Tag: Chest
Standing Cable Chest Fly Exercise Guide: How To, Benefits, Muscles Worked, and Variations
A broad and muscular chest has been the symbol of masculinity since time immemorial. Chances are, they come up with the term ‘masculine’ to refer to an individual with a wide and thick chest.
Building an Arnold Schwarzenegger-like round and full chest is one of the top priorities for most guys that lift weights. It is no coincidence that Monday is international chest day. Consider yourself a very lucky man if there is no crowd on the chest training equipment in your gym on a Monday.
Although many lifters prefer the bench press for building muscle and strength, ask someone which exercise is their go-to for achieving a muscle-ripping chest pump or ending their workout on a high, and they’ll most likely reply with a resounding standing cable chest fly!
The standing cable chest fly is everything that the bench press isn’t. It is not intimidating, and you are not at risk of getting trapped under a heavy bar if you fail a rep; you don’t need a spotter, it helps maintain constant tension on your pecs throughout the range of motion, and leaves you with a sick muscle pump every time.
Whether you are a bodybuilder trying to improve your aesthetics or a powerlifter looking to improve your strength, you cannot go wrong with the standing cable chest fly. Besides your chest days, the cable chest fly can be an excellent addition to your push-day routines as it involves your chest, triceps, and anterior deltoids.
In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about the standing cable chest fly to get the best bang for your buck, including the correct training techniques, its benefits, the muscles worked, the most common mistakes, and its variations and alternatives.
What is a Standing Cable Chest Fly?
The standing cable chest fly is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the chest. However, since this exercise involves movement at the shoulder joint and elbows, it also engages the anterior deltoids and triceps.
The standing cable chest fly is an excellent exercise for most lifters, irrespective of their training experience. It can help newbies establish a better mind-muscle connection with their pecs, translating to better performance on compound movements, like the bench press and dips. Conversely, it can help advanced lifters warm up for their chest workouts or achieve maximal pectoral muscle fiber recruitment at the end of their training session without increasing their risk of injury.
Unlike free weight exercises, cables keep constant tension on your muscles throughout the range of motion, which can increase your time under tension and bias hypertrophy. Plus, since you must be standing upright while performing this exercise, it results in a greater core engagement than the barbell bench press, where you are lying on a bench.
How To Do a Standing Cable Chest Fly
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to perform the standing cable chest fly with a picture-perfect form:
Step 1: Adjust the Cable Pulley
You can choose between two pulley positions while performing the standing cable chest fly. The first position involves setting the pulley at chest level and attaching D-handle bars on each end. This position allows you to mimic the lying dumbbell chest fly motion and bias the inner and middle pecs.
The other option is the more popular choice and involves setting the pulleys at the highest setting. In this setup, you’ll press the handles diagonally toward the floor. The cable should be at 45 degrees throughout the range of motion. This setup biases the inner and middle, and lower pecs.
Pro Tip: I recommend setting the pulleys at the highest setting as it involves a unique angle of motion that you cannot mimic with free weights to train your pectoral muscles. For this reason, I’ll stick to the second setup for this demonstration.
Step 2: Take Your Position
Grab the D-handles with a neutral (palms facing each other) grip and position yourself in the center of the cable pulley machine. Now, take a big step forward and bring your hands to your chest level. Extend your arms to your sides so that your hands are in line with your chest while your elbows are slightly behind your torso.
You can use a staggered stance or place both your feet together. Since the former option involves a much larger surface area, it will provide better stability. The latter, on the other hand, is the optimal choice if you want more core engagement.
Pro Tip: Maintaining a slight bend in your knees throughout the exercise will give you a better base.
Step 3: Perform the Fly Motion
Lean forward slightly by bending at your hips to better isolate your pecs. Brace your core and initiate the movement by moving at the shoulder joint. Extend your elbows during the concentric phase for optimal chest muscle fiber stimulation. Your hands should be in front of your midsection or pelvis at the bottom of the range of motion.
Bringing the elbows together during concentrics shortens the pecs to their fully contracted position. On the flip side, keeping your elbows bent prevents your chest muscles from moving through their full range of motion, hindering their activation.
Pro Tip: Maintain a neutral back and a proud chest for maximal pectoral muscle engagement while performing this exercise.
Step 4: Pause and Contract at the Top
Hold the isometric contraction at the top of the range of motion for a second and squeeze your pecs as hard as possible. Your head and neck should be in line with your torso. Dropping your head back or pressing your chin into your upper pecs can be a bottleneck while contracting your pecs at the static contraction point at the top.
Pro Tip: Avoid touching your hands at the bottom of the range of motion or interlacing your fingers, as it will remove the tension from your pecs and put it on your anterior deltoids.
Step 5: Control the Eccentrics
Maintaining your torso in a straight line, slowly return your arms to the starting position while feeling your chest muscles engage. Pause at the bottom for a second before repeating this process for the recommended reps.
Pro Tip: You must focus on actively contracting your pecs throughout the range of motion. Slow down the rep tempo if you don’t feel your chest while performing this exercise.
Standing Cable Chest Fly Tips:
Avoid squeezing the handles too tight, as it can lead to forearm and biceps recruitment. Switch to a false (thumbless) grip if you feel too much arm engagement while performing this movement.
Your feet should be bolted to the floor throughout the exercise. Avoid moving your feet or tapping your heels, as it can take tension off your chest.
Avoid lowering your hands way too far behind your body during eccentrics. Contrary to what many people think, it doesn’t lead to greater muscle stimulation but can strain your shoulder joints.
Keep your core braced while performing the standing cable chest fly. This can help eliminate the possibility of employing momentum.
Optimize your breathing to maximize your performance. Breathe in during eccentrics and breathe out during concentrics. You must hold your breath during the isometric contraction at the top before breathing in again during the eccentric phase.
In This Exercise:
Target Muscle Group: Chest
Secondary Muscle Groups: Shoulders and Triceps
Type: Strength
Mechanics: Isolation
Equipment: Cables
Difficulty: Beginner
Best Rep Range:
Hypertrophy: 8-12
Strength: 1-5
Muscles Worked During Standing Cable Chest Fly
Here are the muscles worked during the standing cable chest fly:
Chest
The pectoralis major and pectoralis minor are the primary target muscle of this exercise. Your pecs are responsible for horizontal shoulder adduction, which involves bringing your arm inward toward your body. Since this is exactly what the standing cable chest fly does, maintaining a strict form on this lift will target only your chest.
You can target different areas of your chest on this exercise by changing your angle of pull. Moving your arms straight forward will target the inner and middle pecs. Performing this exercise diagonally from top to bottom will work your inner, middle, and lower pecs, and an upward diagonal movement will train your lower pecs.
Shoulders
Since most of the movement in this exercise is limited to the shoulder joint, it can lead to anterior deltoid engagement. Leaning forward excessively can lead to greater shoulder engagement than maintaining an upright torso.
Triceps
The elbow flexion during eccentrics and extension during concentrics can lead to triceps engagement. Avoid locking out your elbows and maintaining a slight bend in your arms if you feel too much triceps engagement at the top while performing this exercise.
Core
This exercise requires standing in the front and center of a cable pulley machine. You must resist the pull of the cables throughout the exercise, which will lead to core engagement. A staggered stance recruits your core to a lesser degree than a parallel stance.
Benefits of Standing Cable Chest Fly
Adding the standing cable chest fly to your exercise arsenal entails the following benefits:
Build a Bigger and Stronger Chest
While the muscle conditioning benefits of standing cable chest fly are well-known, many lifters assume that isolation exercises don’t lead to strength or muscle gains. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
Performing three to five sets of the standing cable chest fly in the 8-12 rep range will bias hypertrophy. On the other hand, lifting close to your one-rep max for three to six sets of one to five reps will help improve your upper body strength. [1]
Excellent For Lifters of All Experience Levels
Cable isolation exercises are beginner-friendly. They can help novice lifters develop a robust mind-muscle connection, which can carry over to compound exercises. On the other hand, experienced lifters can use this exercise to warm up or train their chest to failure.
Low Risk of Injury
Unlike the barbell bench press, where the bar can end up on your chest on a failed rep, hitting muscle failure on the cable chest fly won’t expose you to an injury. You can just let go of the handles in the middle of the rep without a worry in the world.
Cable and machines significantly lower the risk of injury while training. It is common to hear people getting injured training with dumbbells and barbells, but you’ll hardly ever come across someone who got injured training with cables.
Constant Tension
Cables keep constant tension on your muscles throughout the range of motion, which can help induce hypertrophy. Conversely, free weights remove the tension from your muscles and put it on your joints at multiple points throughout the exercise.
Time
Cable exercises take significantly less time than free-weight movements, making them an excellent choice for adding them to high-volume workouts. They are also great for folks that have limited time to train.
Common Mistakes While Performing Standing Cable Chest Fly
Avoid the following pitfalls to maximize your results and limit your risk of injury:
‘Pressing’ Instead of ‘Flying’
This is probably the most common mistake lifters make while performing the cable chest fly. They press the weight in front of their chest, using their triceps and shoulders. You must limit the chest fly movements to the shoulder joints, which helps focus on the pectoral muscles.
Move your arms in a sweeping motion while performing the standing cable chest fly. There is a time and place for the cable chest press, but this is not one of them. That said, feel free to do partial pressing reps to annihilate your chest after completing your full ROM flyes. According to a Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study, “partial range of motion exercise is effective for facilitating muscle hypertrophy and function.” [2]
Do Not ‘Hug a Bear’
‘Hug a bear’ or ‘Hug a tree’ are the most popular cues given while trainers teach newbie lifters how to perform the standing cable chest fly. Here is my advice — don’t. Instead, you want to squeeze the bear’s head or the tree’s trunk between your elbows. Do this, and your chest pumps will be out of the world.
Lifting Too Heavy
Many lifters let their ego get the better of them while performing the standing cable chest fly. You don’t need to move the entire stack to get those inner chest striations. Keep your rep slow and controlled, and focus on contracting your pecs throughout the range of motion. Furthermore, going too heavy on this lift will lead to greater core engagement as you will have to fight the weight to maintain your position.
Moving Your Torso
You must keep an upright torso and avoid using momentum by swinging back and forth to maximize pectoral muscle stimulation. If you have to move your body to complete a rep, it is a sign that you are going a little too heavy.
Variations of Standing Cable Chest Fly
Here are the best standing cable chest fly variations to add to your training regimen. These exercises will train your chest from different angles, ensuring overall development.
Low Cable Chest Fly
I have covered the two most popular cable chest fly variations above — the high cable fly that involves setting the pulleys at the highest setting and the self-explanatory chest-level cable flyes. The former targets the inner, middle, and lower pecs, whereas the latter targets the inner and middle pecs.
The low cable chest fly is another popular cable chest fly variation that involves setting the cable pulleys at the lowest setting. In this exercise, your arms should be at 45 degrees at the starting position as you hold the D-handles at your sides. Then, you raise your hands toward the ceiling while extending your elbows until the handles are in front of your chest. The low cable chest fly biases the lower chest.
Pro Tip: Many lifters experience significant front delt engagement while performing this exercise. You must focus on contracting your pecs throughout the range of motion and use lighter weights to bias the lower pecs.
Cable Crossover
Some people use standing cable chest fly and cable crossover interchangeably. However, both exercises are different and involve a distinct range of motion. The range of motion of the cable crossover leads to great pectoral muscle fiber recruitment.
How To:
Set the cable pulleys at the highest setting.
Grab a handle in each hand with a neutral grip and step forward.
