Chest Flye
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A bodybuilding staple, chest flyes have been building big chests for decades. While not the most functional exercise, they allow you to focus on the mind-muscle connection with and optimally grow your pecs. As long as they're done with proper form, they're a perfectly safe exercise that can push your chest development to the next level.
The Basics
Chest flyes are an upper body pushing exercise. More specifically, they are a chest isolation exercise. While the front delts and other other stabilizers are involved, the vast majority of the movement is performed with your chest. As an isolation exercise, they should be performed after any compound exercises.
The Basics
The chest flye is primarily used as a strength exercise. It is more generally classified as a upper push movement. Since it specifically targets one muscle group, it is considered an isolation exercise.
Form
Set Up
- Lie with your back on the bench and your arms straight above your shoulders
- Keep a slight bend in your elbows
- Keep your shoulderblades pulled together
The Flye
- Lower your arms out to the sides under control
- Once you feel a comfortable stretch, raise them back up
- Be sure to maintain a slight bend in your elbows throughout the motion
Common Mistakes
Locking Your Elbows
Locking your elbows puts stress on the joint, rather than the muscles that should be supporting it. Keeping a slight bend allows the weight to be supported safely by your muscles.
Stretching Too Far
At the bottom of the rep, it's certainly tempting to go a little lower because the stretch really feels like you're working your chest. However, going too low puts your shoulder in a vulnerable position and can lead to injuries. A slight stretch is fine, but don't push it.
Using Too Much Weight
Chest flyes are best performed with light to moderate weights and higher reps. Going too heavy doesn't allow you to focus on the mind-muscle connection with the chest and your body will compensate by using other means to move the weight.
Lowering Too Fast
Similar to stretching too far, lowering too fast can lead to putting your shoulders in a vulnerable position. It also detracts from the focus of the exercise which is putting tension on the chest.
Additional Info
Mind-Muscle Connection
As an isolation exercise, the chest flye is simple to perform and allows you focus on mind-muscle connection with your chest. Working on this mind-muscle connection goes a long way to growing your chest and is one of the reasons that the chest flye is so effective. Focus on stretching as far as is safe for you at the bottom and really squeezing your chest together at the top.
Equipment Choice
Chest flyes are usually performed with dumbbells, cables, or machines. They each work just as well as the next. In terms of a minimal home gym setup, these can be performed on the floor and don't require too much weight to be effective.
