What Are Flyes ?
Flyes are a single-joint exercise, engaging only the shoulder joint, making it one of the few isolation exercises for the chest.
Flyes can be performed with dumbbells, cable crossovers, or on a machine.
Depending on the chosen angle, you can opt to target the chest as a whole or focus on a specific muscle bundle. It’s crucial to execute the movement in alignment with the muscle fibers you intend to work, adjusting the cable or machine accordingly.
Similar to pressing exercises, the shoulders may come into play at certain angles and beyond a specific stretch. It’s essential to be cautious not to lean too far back during the movement to prevent shoulder stress and concentrate on the chest muscles.
How to perfor flyes ?
Dumbbell Flyes :
- Grab dumbbells and lie down on a flat or inclined bench at a 30° angle, guide the dumbbells with your knees to position them in line with your shoulders, arms extended.
- Keep your feet on the ground, with your buttocks and shoulder blades pressed against the bench.
- With a slight elbow flexion, let your arms move away from your body until you feel a stretch in the chest.
- Your arms should be slightly below the shoulder line, and you should not feel any stretch in the shoulders.
- Bring your arms closer to your body, keeping the elbows almost straight.
- Maintain a slight separation of the arms at the top of the movement to avoid losing muscle tension, staying apart from your shoulders.
Pulley Flyes :
- Stand between two cable machines, facing each other, with the cables set low, high, or at mid-level depending on the targeted area.
- Grab the handles and step forward until there is tension in your chest.
- Initiate the movement by bringing your elbows close to your body, keeping your arms slightly bent.
- Bring your hands together or cross them to enhance the contraction of the chest; you can allow your shoulders to move forward.
- Return to the starting position, controlling the movement to stop before feeling a stretch in the shoulders.
Machine Flyes:
- Sit on a pec deck machine and grip the handles with your hands aligned at the center of your chest.
- Maintain a slight elbow flexion and keep your shoulders back with your chest puffed out.
- Bring your elbows close to your body to initiate the movement, as if clapping your hands together.
- You can bring your shoulders forward to maximize the contraction of your chest, but return them backward at the end of the movement.
- Ensure the stretch is not placed on your shoulders; keep the tension on your chest throughout the exercise.