Extend your arms at your sides while maintaining a slight bend in your elbows.
Brace your core and bring your arms in front of your body while extending your elbows.
Your wrists must overlap at the top of the range of motion. Pause and contract your pecs at this position.
Return to the starting position.
Rinse and repeat.
Pro Tip: You should use a lighters weight on the cable crossover than the standing cable chest fly. Although the range of motion is slightly bigger in this exercise, it leads to much greater inner chest stimulation. Also, ensure that you crossover your hands in front of your midsection. Keeping your hands at your chest level will lead to a more significant anterior deltoid recruitment.
Check out our complete cable crossover guide here!
Single-Arm Cable Crossover
Unilateral exercises are incredibly effective at fixing muscle and strength imbalances. Since these movements involve working one side of your body at a time, it can lead to a better mind-muscle connection. Also, because this exercise requires only one pulley, it is an excellent cable fly variation for folks that work out during rush hours.
How To:
Set the cable pulley at the highest setting.
Attach a D-handle bar and grab it with a neutral grip.
Take a step to your side and hold your hand on your side at your chest level.
Place your non-working hand on your hip for stability.
Brace your core and bring your arms in front of your midsection while extending your elbow.
Pause and contract your chest.
Repeat for recommended reps before switching sides.
Pro Tip: Avoid stepping forward while performing this exercise, as the cable will brush your upper arm. Stand next to the cable pulley and take a small step to your side.
Alternatives of Standing Cable Chest Fly
Given below are some standing cable chest fly alternatives:
Dumbbell Fly
The dumbbell fly is a staple in most chest training regimens. It is one of the best free-weight exercises to target the inner pecs and build the covered striations. However, most people leave gains on the table by following an incorrect form.
How To:
Lie on your back on a flat bench. Maintain the natural curvature of your spine.
There should be enough gap between your lower back and the bench for your hand to pass through.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip and hold them over your chest. Your arms should be at 90 degrees at the starting position.
Contract your pecs and slowly lower the dumbbells toward the floor. Your upper arms should be in line with your chest at the bottom, and your elbows should be slightly bent.
Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. Focus on flexing your pecs throughout the range of motion for optimal muscle fiber engagement.
Repeat for repetitions.
Pro Tip: Avoid keeping your arms straight during eccentrics, as it can strain your shoulder joints unnecessarily. Your upper arms shouldn’t break parallel at the bottom.
Check out our complete dumbbell fly guide here!
Pec Deck Fly
The pec deck fly is the darling of the bodybuilding community. Many lifters prefer it over the cables as it has a fixed movement trajectory and involves sitting against a back pad, which helps you better focus on your pecs and removes your core stabilizers from the equation.
How To:
Set the seat of the pec deck machine so that your chest is at the handle level. Place your back on the back pad.
Grab the handles at chest level. Your elbows should be slightly bent at the starting position.
Pull your shoulder blades back and down and maintain a proud chest.
Bring the handles in front of your chest while moving at the shoulder joint and extending your elbows.
Drive your elbows together at the top of the motion and contract your pecs as hard as possible.
Slowly return to the starting position.
Repeat for recommended reps.
Pro Tip: Many lifters tend to round their shoulders and drive their chin into their upper pecs while performing this exercise, especially during high-rep sets. However, it removes tension from your pectoral muscles and engages your anterior and medial deltoids and traps.
Check out our complete pec deck fly guide here!
Resistance Band Standing Cable Chest Fly
This standing cable chest fly alternative is excellent for folks that don’t have access to a cable pulley machine. You can do this in your garage gym or anywhere you can anchor a resistance band. However, I recommend using a squat rack and D-handle resistance bands for this exercise.
How To:
Securely attach a resistance band to each pole of a squat rack.
Grab the D-handles with a neutral grip.
Take a step forward and assume a staggered stance.
Extend your arms at your sides and bend your elbows slightly. The bands should be taut at this position, and you should feel tension in your pecs.
Maintaining an upright torso, bring your hands in front of your midsection while extending your elbows.
Pause and contract your pecs at the top of the range of motion.
Slowly return to the starting position.
Repeat for recommended reps.
Pro Tip: Performing this exercise by tying two resistance bands across a single pole will limit your range of motion as the bands will rub the sides of your arms throughout the range of motion.
Bodyweight Flyes
Although this is a bodyweight exercise, it comes with a steep learning curve. Bodyweight flyes, also known as barbell roll-out flyes, involve using two barbells and demand significant core strength. This exercise is best reserved for intermediate and advanced lifters.
How To:
Place two barbells on the floor parallel to each other.
Add a weight plate on the same end of both barbells. The other end should not have any weight.
Get on your knees between the barbells facing the weighted ends.
Grab the barbells below the collars and get into a push-up position.
The non-weighted ends should be right next to your feet.
Brace your core and slowly extend your arms outward.
Your chest should be in line with your upper arms at the bottom of the range of motion.
Reverse the movement while driving your elbows together.
Focus on contracting your pecs throughout the shoulder joint extension and flexion.
Pro Tip: Use 25-pound plates for this exercise. Using 45-pound plates will limit your range of motion as you won’t be able to bring your hands under your chest at the static contraction point at the top.
Check out our complete bodyweight fly guide here!
FAQs
Can I substitute the barbell bench press with the cable chest fly?
The barbell bench press is a compound (multi-joint) lift, whereas the cable chest fly is an isolation (single-joint) exercise. Compound exercises are great for building muscle mass and strength, whereas isolation lifts help improve muscle conditioning and fix imbalances.
Both types of exercises are essential for building a balanced physique, and you shouldn’t choose one over the other. Most conventional bodybuilding programs involve starting the workouts with the bench press and finishing with the cable chest fly.
Are standing cable chest fly and pec deck fly the same?
No. Although both exercises are isolation movements, the different angles of movement involved train your pecs differently. Many people make the mistake of using momentum on the standing cable chest fly by swinging their body back and forth. Plus, it involves your core for stabilization.
On the flip side, since you must be seated against a pad to perform the pec deck fly, it eliminates the use of momentum and disengages your core, allowing you to focus on your pectoral muscles. However, this doesn’t mean you should favor the pec deck over the cables in each workout. Incorporate both into your training regime to ensure overall development.
Why does the cable chest fly give a better chest pump than most other chest exercises?
Cables keep constant tension on your muscles throughout the range of motion. It accumulates to a greater time under tension, leading to better pumps. On the other hand, free-weight isolation lifts such as the dumbbell chest fly puts no demand on your chest at specific points during the range of motion.
Furthermore, cables allow you to work your chest in the horizontal plane while standing, which is virtually impossible with free weights. Most lifters experience better muscle pumps performing isolation exercises with cables than free-weight single-joint exercises.
Is the cable chest fly better than the cable crossover for chest development?
The cable crossover is a more extended version of the cable chest fly. While the cable chest fly ends when your hands are next to each other in front of your midsection, cable crossovers require you to stack your wrists on top of each other at the isometric hold at the top.
Some lifters favor the cable crossover as it helps them achieve greater pectoral muscle fiber recruitment. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence to prove if cable crossovers lead to better hypertrophic results.
Wrapping Up
The standing cable chest fly is an incredibly effective isolation exercise to build muscle size, strength, and conditioning in your pectoral muscles. By altering the pulley height, you can bias different areas of your chest while performing this exercise.
This guide has all the details you need to improve your form and maximize your results. Use the cable chest fly alternatives and variations listed in this article to add variety to your training regime and keep it interesting. So, what are you waiting for? Get to work on those coveted inner chest striations already. Best of luck!
References
Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel). 2021 Feb 22;9(2):32. doi: 10.3390/sports9020032. PMID: 33671664; PMCID: PMC7927075.
Goto M, Maeda C, Hirayama T, Terada S, Nirengi S, Kurosawa Y, Nagano A, Hamaoka T. Partial Range of Motion Exercise Is Effective for Facilitating Muscle Hypertrophy and Function Through Sustained Intramuscular Hypoxia in Young Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res. 2019 May;33(5):1286-1294. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002051. PMID: 31034463.
Standing Cable Fly Guide: Muscles Worked, How-To, Benefits, and Alternatives
Common gym lore says that if you want to build a massive, sculpted chest, the bench press is the way to go. This is why so many bodybuilding pec workouts start with the bench press. Push-ups are also popular, and dumbbell bench presses and the chest press machine aren’t far behind.
However, despite using different training implements, each of those movements is almost identical. So, if you build your workouts around compound pushing exercises, you’re basically repeating the same move over and over again.
This is not only boring but could make your training less effective than it ought to be.
For this reason, any well-designed chest workout should combine compound pressing exercises like the bench press with isolation movements such as crossovers and flys. This will allow you to hit different parts of your chest, ensuring you develop better-shaped pecs. Switching movements also helps to make your workouts more interesting.
But which supplementary chest exercises should you use? After all, there are plenty to choose from.
In this article, we discuss the benefits of the standing cable fly, explaining how to perform this great exercise and the alternatives you can also use to sculpt the perfect chest.
Standing Cable Fly – Muscles Worked
Standing cable flys are an isolation exercise, which means movement occurs only at one joint – the shoulder. However, despite this, the standing cable fly still involves several important muscles.
These include:
Pectoralis major
Known as the pecs for short, this large fan-shaped muscle makes up most of your chest mass. The pecs consist of three groups of fibers or heads: clavicular (upper), sternal (mid), and costal/abdominal (lower).
Together, the three pec heads are responsible for horizontal flexion and adduction of your shoulder joint. They are also medial rotators. All three heads play a part in standing cable flys; however, the sternal or middle portion is the most active.
Pectoralis minor
The Pectoralis minor is located beneath the upper part of pectoralis major. It works in conjunction with pec major to horizontally flex and protract your shoulder joint. While pec minor is largely out of sight, it still contributes to the shape and size of your chest.
Anterior deltoids
The deltoids are your most significant shoulder muscles. Like the pecs, they are separated into three heads: anterior (front), medial (middle), and posterior (rear). All three deltoid heads are involved in standing cable flys, but the anterior head is the most active.
Serratus anterior
Serratus anterior is located to the side of your upper chest. Its primary function is keeping your scapulae or shoulder blades flat against your rib cage. As such, it’s an essential stabilizer of the shoulder girdle. A well-developed serratus anterior can add a lot to your upper body aesthetics, especially when you’re lean.
Core
With no bench to support you, you’ll need to use your muscles to stabilize your spine and stop your body from moving backward as you move your arms. Core is the collective term for the muscles of your midsection, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis. During standing cable flys, you use your core to brace your lumbar spine, preventing unwanted movement.
Biceps and triceps
Standing cable flys involve little or no movement of your elbows. All of the action should occur at your shoulder joints. That said, you’ll still need to use your biceps and triceps to hold your arms rigid. However, they should be working isometrically, i.e., generating force without producing movement.
How to Do Standing Cable Flys
Get more from standing cable flys while keeping your risk of injury to a minimum by following these guidelines:
Attach D-shaped handles to an adjustable cable machine set to around mid-chest height.
Take a handle in each hand and, with your arms slightly bent but rigid, take a step forward to tension the cables, arms extended somewhat behind you. Brace your core.
Adopt a staggered stance for balance and brace your core to stabilize your torso.
Keeping your body upright, bring your arms forward so your hands meet at chest level in front of you. Do not bend your elbows or lean forward at the waist.
Open your arms and return to the starting position, making sure to stretch your chest.
Continue for the prescribed number of reps.
