Cable Flys

Cable flys are a great exercise for both men and women. This exercise can help men build a larger chest and help women tone their upper body.

How Do You Do Cable Flys?

All you need to do cable flys is a machine with a weighted cable on each end. Before you grab the cables, you should choose the amount of weight you want to use. If you've never done cable flys before, start with a very light weight. This will allow you to get used to the exercise without using bad form as a result of trying to move too much weight. When you grip the cables, your arms should be slightly behind your body. This will place the full tension of this exercise directly on your pectoral muscles.

Begin your first cable fly rep by pulling the cables forward. You want your pull to be a fluid movement. Jerking the cables forward will decrease the effectiveness of this exercise. The path of your pulling motion will eventually bring the cables together in front of you. Once you reach this point, stop for just a second. This brief pause will prevent you from decreasing the exercise's effectiveness by letting momentum do any work. Then, using the same fluid movement, allow the cables to go back to their original position. Keep in mind that unless it's your last rep of a set, you don't want to let the cables go all the way back to their original position. Instead, you want to stop slightly early so the tension of the weight remains. Then you can perform your next rep by repeating the same process.

How Often Should You Do Cable Flys?

If you're new to working out, it's best to start with a 3 or 4 day a week plan. This is plenty of sessions for you to get results, but not so many that you'll get overwhelmed and quit. A popular approach for people who are new to working out is to do 2-day full body splits. For example, you decide you're going to work out on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On Monday and Thursday, you can work out your arms, shoulders, chest and back. Then on Tuesday and Friday, you can work out your lats, abs and legs. For the chest portion of your workout, the ideal combination is to do cable flys with one other exercise like a dumbbell bench press.

When you perform cable flys, it's best to shoot for 3 sets of 8 repetitions. To maximize your progress, choose a weight that allows you to complete your first 2 sets with all 8 reps, but only 5 to 7 for your last set. Being able to complete most but not all of your last set means you will have fully fatigued your chest muscles. Using cable flys to push your muscles to this point is exactly what will cause them to get stronger.

 

 

 

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Cable Flys