeling for as long as possible with each repetition,” says Samuel. Keeping the focus on your shoulder blades can also prevent your shoulder complex from shifting forward, which is important in keeping the tension fully focused on the chest muscles.

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No crossover

You may have seen gymnastics brothers perform cable crossover flys, pulling their hands over each other to overemphasize the final stage of the movement. Do not do that. “When we do that, you often just pull your shoulders forward,” says Samuel. “We don’t really get much more flexibility for your chest.” Instead, stop when your hands are about to touch and then put extra emphasis on the pressure in your chest.

Run with your little fingers

To really emphasize the engagement of the chest, you’ll want to do more with your hands than just keeping your palms open. At the end of the movement, twist and raise your hands in the final push, guiding with your little fingers. “This will help put in the pressure through your upper chest and middle chest, which is what we really want to do with these flies.”

Do you want to master even more moves? Check out our entire Form Check series.

Brett Williams, NASM
Brett Williams, fitness editor at Men’s Health, is a NASM CPT certified trainer and former professional football player and tech reporter who divides his exercise time between strength and conditioning training, martial arts, and running.

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source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/09/15/how-to-do-the-machine-cable-fly-exercise-to-build-chest-muscle/