Pro Tips:
This exercise works best with light to moderate weights and medium to high reps, e.g., 12-20 per set.
Pause at the start and midpoint of each rep to maximally engage your pecs.
Move smoothly and deliberately to avoid momentum and keep the tension on the target muscles.
Imagine you are “hugging a tree” to reinforce the correct exercise technique.
Switch leading legs set by set to avoid developing muscle imbalances.
Standing Cable Fly Benefits and Drawbacks
Not sure if standing cable flys are worthy of a place in your workouts? Consider these benefits and then decide!
A very safe exercise
Unlike barbell and dumbbell bench presses, there are no weights to drop on your chest during standing cable flys. As such, you can take your sets to failure with no fear of getting crushed under a heavy load. This means standing cable flys are ideal for solo exercisers.
Shoulder-friendly
With no bench behind your shoulder blades, your arms are free to move naturally and without putting unnecessary stress on your shoulder joints. If bench presses bother your shoulders, you may find that standing cable flys are more comfortable and forgiving.
Perfect for drop sets
Most cable machines have a selectorized weight stack, so you can change the load quickly and easily. This means that standing cable flys are perfect for muscle-building, pump-inducing drop sets. Rep out to failure, reduce the weight by 10-20%, and then rep out again. Repeat several more times until your pecs are thoroughly fatigued.
An excellent chest finisher
Standing cable flys are one of the best exercises for bringing your chest workout to a satisfying end. After bench presses, dips, and chest presses, your triceps will probably be more fatigued than your pecs. With less triceps involvement, you should find that you can still pump out a couple good sets of cable flys to ensure your chest muscles are completely exhausted.
While standing cable flys are a mostly beneficial exercise, there are also a few drawbacks to consider:
It can be tricky for beginners to learn
With no bench for support and the movement all but unguided, beginners may find this exercise tricky to learn. Their arms may not follow the correct movement path, and they may also find it hard to avoid using one arm more than the other. For this reason, some beginners will prefer a less challenging chest isolation exercise, such as pec deck flys.
Not suitable for heavy weights
Using heavy weights will invariably lead to cheating, as you’ll probably need to lean into the exercise to avoid falling backward. This takes tension away from the target muscles, making standing cable flys less effective.
Save the heavy loads for the multi-joint compound exercises in your workouts. Instead, stick to light to moderate weights and medium to high reps with standing cable flys, which reduce the need to cheat.
7 Standing Cable Fly Variations and Alternatives
Standing cable flys are a highly effective chest exercise, but that doesn’t mean you need to do them all the time. There are several variations and alternatives you can use to keep your workouts productive and interesting:
1. Cable crossovers
Cable crossovers and cable flys are easy to confuse as they’re very similar. However, where standing cable flys involve a horizontal arm movement, cable crossovers feature a diagonal motion, either going from high to low or low to high. This allows you to emphasize your upper or lower chest as preferred.
Steps:
Attach D-shaped handles to an adjustable cable machine set to around head height.
Take a handle in each hand and, with your arms slightly bent but rigid, take a step forward to tension the cables, arms extended somewhat behind you. Brace your core.
Adopt a staggered stance for balance and brace your core to stabilize your torso.
Keeping your body upright, bring your arms forward and down so your hands meet in front of your hips. Do not bend your elbows or lean forward at the waist.
Open your arms and raise your hands to about shoulder height, making sure to stretch your chest.
Continue for the prescribed number of reps.
Muscles targeted: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids.
Benefits:
Hits a different part of the chest compared with standing cable flys.
A very effective lower/inner pec exercise.
Safe and shoulder-friendly.
Tips:
Do this exercise with a single cable to work one side of your chest at a time.
Use a resistance band if no cable machine is available.
You can also do this exercise with a low-to-high movement to work your upper/inner chest.
2. Supine cable fly
One of the biggest disadvantages of standing cable flys is that your core and balance can limit your performance. Lying on an exercise bench means you won’t need to worry about your abs failing before your pecs, so you’ll be able to use more weight and push your muscles closer to failure.
Steps:
Place a bench in the center of a cable crossover machine. Attach a D-shaped handle to the low pulleys.
Take a handle in each hand and sit on the end of the bench. Lean back and extend your arms so they’re vertical, elbows slightly bent but rigid.
Open your arms and lower the handles down and out to the side, getting a good stretch in your pecs.
Squeeze your arms up and together so your hands meet above your chest.
Continue for the prescribed number of reps.
Muscles targeted: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids.
Benefits:
You should be able to lift more weight or do more reps than with standing cable flys.
More back support, so a good choice for lifters with back pain/injuries.
An excellent mid-chest exercise.
Tips:
Pause at the top of each rep and squeeze your pecs for maximal muscle recruitment.
Use a stability ball instead of a bench if preferred.
You can also do this exercise on an incline bench to work your upper chest.
3. Dumbbell fly
You don’t have to limit yourself to using a cable machine for flys. In fact, dumbbells can be just as effective and may be more accessible and convenient, especially if you train at home. Muscle tension does tend to drop off as your hands come together, but despite this, dumbbell flys are still a good pec builder.
Steps:
Lie on an exercise bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Press the weights up and hold them at arm’s length above your chest. Turn your palms inward, i.e., a neutral grip.
With slightly bent but rigid elbows, open your arms and lower the weights down and out to your sides. Get a stretch in your pecs but do not hyperextend your shoulders.
Squeeze the weight up and together, and then repeat.
Muscles targeted: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids.
Benefits:
Less equipment-dependent than standing cable flys.
An excellent old-school chest sculpting exercise.
An ideal addition to home chest workouts.
Tips:
Use an incline bench to target your upper pecs or a decline bench to work your lower pecs.
Take care not to lower the weights too far, as doing so could lead to shoulder pain.
No bench? You can also do this exercise on a stability ball.
4. Pec deck machine
Beginners often find it hard to control their arms and follow the correct movement path during standing cable flys. The pec deck machine guides your limbs, so you are free to focus entirely on pounding your pecs into submission. This is an excellent no-brainer alternative to standing cable flys.
Steps:
Adjust the machine seat height so that, when you sit on it, your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
Sit on the machine, grip the handles, and press your forearms against the pads.
Squeeze your elbows together so they meet in front of your chest.
Open your arms, get a stretch in your pecs, and repeat.
Muscles targeted: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids.
Benefits:
An excellent exercise for beginners.
Works great for drop sets.
Your movements are guided by the machine, leaving you free to focus on pushing your pecs to their limit.
Tips:
Press with your elbows, not your hands or forearms, to maximize chest recruitment.
Pause at the midpoint of each rep to maximize pec engagement.
Do not let the weights touch down between reps, as doing so takes tension off your chest.
5. Towel slide fly
You don’t need a cable machine or dumbbells to do flys – a towel and your body weight will suffice. That said, this is a very challenging exercise, especially for beginners and those with a larger-than-average build.
Steps:
Adopt the push-up position with your hands resting on two towels or slider pads. Brace your core.
Keeping your arms slightly bent but rigid, open your arms and slide your hands outward, lowering your chest down to within an inch of the floor.
Squeeze your hands together and return to the starting position.
That’s one rep – how many more can you do?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnZOLlxN4hs?feature=share
Muscles targeted: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, core.
Benefits:
A very challenging bodyweight pec exercise.
Minimal equipment required, so ideal for home workouts.
Provides a great core workout as you train your chest.
Tips:
Do this exercise while kneeling to make it easier.
This exercise works best when performed on a smooth floor, e.g., tiles or polished wood.
You can also do this exercise using revolving dumbbells or core wheels instead of a towel.
6. Ring/TRX fly
Gymnastic ring and suspension/TRX training are very popular at the moment. Using straps and handles will add a lot to your bodyweight workouts, making them more challenging and effective. Ring/TRX flys are an excellent exercise that can be modified to suit almost any strength and fitness level.
Steps:
Attach your rings/TRX to an overhead anchor. Hold the handles and stand between them, arms extended in front of you. Adopt a split stance.
Open your arms and lower your body forward. Use your front leg more or less to adjust the difficulty of the exercise.
Squeeze your arms back together and repeat.
Muscles targeted: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, core.
Benefits:
Less friction to overcome than with towel flys, so potentially easier to perform.
An excellent supplement to other bodyweight chest exercises, such as push-ups and dips.
A very functional, core-centric bodyweight chest exercise.
Tips:
Bend your legs and rest on your knees to make this exercise easier.
Shorten your straps to raise your body and take weight off your arms.
You can also do this exercise on your toes and in the push-up position, which is VERY challenging!
7. Supine Svend press
The supine Svend press is a straightforward yet effective exercise that combines chest presses with flys. This creates a unique contraction in your pecs without using a cable machine or dumbbells. In fact, all you need to do this exercise is a single weight plate, so it’s ideal for home workouts.
Steps:
Hold a weight plate between the palms of your hands and lie on an exercise bench. Push your palms together as hard as you can.
Press the weight up to arm’s length, maintaining the inward pressure with your hands.
Lower the weight back to your chest and repeat.
Muscles targeted: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, triceps.
Benefits:
An effective exercise even when done with light weights.
Far more effective than standing Svend presses.
Very joint-friendly as you don’t need to use heavy loads.
Tips:
You can also do this exercise with two dumbbells instead of a weight plate, i.e., close-grip dumbbell bench presses.
No bench? No problem! Do this exercise on the floor or using a stability ball.
The harder you press your hands together, the more effective this exercise becomes.
Standing Cable Fly Guide FAQs
Do you have a question about standing cable flys? No sweat because we’ve got the answers!
1. How many sets and reps of standing cable flys should I do?
Most people should be able to fully fatigue their pecs in 2-4 sets of standing cable flys. If you feel like you need to do more than this, you are a) resting too long between sets or b) not getting close enough to failure.
Remember too that standing cable flys are not the best stand-alone chest exercise, and are best done as part of a more comprehensive chest workout, i.e.,:
Bench press 3 x 6-8
Incline dumbbell press 3 x 10-12
Chest press machine 3 x 10-12
Standing cable fly 3 x 15-20
Regarding reps, standing cable flys work best with light to moderate weights and medium to high reps. As such, you’ll probably get the best results from doing 12-20 reps per set, although you can go as high as 30 reps and still build muscle.
2. I feel some of these exercises in my shoulders more than my chest. Is this normal?
The pecs and anterior deltoids always work together as they have shared functions. That said, exercises like standing cable flys and dumbbell flys are predominately chest exercises, and the anterior deltoids should be working as synergists or helpers.
If you feel your shoulders more than your chest, you may need to work on your mind-muscle connection. Try using less weight and flexing your pecs more purposely.
Be more mindful of your pecs, imagining them contracting and growing with every rep you perform. Flexing your pecs before a set of standing cable flys will also help fire up your chest and reinforce the mind-muscle connection.
3. Aren’t compound exercises enough to build a bigger chest?
Compound exercises are great for building basic mass and strength. However, while some only need bench presses, push-ups, and dips to build picture-perfect pecs, others require additional exercises to maximize pec size and shape.
So, by all means, try the compound-only route to building your best-ever chest, but if you are unhappy with your progress, add some isolation training to see if it helps.
4. I train at home and don’t have access to a cable machine; what exercises can I do instead of standing cable flys?
There are several ways you can isolate your pecs at home without a cable machine. For starters, you can use resistance bands to replicate most cable exercises, including flys and crossovers. You can also do TRX, dumbbell, and towel flys.
While having access to a cable machine makes chest isolation training very convenient, it’s not the only way to emphasize and shape your pecs.
5. Standing cable flys hurt my shoulders – what gives?
Standing cable flys are usually pretty shoulder-friendly, but if they hurt your joints, you may be using too much weight, extending your arms too far behind you, or have a pre-existing shoulder injury.
As with all exercises, if you feel unusual pain when you’re doing this movement, you should check your form, reduce the weight, and skip it entirely if the discomfort persists.
Wrapping Up
Most lifters LOVE bench presses and start each training week with what is arguably the most popular bodybuilding exercise in the world. However, as great as bench presses are, they’re not the only or even the best way to build awesome pecs.
Isolation exercises like flys and crossovers allow you to focus on your pecs with 100% accuracy, pushing your muscles to their limit in complete safety.
There are plenty of pec isolation exercises to choose from, but the standing cable fly is one of the best.
Add them to your next pec workout and take your chest development to a whole new level!
Charles Glass Shares ‘German Volume Training’ Lesson for ‘Maximum’ Chest Muscle Growth
As a former gymnast, engineer, and bodybuilder, Charles Glass has a unique understanding of human anatomy. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Glass discussed German volume training which commonly practices 10 sets of 10 reps on three exercises.
Generous with his wisdom, Charles Glass has made a career out of helping people inside the gym. Whether it’s assisting a legendary four-time Arnold Classic winner like Flex Wheeler, a Bikini International Champion or just helping an average gym-goer, his understanding of body mechanics makes him an invaluable resource to the fitness and bodybuilding communities.
Charles is known for his ability to teach fitness education. He has taken part in numerous training demonstrations designed for muscle growth, such as the back and shoulders but also detailed an array of other workouts that focus on areas such as the calves, triceps, and abs.
Charles Glass / Instagram
Sometimes, it’s just about achieving a slimmer waist, and Glass has answers for that too. In his latest undertaking, Glass shared a ‘German Volume’ training routine for maximizing chest muscle growth.
Charles Glass Shows How To Build Chest Using ‘German Volume Training’
With this particular strategy, Charles Glass says he always employs 10 sets of 10 reps on three different exercises.
“German volume training. Which is 10 sets of 10 on three exercises. So, I’m going to use these three,” said Charles Glass. “Once in a while [I deploy this strategy], I wouldn’t do it every time. That’s preference [the wrist wraps]. Me, I like to wear them, it strengthens me and reminds me to keep my wrists tight.”
Aside from training, Glass has also taken aim at counterfeit drugs and fake steroids. He believes the problem has gotten much worse since the 1990s. Moreover, he said competitors need to practice caution because these fake substances can cause considerable damage to health.
Charles Glass isn’t the only seasoned pro who has pointed out steroid use in the IFBB Pro League. Popular 1990s Open bodybuilder Rich Gaspari tackled the subject as well. In a Fitness, Fame & Fortune podcast, Gaspari highlighted that current dosages are ‘way higher’ than what was used during his time on stage.
Other veterans of the sport, such as eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney have said athletes are 60 pounds overweight on stage because they’re pushing too much food. Haney explained that athletes used to fuel their bodies with healthier foods but now resort to ‘garbage’ like cheese and bacon.
Despite his busy schedule, Glass continues to give back to the sport. He’s an asset to anyone willing to learn from the techniques he developed after decades of grinding inside the gym.
RELATED: Godfather of Bodybuilding Charles Glass Shares A Push-Up Hack to Build Chest Muscles
Watch the full video from Charles Glass’ YouTube channel below:
Published: 9 June, 2023 | 2:08 PM EDT
Yoga Push-Up Guide: Muscles Worked, How-To, Benefits, and Alternatives
The classic push-up is one of the best exercises you can do for your upper body. Requiring nothing more than the space to lie down, you can pump out push-ups anywhere and anytime, which is why they’re such a favorite of the military, martial artists, prisoners, and home exercisers alike.
Standard push-ups are almost unbeatable, and training to do more push-ups will increase chest, shoulder, and triceps muscle size and endurance.
However, as potent as push-ups are, you can have too much of a good thing. Do enough push-ups, and they can lose some effectiveness and even become boring.
That’s why most push-up aficionados include different push-up variations in their workouts, including decline, diamond, paused, deficit, and explosive push-ups. While each of these push-up exercises uses many of the same muscles, they hit them in a slightly different way.
And now you can add a new exercise to your push-up arsenal – yoga push-ups.
In this article, we reveal why and how to do this fantastic exercise and some of the best variations and alternatives.
Yoga Push-Ups – Muscles Worked
Yoga push-ups are a compound upper-body exercise. This means they work multiple joints and muscles working together. The main muscles involved in yoga push-ups are:
Pectoralis major
Known as the pecs for short, these muscles make up the bulk of your chest. There are three sets of pec fibers, called heads: clavicular (upper), sternal (mid), and coastal/abdominal (lower). The pecs are the agonist or main muscle trained during yoga push-ups. All three pec heads are involved in this exercise.
Deltoids
The deltoids, or delts, are your primary shoulder muscles. Like the pecs, there are three sets of deltoid fibers or heads: anterior (front), medial (middle), and posterior (rear). All three deltoid heads are involved in yoga push-ups, but the anterior head is the most active. The medial and posterior delts work mostly as stabilizers.
Triceps brachii
Better known simply as the triceps, this three-headed muscle is located on the back of your upper arm and is mainly responsible for elbow extension. Because of its relatively small size, the triceps are usually the first muscle to fail during yoga push-ups.
Serratus anterior
Also known as the boxer’s muscle, the serratus anterior is located on the side of your chest and is responsible for keeping your scapulae or shoulder blades flat against your ribs. This muscle is so-called because, when well-developed and you are lean enough to see it, it looks like the blade of a serrated knife.
Trapezius
The unusual shoulder movement during yoga push-ups means your trapezius is more active than with regular push-ups. The trapezius is the large, flat, kite-shaped muscle of your upper back. It comprises three sets of fibers: upper, middle, and lower. All three groups of fibers work during yoga push-ups, but the upper fibers are the most active.
Core
Core is the collective name for the muscles that encircle your waist, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and erector spinae. These muscles contract inward to increase intra-abdominal pressure, which helps support your lumbar spine and prevent unwanted movement. Yoga push-ups are more core-centric than regular push-ups.
While yoga push-ups are most definitely an upper-body exercise, your legs are also involved. You’ll need to use your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings to keep your lower body straight and rigid. However, the load on these muscles is pretty low, so you’ll still need to train your legs separately if you want to make them stronger or more muscular.
How to Do Yoga Push-Ups
Get more from yoga push-ups while keeping your risk of injury to a minimum by following these guidelines:
Squat down and place your hands flat on the floor, roughly shoulder-width apart, and fingers pointing forward. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
Walk your feet out and back so your body is straight. Engage your legs to stabilize your lower body.
Bend your arms and lower your chest down to within an inch of the floor.
Next, push up and back, lifting your hips up toward the ceiling. Gently push your head between your arms to extend your shoulders, open your chest, and stretch your lats.
Keep your legs as straight as possible, and press your heels down toward the floor. Your body should now resemble an inverted V.
Return to the starting position, bend your arms, and repeat.
Pro Tips:
Inhale as you lower your chest to the floor, and exhale as you push yourself back and up.
Experiment with the width of your hands to see what feels the most comfortable.
Pause at the midpoint of each rep to maximize the stretching and mobilizing effect of this exercise.
Do yoga push-ups as part of your warm-up or morning routine or during your chest or shoulder workout.
Use push-up handles to increase your range of motion and take stress off your wrists.
Yoga Push-Up Benefits and Drawbacks
Not sure if yoga push-ups deserve a place in your workouts? Consider these benefits and then decide!
Anywhere, anytime
Like most push-up variations, you can do this exercise almost anywhere and anytime. As such, yoga push-ups are perfect for home exercisers and anyone who wants an excuse-free upper body workout.
An effective mobilizer
While yoga push-ups are a great upper-body muscular endurance exercise, they’re also an effective full-body mobilizer. A few reps of yoga push-ups will stretch your shoulders, chest, upper back, lower back, hips, hamstrings, and calves. This means yoga push-ups aren’t just a conditioning exercise but are also suitable for warm-ups.
Increased shoulder engagement
All push-ups involve your deltoids, but yoga push-ups work them more than most. The semi-inverted position at the mid-point of each rep is similar to that of an overhead press or handstand push-up, both of which are great deltoid exercises.
While yoga push-ups are a mostly beneficial exercise, there are also a few drawbacks to consider:
No regressions
There is no obvious way to make yoga push-ups easier. With regular push-ups, you can always bend your legs and rest on your knees to do three-quarter push-ups. Unfortunately, there is no such regression for yoga push-ups.
Potentially more shoulder stress than regular push-ups
Some exercisers struggle with overhead movements and find they cause shoulder discomfort and pain. Yoga push-ups place your arms overhead, so they may cause more shoulder joint stress than other types of push-ups. If yoga push-ups bother your shoulders, you should drop them from your program.
7 Yoga Push-Up Variations and Alternatives
Yoga push-ups are a highly effective upper-body exercise, but that doesn’t mean you need to do them all the time. There are several variations and alternatives you can use to keep your workouts productive and interesting:
1. Feet-elevated yoga push-up
While there is nothing wrong with doing a few yoga push-ups to mobilize and warm up your upper body, some people prefer to do them as a main workout exercise. If you want to overload more than stretch your muscles, feet-elevated yoga push-ups are the answer.
Steps:
Adopt the push-up position with your feet on a knee-high box or step. Brace your core, set your shoulders down and back, and engage your legs.
Bend your arms and lower your chest to about an inch above the floor.
Push back and up and lift your hips into the air so your body resembles an inverted V.
Return to the push-up position, bend your arms, and repeat.
Muscles targeted:
Primary: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps.
Secondary: Core.
Benefits:
A more demanding variation of yoga push-ups.
A great movement for more experienced exercisers.
Even better for mobilizing the shoulders and hips.
Tips:
Make sure your bench/step is stable and won’t tip over.
Warm up your hamstrings before attempting this exercise.
Take care not to hyperextend your lower back.
2. Single-leg yoga push-ups
Yoga push-ups provide a welcome core workout. However, the core is not working all that hard. This single-leg variation is much more core-centric and provides an excellent flexion/anti-rotation core workout.
Steps:
Adopt the push-up position with straight arms, core braced, and shoulders back and down. Lift one foot off the floor.
Bend your arms and lower your chest to about an inch above the floor.
Push back and up and lift your hips into the air so your body resembles an inverted V.
Return to the push-up position, bend your arms, and repeat.
Switch legs set by set.
Muscles targeted:
Primary: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps.
Secondary: Core.
Benefits:
An intense core and upper body exercise.
More leg and glute engagement than regular yoga push-ups.
Requires and develops greater coordination and positional awareness.
Tips:
Wear non-slip shoes or do this exercise barefoot.
Lift your non-weight-bearing leg higher to engage your glutes more.
You can also do this exercise with your foot on a step or box, i.e., single-leg foot elevated yoga push-ups.
3. Toe-tap yoga push-ups
Toe-tap yoga push-ups increase shoulder and core engagement while adding a rotational element for greater spinal mobility. If regular yoga push-ups are not challenging enough, and you don’t have a step to put your feet on, this is the next logical progression.
Steps:
Adopt the push-up position with straight arms, core braced, and shoulders back and down.
Bend your arms and lower your chest to about an inch above the floor.
Push back and up and lift your hips into the air so your body resembles an inverted V.
Reach back with one hand and touch your opposite foot.
Return to the push-up position and repeat.
Alternate sides rep by rep.
Muscles targeted:
Primary: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps.
Secondary: Core.
Benefits:
More challenging than regular yoga push-ups.
Increased core engagement.
Greater mobility, balance, and coordination demands.
Tips:
Touch your shin and not your toes if you lack flexibility.
Try to hinge from your hips rather than round your lower back.
You can also do this exercise with your feet on a step or box, i.e., feet elevated toe-tap yoga push-ups.
4. Y-reach yoga push-up
This yoga push-up variation works your upper back as well as your chest, shoulders, and triceps. As such, it’s both time-efficient and a great way to prepare your major muscles and joints for upcoming workouts.
Steps:
Adopt the push-up position with straight arms, core braced, and shoulders back and down.
Bend your arms and lower your chest to the floor.
Lift your hands off the floor and extend your arms forward to form a Y-shape. Point your thumbs up to the ceiling.
Bring your hands back in and under your shoulders.
Push back and up and lift your hips into the air so your body resembles an inverted V.
Return to the push-up position, bend your arms, and repeat.
Muscles targeted:
Primary: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps.
Secondary: Core.
Benefits:
An excellent postural exercise.
Trains your pushing and pulling muscles simultaneously for a time-efficient upper body workout.
A great way to prepare your upper body for your upcoming workout.
Tips:
Place a folded exercise mat under your hips for comfort.
Keep your upper back engaged and shoulders pulled down and back throughout.
Take care not to lift your head and hyperextend your neck when lying on the floor. Tuck your chin in and look down.
5. Dive bomber push-ups
Dive bomber push-ups are very similar to yoga push-ups. However, they involve some additional movements designed to increase spinal mobility. Dive bomber push-ups are great for loosening up your entire back after a long day sitting at your desk.
Steps:
Adopt the push-up position and then lift your hips into the air. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down.
Bend your arms and lower your head toward the floor.
Imagining you are ducking under a low bar, lower your chest to the floor, and then, keeping your hips low, extend your arms and push your upper body away from the ground.
Reverse the motion, again ducking under that imaginary bar, and repeat.
Muscles targeted:
Primary: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps.
Secondary: Core.
Benefits:
An excellent mobilizer for the entire spine.
A challenging alternative to regular push-ups.
More lat engagement than with regular push-ups.
Tips:
Adopt a wide stance to take tension off your hamstrings.
Use push-up handles for less wrist strain and a bigger range of motion.
Take care not to hyperextend your spine.
6. Pike push-ups
Yoga push-ups work your chest and deltoids pretty equally. But, if you want to focus more on your shoulders and avoid working your chest, pike push-ups are the exercise for you. They also involve less coordination than yoga push-ups, so they may be a better option for some beginners.
Steps:
Adopt the push-up position with your arms straight and hands roughly shoulder-width apart.
Lift your hips and push your butt back so your body resembles an inverted V. Brace your abs.
Bend your arms and lower your head to the floor, taking care not to bump it.
Extend your arms and repeat.
Muscles targeted:
Primary: Deltoids, triceps.
Secondary: Core.
Benefits:
An excellent bodyweight deltoid exercise.
More weight on your arms than conventional push-ups.
Simpler to learn than yoga push-ups.
Tips:
Experiment with the width of your hands to see what works best and feels most comfortable.
Use parallettes, push-up handles, or yoga blocks to increase your range of motion.
You can also do this exercise with your feet elevated, like this:
7. Mike Tyson push-ups
While boxer Mike Tyson probably didn’t invent this exercise, his use of it means it now bears his name! Yoga push-ups require good hamstring flexibility to perform them correctly. Mike Tyson push-ups work the same muscles but without needing such supple hammies.
Steps:
Adopt the push-up position with your feet pressed against the bottom of a wall to stop them from slipping.
Bend your arms and lower your chest to the floor.
Extend your arms, bend your legs, and push your hips backward so you’re in a semi-crouched potation.
Extend your legs and descend into another rep.
Muscles targeted:
Primary: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps.
Secondary: Core.
Benefits:
A more accessible exercise for people with tight hamstrings.
A challenging chest and deltoid exercise.
It was Iron Mike Tyson’s favorite exercise!
Tips:
Keep your feet pressed against the wall throughout.
Experiment with the position of your hands to see what’s comfortable and works best.
Take care to flex from your hips and not round your back as you move into the semi-crouched position.
Yoga Push-Up FAQs
Do you have a question about yoga push-ups or push-up training in general? Don’t worry because we’ve got the answers!
1. How many reps and sets of yoga push-ups should I do?
Because yoga push-ups are a bodyweight exercise, it’s hard to say how many reps you should do. Depending on your body weight and fitness, you might be able to do 10, 30, or even 50 reps, so telling you how many to do would be a mistake.
So, you’ll have to determine how many reps to do. Start your set and continue until you cannot do any more reps in good form. Then, as the weeks pass, do your best to crank out more reps. However, never sacrifice good (and safe) technique for more reps. The trade-off isn’t worth it.
In terms of sets, 3-5 should be enough for most people. If you can do more than this, you probably aren’t pushing your sets close enough to failure, or you are resting too long between efforts.
2. Can I do yoga push-ups every day?
You can do yoga push-ups daily provided you don’t train them too hard each time you work out. For example, you could do 3-4 hard sets close to failure one day and a couple of easy sets for mobility and warming up the next. This will give your muscles the time they need to rest, recover, and adapt to your more intense workouts.
Related: 12 Reasons to Do Push-Ups Every Day
3. Will yoga push-ups build muscle?
Provided you take your sets close to failure, yoga sets could help you build bigger pecs, delts, and triceps. However, this may entail doing high-rep sets, which is not the best use of your training time.
So, if you want to build muscle with yoga push-ups, choose a variation that takes you close to muscular failure in 20 reps or less. This will save you from doing long, inefficient workouts.
4. Are yoga push-ups safe?
Yoga push-ups should be safe for most exercisers. After all, with no barbell to come crashing down on your chest, they’re obviously much less risky than bench presses. That said, the overhead aspect of yoga push-ups means that they put some stress on your shoulders. So, if overhead presses bother your shoulders, yoga push-ups probably will, too.
If you have a history of shoulder pain, introduce yoga push-ups gradually and be prepared to drop them from your workouts if they bother your joints. However, people with healthy shoulders should have no problems with this exercise.
5. Are yoga push-ups better than regular push-ups?
While yoga push-ups differ from regular push-ups, that doesn’t mean they’re better. Yoga push-ups involve more shoulder and core engagement and also mobilize your hips and spine. Regular push-ups do not do this. However, if those benefits don’t interest you, it would be wrong to say that yoga push-ups are better.
In almost every instance, the best exercise is the one that delivers the results you want, is the safest, and that you enjoy. For some, this will be yoga push-ups; for others, regular push-ups will be the best.
Therefore, it’s up to you to determine which is the correct push-up for you.
Yoga Push-Ups – Wrapping Up
With so many types of push-ups to choose from, it can be hard to know which one to do. After all, they’re all excellent, and you can do most of them anywhere and anytime. Regular push-ups are most people’s first choice, but they have their limitations.
Yoga push-ups are an excellent exercise for working your chest, shoulders, and triceps while simultaneously mobilizing your hips and lower back. They’re also a little more core-centric than regular push-ups.
So, whether you’re bored of regular push-ups or just want a new challenge, why not give yoga push-ups a go? Try ‘em; we think you’re going to love ‘em!
Standing Dumbbell Fly Exercise Guide: How To, Benefits, Muscles Worked, and Variations
Close your eyes and think about an ideal free-weight chest workout. Chances are the training session includes the bench press, dumbbell press, dumbbell fly, and some variation of the incline or decline fly. All these exercises share something in common — they require a bench.
Busy folks that train during rush hours might not have the luxury of waiting for a bench. On the other hand, people that work in their minimal garage gyms might not have access to a bench.
Contrary to what most lifters think, you can train your pecs effectively without a bench with free weights; one of the best exercises to do this is the standing dumbbell fly.
Whether you don’t want to wait for your turn on the bench, don’t have a bench in your home gym, or want to try a new exercise to spark chest growth, the standing dumbbell fly has you covered.
The standing dumbbell fly is a versatile exercise that can be included in your chest, push, upper body, or full-body workouts. This movement demands decent core stability to perform correctly. Furthermore, going too heavy on the standing dumbbell fly can render the exercise ineffective.
You must follow a slow and controlled range of motion while using moderate weights to make the most of the standing dumbbell fly, making it an excellent exercise for beginners. It will also help improve your mind-muscle connection, which will carry over to other lifts.
In this article, we cover everything you need to learn about the standing dumbbell fly to make the most of this lift, including its benefits, the common mistakes, the muscles worked, how to perform correctly, and the best variations and alternatives.
What is a Standing Dumbbell Fly?
Developed pectoral muscles take your physique aesthetics to the next level. They add to your V-taper, draw eyes to your midsection, and improve your overall functionality. However, most lifters leave gains on the table during their chest workout as they chase weights and forget about using a full range of motion and contracting their muscles with each rep. The unique setup of the standing dumbbell fly fixes this. This exercise also improves your stability and balance. Furthermore, the range of motion of the standing dumbbell fly will make you strong enough to lift the love of your life in your arms.
The standing dumbbell fly is a standing low to high cable fly variation. To perform a standing dumbbell fly, assume a hip-width stance while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Maintain an upright torso, push your chest out, and raise your hands to shoulder level while maintaining a slight bend in your elbows.
You could also turn this exercise into a unilateral movement by working one side of your body at a time. Unilateral exercises are incredibly effective at fixing muscle and strength imbalances. While doing the single-arm variation of this lift, keep your other hand on your hip or hold onto a dumbbell for better balance.
Muscles Worked During Standing Dumbbell Fly
The standing dumbbell fly works the following muscles:
Chest
The pectoralis muscle consists of two muscles, the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. The pectoralis major is a fan-shaped superficial muscle in the front of your chest wall. On the other hand, the pectoralis minor is triangular and located under the pectoralis major.
The standing dumbbell flys mainly target the pectoralis major, which helps with the adduction, or depression, of the arm and arm rotation forward about the axis of the body.
Shoulders
The standing dumbbell fly is an isolation exercise that restricts movement to the shoulder joint. Since this exercise involves movement in the sagittal plane, it results in anterior deltoid recruitment.
Biceps
This dumbbell fly variation involves maintaining a slight bend in your elbows throughout the range of motion. You might experience a slight biceps engagement during the movement’s concentric (upward) part while performing this exercise, especially while lifting heavy.
Benefits of Standing Dumbbell Fly
Adding the standing dumbbell fly to your exercise arsenal entails the following advantages:
Helps Build Muscle Mass
The standing dumbbell fly is an isolation exercise that can help build muscle mass and improve your conditioning. Perform 3-5 sets and 8-12 reps of this exercise once weekly using appropriate weight to induce hypertrophy. [1]
Beginner-Friendly
This dumbbell fly variation involves lifting light to moderate weights while focusing on your form, making it an excellent exercise for beginners. You must readjust your form if you don’t feel your chest muscles contracting with each rep. Use this exercise as an opportunity to polish your mind-muscle connection.
Variety
Most free-weight chest exercises require lying on a bench. The unique stimulus of the standing dumbbell flies can shock your muscles, sparking new muscle tissue growth. Plus, it is a versatile exercise that can be added as an accessory lift in most training programs. Since it requires only dumbbells, the standing dumbbell fly is incredibly convenient.
How To Do Standing Dumbbell Fly
This is how to perform the standing dumbbell fly with the correct form:
Steps:
Stand upright with a shoulder-wide stance.
Grab a dumbbell in each hand with a supinated (palms facing forward) grip.
Tuck your chin slightly, pull your shoulders back and down, and push out your chest.
Maintain a slight bend in your elbows and lift your arms toward the ceiling until your hands are at shoulder level.
Your hands should move toward the center line of your body during the upward motion and should be next to each other at the top.
Focus on contracting your pecs throughout the range of motion.
Pause and squeeze the life out of your chest at the top.
Slowly return to the starting position.
Repeat for recommended reps.
Standing Dumbbell Fly Tips:
Avoid touching the dumbbells at the top, as it will remove the tension from your chest and put it on your shoulders.
Keep your core and glutes braced throughout the range of motion for optimal stability and balance.
Many lifters make the mistake of extending their elbows at the bottom. Your elbows should be slightly bent throughout the ROM.
Breathe in during the concentric (upward) motion and exhale during the eccentric (downward) motion.
To prevent trapezius muscle activation, refrain from shrugging your shoulders as you lift your arms.
In This Exercise:
Target Muscle Group: Chest
Secondary Muscle Groups: Shoulders and Biceps
Type: Strength
Mechanics: Isolation
Equipment: Dumbbells
Difficulty: Beginner
Best Rep Range: 8-12
Common Mistakes While Performing Standing Dumbbell Fly
Avoid these lapses to make the most of the standing dumbbell fly:
Going Too Heavy
The standing dumbbell fly is an isolation exercise. Using heavier dumbbells than you can handle comfortably can remove tension from your pecs and put it on your shoulders and biceps. For optimal results on this lift, use a moderate weight and focus on contracting your pecs with every rep.
Leaning Forward
Many lifters tend to lean forward while performing this exercise. However, it can result in greater deltoid engagement and remove tension from your chest. You must maintain an upright torso and push your chest out to work your pecs.
Holding the Dumbbells Too Tight
Squeezing the dumbbell handles too hard can fire up your forearms and biceps. Additionally, since you’ll maintain a slight bend in your elbows, it can result in a biceps pump. Use a false (thumbless) grip if you feel excessive forearm engagement while performing this exercise.
Variations and Alternatives of Standing Dumbbell Fly
Add the following standing dumbbell fly variations and alternatives to your training regimen to build a full and round chest:
Standing Low To High Cable Fly
This chest movement is the closest alternative to the standing dumbbell fly exercise. The cables help keep constant tension on your muscles throughout the range of motion.
Steps:
Set the cable pulleys at the lowest setting and hook up a D-handle attachment.
Grab a handle in each hand, walk to the pulley machine’s center, and then take a step forward. The cable should be taut at the starting position.
Your hands should be at the sides of your thighs at the starting position.
While maintaining a slight bend in your elbows, lift your arms until your hands are at shoulder level.
Pause and contract your pecs throughout the range of motion.
Slowly return to the starting position.
Rinse and repeat.
Pro Tip: Slow down the exercise’s eccentric (lowering) motion for optimal pectoral engagement.
Pec Deck Fly
Since the pec deck fly machine follow a fixed movement path, it is a beginner-friendly chest exercise. The fixed movement trajectory allows you to focus on establishing a mind-muscle connection with your pectoral muscles and contracting them throughout the ROM.
Steps:
Set the seat of the pec deck machine at a height so that the machine handles are at shoulder level.
Grab the handles with a neutral (palms facing inward) grip.
Push out your chest slightly.
While maintaining a slight bend in your elbows, bring your hands together.
Pause and contract your pecs at the top.
Slowly return to the start position.
Pro Tip: Keep your shoulder blades pinched throughout the exercise. Rounded shoulders take tension off your pecs.
Check out our complete pec deck fly guide here!
Barbell Fly
Although this exercise requires barbells, it is a bodyweight movement. Besides annihilating your pecs, the barbell fly will engage your core and help improve your balance and stability.
Steps:
Place two barbells together on the floor.
Add a weight plate on the same end of both barbells.
Get into a push position while holding the barbells a few inches below their necks on the weighted sides.
The non-weighted ends of the bars should be between your feet.
Slowly roll out the bars and lower your chest as close to the floor as possible.
Pause at the bottom.
Bring the bars back to the starting position. Pause and contract your pecs at the top.
Repeat for reps.
Pro Tip: Place a weight plate on each side to keep the bars from rolling too far out. The weight plates on the floor will act as guard rails.
Check out our complete barbell fly guide here!
Flat Bench Dumbbell Fly
This is a staple exercise in most chest training routines. It helps develop your inner chest, giving it a fuller appearance.
Steps:
Lie supine on a flat bench while holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip.
Extend your arms so they are perpendicular to the floor.
While maintaining a slight bend in your elbows, lower your arms to your sides.
Pause at the bottom.
Explode back to the starting position. Contract your pecs at the top.
Rinse and repeat.
Pro Tip: Keep your rhomboids pinched together as if holding a pencil between them. This will improve your chest stimulation.
Check out our complete flat bench dumbbell fly guide here!
Incline Dumbbell Fly
The upper pecs are a lagging muscle group for most lifters. Not only does the incline dumbbell fly improve your upper shelves, but it also enhances your muscle separation.
Steps:
Set the back of an incline bench at a 45-degree angle with the floor.
Lie on the bench holding a dumbbell in each hand using a neutral grip.
Extend your arms so they are perpendicular to the floor.
While maintaining a slight bend in your elbows, slowly lower the bar toward the floor.
Return to the starting position.
Repeat for reps.
Pro Tip: Many lifters make the mistake of holding the dumbbells at an angle, which removes tension from their chest and puts in on their anterior deltoids. Your arms should be at a 90-degree with the floor for optimal chest engagement.
Check out our complete incline dumbbell fly guide here!
Wrapping Up
The standing dumbbell fly is an unorthodox exercise that can spark new growth in your chest. Perform 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps of this exercise with moderate weights to put you in the sweet spot for gaining muscle mass and conditioning.
You must follow a full range of motion to get optimal results. Furthermore, switch this exercise with the alternatives and variations mentioned in this article to target your pectoral muscles from different angles and fast-track your pectoral growth.
References
Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A. Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Dec 4;16(24):4897. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16244897. PMID: 31817252; PMCID: PMC6950543.
Dexter Jackson Maintains Herculean Chest With This Training Routine
Veteran bodybuilder Dexter Jackson has transformed his physique into a lean and athletic one from the heavily muscled Mr. Olympia body in recent years. He is now sharing the training regimen that helps him stay in shape at 54. Recently, Blade posted a video of his chest training session on YouTube.
Jackson is a retired IFBB Pro bodybuilder from the USA that competed in the Men’s Open division of the IFBB Pro League. In a career spanning over two and a half decades, he has won several Pro shows including the prestigious Mr. Olympia competition. Jackson hovered around the top three space for a long stretch of his bodybuilding career and gave dominant Mr. Olympia champions like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler a run for their money.
Dexter’s sole Mr. Olympia win came in 2008 when he dethroned 4-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler. Apart from that, he has secured the Arnold Classic title a whopping five times in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013, and 2015.
Since retiring from the sport after a ninth place finish at the 2020 Olympia, Blade has been prioritizing health and shed a significant amount of muscle mass in favor of long term health. Arthritis of the back was keeping him from going hard in the gym for a while. However, the Jacksonville native is now able to lift heavy after receiving stem cell therapy in Columbia a few weeks ago.
The former Mr. Olympia is active on social media and gives insights into his training routine through workout videos. Recently, he familiarized the followers with his chest training routine. So let’s check out which exercises help Dexter Jackson look lean and mean at 54.
Dexter Jackson’s Chest Training Circuit
Jackson is slowly increasing the amount of weight in his exercises after the stem cell therapy. Additionally, he has inclined more towards machine exercises off late to take the stress off the joints. The 54-year-old’s chest workout is an efficient combination of pressing and flying movements for complete development. He likes to keep the rep range between eight to twelve but ends up doing ten reps on most of the exercises.
Hammer Strength Iso Flat Bench Press
Jackson’s chest training circuit starts with this compound exercise on the plate-loaded machine. The exercise primarily targets the pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, and triceps muscles. Both arms and weight stacks of an iso-lateral machine move independently, which helps eliminate strength imbalances.
Machine chest press activates only about 79 percent of muscles compared to the bench press, which is ranks at the absolute top. However, chest press machines provide a much more stable environment. Also, they reduce overall workout time as the setup does not require elaborate preparation.
Additionally, studies have found that machine and free-weight exercises are equally effective in increasing muscle thickness and strength over long periods of time.
Jackson performs 4 sets of iso flat bench press with incrementally heavier weights and takes up the second and final pressing exercise of the day.
Machine Incline Chest Press
Incline chest press targets the clavicular head of the pectoralis major muscles, commonly known as the upper pecs. As per popular belief, an incline in the bench angle helps emphasize the upper pecs more than the other parts of the pectoralis major muscles. However, there is conclusive evidence which shows that the upper pecs experience higher muscle activity when the bench is inclined at an angle of 30 degrees. Additionally, incline press also increases anterior deltoid engagement.
Dexter Jackson performs four sets of incline chest press maintaining a ten rep range. After finishing with the exercise for filming the video, he spoke about the effects of competitive bodybuilding training on his joint health and what he did to prevent further deterioration. Jackson said:
“All the free weight stuff with heavy weights that I used to do, really really tore my joints up. So if you guys got joint pain and you’re looking to ease the pain, make sure you try and do some more Machine work. That’ll take a lot of stress off the joints versus free weight.”
Following this, he took to flyes and performed two variations of machine flyes.
Arsenal Strength Incline Flyes
While chest press improves the pushing strength of the upper body muscles, flyes contribute significantly towards developing the adduction ability of the upper body. Although flyes come nowhere close to the chest press in terms of pectoral, triceps, and anterior deltoid muscle activation, they stimulate biceps brachii to a far greater degree. Jackson performs the arsenal strength incline flyes maintaining a similar rep range of ten for four reps and moves on to the final exercise of the day.
Decline Cable Flyes
The 54-year-old performs four more sets of standing decline cable flyes. This exercise adds the final bit of stimulus to the chest muscles. It is an isolation movement that distributes the load evenly throughout the range of motion. Decline cable flyes serve as the fisher to Dexter Jackson’s training routine. He wraps up the training session after pushing through this exercise.
The chest training circuit follows this exercises sequence and rep range:
Hammer strength Iso Flat Bench Press (4 sets of 10 reps)
Machine Incline Chest Press (4 sets of 10 reps)
Arsenal Strength Incline Flyes (4 sets of 10 reps)
Decline Cable Flyes (4 sets of 10 reps)
Dexter Jackson has set a positive example for the young bodybuilders to follow when they eventually walk away from the sport. His admission about transitioning to machines to preserve joints, downsizing to a more normal human size and revelations about PED use will certainly help others realize the need to make changes in time.
You can watch the full workout video here, courtesy of Dexter Jackson’s personal YouTube channel:
References
Rodríguez-Ridao D, Antequera-Vique JA, Martín-Fuentes I, Muyor JM. Effect of Five Bench Inclinations on the Electromyographic Activity of the Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, and Triceps Brachii during the Bench Press Exercise. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Oct 8;17(19):7339. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17197339. PMID: 33049982; PMCID: PMC7579505.
Schwanbeck, Shane R.1; Cornish, Stephen M.2; Barss, Trevor3,4,5; Chilibeck, Philip D.1. Effects of Training With Free Weights Versus Machines on Muscle Mass, Strength, Free Testosterone, and Free Cortisol Levels. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 34(7):p 1851-1859, July 2020. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003349
Top 3 Most Effective Chest Exercises (Solely funded by a grant from American Council of Exercise) (Authors – Whitnee Schankee, John P. Porcari, Emmanuel Felix, Charles Hendrix and Carl Foster)
Published: 17 May, 2023 | 10:48 AM EDT
Band Push-Up Exercise Guide: Muscles Worked, How-To, Benefits, and Variations
The bodyweight push-up has long been the standard by which calisthenics fitness is measured. However, the one major downside is that once you can do so many, their potency wears off, and you’ll need something more to stimulate gains. Sure you could modify your body position, switch to one-arm push-ups, or slow down your tempo,…
Incline Hex Press Exercise Guide: How To, Benefits, Muscles Worked, and Variations
Nothing says ‘ripped’ better than a striated chest. The problem is that most folks limit their chest workouts to the bench press, dumbbell press, and machine press, and although these exercises are great for building chest size and strength, they aren’t the best to improve your inner pecs.
The dumbbell fly is the most popular free-weight exercise for improving inner chest conditioning. However, it is far from perfect. Most exercisers can only lift half on this exercise of what they can on the dumbbell press. Try to push the envelope on the dumbbell fly, and you’ll feel more tension in your shoulder rotator cuffs and biceps than your pecs.
The dumbbell hex press is the perfect fix to this problem. This exercise requires you to press two dumbbells into each other while holding them over your chest using a neutral (palms facing each other) grip. Since this exercise requires you to squeeze two dumbbells together, it is also known as the “squeeze press.”
The upper chest is a lagging muscle group for most people. Even when lifters succeed in building half-decent upper pecs, their upper inner chest definition is non-existent. The incline hex press fixes this!
The incline hex press promotes a better mind-muscle connection with your pecs as you’ll actively press the dumbbells into each other, leading to a sick muscle pump. The blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the working muscles, boosting hypertrophy.
In this article, we go over everything you need to know about the incline hex press, including its benefits, most common mistakes, muscles worked, and the best variations and alternatives for adding variety to your workouts.
What is an Incline Hex Press?
The incline hex press is a dumbbell press variation that focuses on the upper-inner pecs, which is an underdeveloped muscle group for a majority of lifters. You perform this lift on an incline bench set at a 45-degree angle with the floor.
The hex press got its name from the hexagonal dumbbells that are used to perform this exercise. You could also perform the incline hex press with round plate dumbbells; it can, however, increase your triceps engagement as you’ll constantly have to balance the weights throughout the range of motion.
Since the hexagonal dumbbells have flat sides, they stay in place while you’re squeezing the two dumbbells together. Pressing two round dumbbells into each other can result in the dumbbells slipping.
The incline squeeze press might look finicky, but it will set your inner pecs on fire. Unlike the conventional dumbbell press exercises that limit the pectoral muscle contraction to the top of the movement, the incline hex press keeps your muscles under constant tension throughout the range of motion.
Muscles Worked During Incline Hex Press
The incline hex press works the following muscles:
Chest
The incline hex press primarily works your pectoral muscles. The exercise setup and your hand placement will emphasize your upper-inner chest. You must follow a full range of motion for optimal pec stimulation.
Shoulders
Incline chest press exercises result in anterior deltoid engagement. If you feel greater tension in your front delts than your upper-inner pecs, lower the incline of the bench and slow down your rep tempo.
Triceps
All pressing movements involve the triceps; the incline hex press is no different. Avoid locking out your elbows at the top of the movement to limit your triceps engagement.
Benefits of Incline Hex Press
Adding the incline hex press to your training regimen entails the following benefits:
Build Muscle Mass and Strength
Doing the incline hex press regularly will help develop your upper chest and improve your physique aesthetics. Research has shown that performing 3-4 sets and 8-12 reps of an exercise using an appropriate weight is optimal for inducing hypertrophy. [1]
Keeps the Chest Under Constant Contraction
The incline hex press requires squeezing the dumbbells together throughout the range of motion. Actively pressing the dumbbells together keeps your inner pectoral muscles engaged for the duration of the exercise, resulting in sick muscle pumps. It is also more optimal for inducing muscle tissue growth than exercises where you can only contract your muscles once throughout the ROM.
Boosts Mind-Muscle Connection
Since you are actively squeezing the dumbbells during this exercise, it helps achieve a better mind-muscle connection, delivering better muscle pumps. Furthermore, this enhanced mind-muscle connection will also carry over to other exercises.
Your Elbows are Less Likely to Flare
Many lifters tend to flare their elbows during conventional chest press exercises, such as the barbell bench press and dumbbell bench press. Not only does flaring your elbows remove tension from your chest, but it also overexerts your shoulder rotator cuffs, increasing your odds of injury. Because you’ll be pressing the dumbbells against each other in the incline hex press, your elbows will automatically pull into your sides, allowing better pectoral engagement.
How To Do Incline Hex Press
This is how to perform the incline hex press with the correct form:
Steps:
Set the upper pad of an incline bench at a 45-degree angle with the floor.
Lie supine on the bench with your feet flat on the floor while holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral (palms facing each other) grip.
Maintain the natural curvature of your spine, as it will help in better upper pec stimulation.
Hold the dumbbells over your chest and press them into each other.
While pressing the dumbbells into each other, extend your elbows and raise the dumbbells toward the ceiling.
Your arms should be perpendicular to the floor at the top of the movement.
Pause and contract your pecs at the top.
Slowly return to the start position.
Repeat for recommended reps.
Incline Hex Press Tips:
Keep your core braced throughout the exercise. It will improve your balance and stability.
Avoid locking out your elbows at the top, as it will remove the tension from your pecs and put it on your elbows and shoulders.
There should be enough distance between your lower back and the bench for your hand to pass through. This ensures that your chest is raised, resulting in better pectoral engagement.
Keep your chin tucked in throughout the exercise. It will help contract your pecs.
Squeeze the dumbbells as hard as possible throughout the range of motion to get the most out of this exercise and achieve a nasty inner chest pump.
This exercise is as much about pressing the dumbbells into each other as it is about performing the dumbbell press movement.
In This Exercise:
Target Muscle Group: Chest
Secondary Muscle Groups: Shoulders and Triceps
Type: Strength
Mechanics: Compound
Equipment: Dumbbells
Difficulty: Beginner
Best Rep Range:
Hypertrophy: 8-12
Strength: 1-5
Common Mistakes While Performing Incline Hex Press
Avoid these lapses to reduce your risk of injury and make the most of the incline hex press:
Not Squeezing the Dumbbells
Due to being accustomed to the conventional pressing exercises, many lifters tend to focus more on the pressing movement rather than pressing the dumbbells into each other during the incline hex press, resulting in inadequate inner pec engagement.
Pressing at an Angle
Some exercisers push the weights up and in front of their chest during the concentric (upward) motion of the incline chest press. It is more evident in lifters whose shoulders overpower their chest. Pressing the dumbbells at an angle results in greater anterior delt engagement. You must make sure that the dumbbells move vertically throughout the exercise.
Going Too Heavy Too Soon
Lifting too heavy on the incline hex press will limit your range of motion and your ability to squeeze the dumbbells together. You must focus on nailing your exercise form to get the best bang for your buck in this exercise.
Variations and Alternatives of Incline Hex Press
Add the following incline hex press variations and alternatives to your training regimen to build a barrel chest:
Medicine Ball Incline Hex Press
The medicine ball incline hex press involves holding a medicine ball between the dumbbells. This variation allows you to maintain parallel forearms throughout the range of motion, reducing the strain on your shoulder rotator cuffs.
Steps:
Set the back of an incline bench at a 45-degree angle with the floor.
Sit on the bench while holding a dumbbell in each hand using a neutral grip and a medicine ball on your lap.
Squeeze the ball between the dumbbells, lie on the bench, and bring the ball and dumbbells over your chest.
While maintaining the natural curvature of your spine, press the dumbbells toward the ceiling.
Make sure you press the medicine ball between the dumbbells throughout the range of motion.
Slowly return to the start position.
Rinse and repeat.
Pro Tip: Since this exercise requires holding a medicine ball between the dumbbells, ensure you use a weight you can control comfortably. You don’t want the ball crashing into your face between the reps.
Smith Machine Hex Press
The Smith machine hex press is a great exercise for advanced lifters as it allows you to go super heavy. You will need a V-handle bar for this exercise.
Steps:
Place a flat bench under the Smith machine barbell, so it is perpendicular to the bar.
The bench should be placed on one side of the barbell.
Place your upper back on the bench and your feet on either side under the bar.
Adjust the V-handle under the bar so it is above and in the center of your chest. Grab the handle with a supinated grip.
Ask your training partner to unrack the barbell.
Slowly lower the bar to your chest.
Press the bar to the ceiling.
Repeat for recommended reps.
Pro Tip: You must focus on pushing your hands toward each other while performing this exercise to fire up your inner pecs.
Incline Plate Press
The plate press is an excellent exercise for beginners who can’t balance the dumbbells in the hex press and folks who don’t have access to dumbbells.
Steps:
Lie on your back on an incline bench.
Hold a weight plate over your chest between your palms so it is in the center of your chest.
Your hands should be at the center of the weight plate, and the plate should touch your chest at the bottom.
While pressing your hands into the plate, extend your elbows.
Pause and contract your pecs at the top.
Slowly return to the starting position.
Repeat for recommended reps.
Pro Tip: Since you’ll be holding the plate at its center, it will limit your range of motion compared to using dumbbells. You can compensate for it by squeezing your pecs for longer at the top.
Svend Press
The Svend press is a variation of the plate press. It is done standing and involves pressing two weight plates into each other.
Steps:
Stand upright with a shoulder-wide stance.
Hold two 5-10-pound weight plates between your palms.
Press the plates together and hold them in front of your chest.
Extend your arms in front of you so they are parallel to the floor.
Slowly return to the starting position.
Pro Tip: Press your hands actively into the plates throughout the range of motion for optimal inner chest stimulation.
Check out our complete Svend press guide here!
Incline Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Press
Some people experience shoulder rotator cuff discomfort while performing the conventional dumbbell press. The neutral-grip dumbbell press pulls your elbows toward your sides, reducing the strain on the troubled muscles and tendons.
Steps:
Lie on an incline bench while holding a dumbbell in each hand using a neutral grip.
The dumbbells will be at the sides of your chest and over your shoulders at the starting position.
Lift the dumbbells toward the ceiling by extending your elbows. Bring the dumbbells together during the concentric (upward) movement.
Pause and contract your pecs at the top.
Slowly return to the starting position.
Repeat for recommended reps.
Pro Tip: Ensure that the dumbbells are moving straight up and down. Lifting the weights at an angle reduces the tension on your upper pecs and puts it on your front delts.
Check out our complete neutral-grip dumbbell press guide here!
Decline Close-Grip Push-Up
This is an incredibly effective exercise for folks who train at their homes and do not have access to weights. The decline close-grip push-ups focus on your upper inner pecs without overtaxing your joints.
Steps:
Place your feet on an elevated surface like a chair or table.
Place your hands next to each other on the floor. Your thumbs should be touching.
Your body, from head to heels, should be in a straight line throughout the exercise.
Slowly lower your chest to the floor by bending your elbows.
Your chest should be touching or a few inches off the floor at the bottom.
Return to the starting position.
Rinse and repeat.
Pro Tip: Perform this exercise on parallettes to increase your range of motion and better stimulate your inner pecs.
Check out our complete close-grip push-up guide here!
Wrapping Up
The incline hex press is an incredibly effective exercise for working your upper-inner pecs. It keeps constant tension on your target muscles throughout the range of motion without overburdening your shoulder rotator cuffs.
The incline hex press can also boost your mind-muscle connection, which will carry over to other exercises. Add this movement or one of its alternatives and variations in each training session to bring up your inner pectoral muscles. Best of luck!
References
Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A. Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Dec 4;16(24):4897. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16244897. PMID: 31817252; PMCID: PMC6950543.
The 9 Best Chest Exercises to Build a Superhero Chest
These are the 9 best chest exercises that will build you the chest of Thor.
Every gym bro’s favorite exercise in the gym is the bench press. The bench press is one of the big three lifts, along with squats and deadlifts, and it’s a good indication of one’s overall strength. And you use your chest muscles to push most of the load in this movement. Although the bench press is a crucial component of building a chiseled chest, there are a variety of chest exercises that will develop and strengthen your chest. Plus, they’ll improve your bench press. The problem is choosing the correct movements and omitting the rest. This article will cover the 9 best chest exercises to build a chest like Thor.
Best Chest Exercises
Barbell Bench Press
Wide Grip Bench Press
Decline Barbell Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Flyes
Incline Barbell Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Dumbbell Flyes
Dumbbell Bench Press
Cable Crossover
Barbell Bench Press
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The barbell bench press is the most popular chest exercise. It’s part of the “big three”–along with squats and deadlifts–and it’s a good indicator of one’s overall strength. The barbell will let you load up on a lot of weight to vastly improve your chest and strength size compared to other exercises like the dumbbell fly (1). Plus, the shoulder-width grip will balance the weight of the barbell, further enabling you to use heavier weights. You’ll also target your shoulders and triceps as secondary muscles.
Benefits of the Barbell Bench Press
This movement lets you use heavy weight since you’ll be able to use a shoulder-width grip and barbell.
It’s a compound movement.
This exercise targets your triceps and shoulders as well.
How to Do the Barbell Bench Press
You’ll load a barbell with plates on either side. Then, you’ll lie flat on a bench and grasp a barbell shoulder-width apart. Next, lift the barbell and lower it to mid-chest level. Once the barbell touches your chest, press it back up.
Wide Grip Barbell Bench Press
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The wide grip bench press is similar to the barbell bench press with a medium grip (shoulder-width); however, as the name suggests, you’ll grab the barbell with a wider grip. A wider grip will engage more of your chest muscles. You’ll also bring the barbell through less range of motion and increase shoulder stability.
Benefits of the Wide Grip Barbell Bench Press
It’s less range of motion.
This movement recruits more of the muscles in your chest.
The wider grip stabilizes your body more.
How to Do the Wide Grip Barbell Bench Press
Lie on your back on a flat bench and set your eyes to look directly at a fixed barbell. Grab the barbell wider than shoulder-width and lift it off (starting position). Lower the barbell to your mid-chest, then press it back to the starting position.
Decline Barbell Bench Press
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The decline barbell bench press is done with a medium grip but with a bench set at a decline. This decline will target your lower chest muscles. Also, the angle of the bench allows lifters to press more weight than the standard barbell flat bench press. Moreover, the downward slope of this exercise places less strain on your shoulders.
Benefits of the Decline Barbell Bench Press
The decline bench press activates your lower pecs.
You can lift more weight on this movement.
You’ll have decreased shoulder stress.
How to Do the Decline Barbell Bench Press
Secure your feet into the decline bench set up and lie flat back on a bench at a decline. You’ll then grab the barbell with a medium grip and lower the load to your sternum. Next, press the barbell up without locking out your elbows.
Incline Dumbbell Flyes
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The incline dumbbell fly is performed with dumbbells at an incline. The incline will engage your upper pecs, and the biomechanics of the movement will isolate your chest muscles. It’s great for adding additional volume to your pectoralis major (pecs).
Benefits of the Incline Dumbbell Flyes
This exercise isolates your chest muscles.
The dumbbell incline fly targets your upper chest muscles.
How to Do the Incline Dumbbell Flyes
Set a bench to an incline to a 30-45 degree angle. Then, grab dumbbells and sit them on your thighs. Next, lie flat and lay your shoulder blades against the bench with your head resting on the seat, and straighten your arms to put the dumbbells overhead. Keep your feet balanced on the floor and lower your arms in an arc angle until you feel a stretch in your chest, then bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows to reduce tension in your shoulders.
Incline Barbell Bench Press
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The incline barbell bench press is between a standard barbell bench press and a military press. As the name implies, you’ll bench press a barbell at an incline. The heavy load of the barbell at an incline will strengthen your upper pectoralis major (largest chest muscle). Also, the incline will be more taxing for your shoulders.
Benefits of the Incline Barbell Bench Press
It will target more of your upper pecs compared to the flat bench.
You’ll engage your shoulder muscles.
How to Do the Incline Barbell Bench Press
The barbell incline bench press is performed the same way as the flat bench press, except at an incline. First, find a barbell rack with a bench set at a 45-degree angle. Next, unload the weight, bring the barbell down in a controlled manner to your upper chest and then push the load up.
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
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The incline dumbbell bench press is performed just as the barbell incline bench press is done, except you’ll replace the barbell with dumbbells. Dumbbells will allow you to correct any muscular imbalances and challenge your stability muscles and core more. Again, as with the incline barbell bench press, this exercise activates your upper chest muscles.
Benefits of the Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
The incline dumbbell bench press targets your upper chest muscles.
The dumbbells with increase core activation and activate your stability muscles.
How to Do the Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Fix a flat bench to a 45-degree angle and grab two dumbbells (one in each hand). Lie supine on a bench and raise the dumbbells above your upper chest. Next, lower them down below your clavicle until the dumbbells are just above your chest on the outside. Then, press the dumbbells up toward the center of your chest.
Dumbbell Fly
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The dumbbell fly is an accessory chest exercise that increases your chest definition, core strength, and muscular balance. It’s a chest opener movement, so it may reduce back pain and improve your thoracic range of motion. Also, it will activate your biceps (2).
Benefits of the Dumbbell Fly
It opens up your chest to reduce back pain and increase your range of motion.
This exercise adds size to your chest.
How to Do the Dumbbell Fly
Find a flat bench and sit on it while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Then lie down supine and extend your arms, almost parallel to the ground. Engage your chest muscles to bring the dumbbells above the center of your chest in an arc motion. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows.
Dumbbell Bench Press
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The dumbbell bench press is the barbell flat bench press with dumbbells instead of a barbell. So like the barbell bench press, this compound exercise targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. However, dumbbells will activate your stabilizers and core more and require more balance and coordination. Moreover, this 2021 study found that it can produce similar strength gains compared to the barbell bench press (3).
Benefits of the Dumbbell Bench Press
This movement will build mass in your chest, triceps, and shoulders.
It activates your core and stabilizers.
This exercise improves your proprioception.
How to Do the Dumbbell Bench Press
The weight will be heavier with a dumbbell bench press than with dumbbell flyers, so once you sit down on a bench with the dumbbells held in each hand. Place them perpendicularly on your thighs, then kick back one leg at a time while falling back to lay flat on the bench. Next, bring the dumbbells to your side without flaring your elbows. Lastly, press the weight up.
Cable Crossover
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The cable crossover is an exercise that squeezes your chest muscles together. Since it’s done on cables, it keeps tension on your pecs throughout the movement. Plus, it increases your range of motion. And the motion will hit your lower pecs more.
Benefits of the Cable Crossover
The cable crossover targets your lower pecs more than other chest exercises.
It will keep the tension equal through the full range of motion.
You’ll experience a greater range of motion.
How to Do the Cable Crossover
Fix two cable pulleys at the top. Grab the pulley on either side and keep your arms straight, with a slight bend in your elbows. Then, in a downward arc motion, bring the weight down until your hands meet in the middle and you feel your chest squeeze together.
About the Chest Muscle
The chest (pectoralis) muscle comprises four muscles: pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, and subclavius. The pectoralis major is the dominant fan-shaped muscle of your chest that stretches from your armpit to your collarbone and connects with your sternum. It’s responsible for moving your shoulder joint and attaching your arms to your body.
Specific movements will target different parts of your chest muscles more than others. For example, the barbell bench press will target your mid-chest the most, the barbell decline bench press will hit your lower chest the most, and the barbell incline bench press emphasizes your upper chest. In addition, a barbell will let you load your chest with more weight, and dumbbells will fix lagging chest muscles and activate your core and stabilizers more.
How to Progress Your Chest
It depends on your fitness level and goal when looking for ways to progress your pecs muscles. A beginner should start slow and keep the volume and intensity low. Advanced lifters can increase the volume and intensity as they continue a chest workout program. In general, it’s essential to increase the weight, volume, or reps to keep your chest growing and getting stronger.
Training Volume and Frequency
Beginners: Beginners can start targeting their chest muscles once a week and performing 4-5 exercises and 2-3 exercises each set.
Intermediate: Intermediate lifters can train their chest up to twice a week, except they should only perform 3-4 exercises and 2-3 sets each chest workout.
Advanced: Advanced lifters can train their chest muscles multiple times a week or have one or two big chest days, e.g., performing four sets of 3 different exercises twice a week. However, it’s still crucial for advanced lifters to be cautious of their recovery since resting is imperative for muscle growth.
Whether you’re doing a full-body workout or a split routine will determine how many chest exercises you do in a day. For example, a beginner may have three separate full-body workouts spread out throughout the week and only perform one chest exercise per workout. In contrast, an advanced lifter may have a particular chest day and perform 4-5 sets of 5-6 movements.
Rules to Follow
Protect Your Shoulders
When performing chest workouts, it’s essential to pay extra caution to protect your shoulders. That’s because your shoulders are involved in pushing/chest movements. Also, your shoulders are one of the most mobile joints in your body. And the more mobile your joints are, the more likely you are to get injured.
Warm-Up
A proper warm-up will increase the weight you’ll be able to lift on your chest exercises and protect your chest, triceps, and shoulders from getting injured. Start with light cardio for five minutes on a cardio machine of choice, e.g., elliptical, treadmill, etc. Then, perform 2-3 warm-up sets of the first exercise of your chest workout with a lighter weight.
Keep Your Elbows From Flaring Out
Flaring out your elbows during chest movements will increase your risk of injuring your shoulders. Therefore, when performing chest presses, such as barbell bench press and dumbbell bench press, keep your elbows in and don’t let them flare too far out. Keep in mind that the more inward they are, the more the exercise targets your triceps and the less it’s targeting your chest.
References
Solstad, T. E., Andersen, V., Shaw, M., Hoel, E. M., Vonheim, A., & Saeterbakken, A. H. (2020). A Comparison of Muscle Activation between Barbell Bench Press and Dumbbell Flyes in Resistance-Trained Males. Journal of sports science & medicine, 19(4), 645–651.
Solstad, T. E., Andersen, V., Shaw, M., Hoel, E. M., Vonheim, A., & Saeterbakken, A. H. (2020). A Comparison of Muscle Activation between Barbell Bench Press and Dumbbell Flyes in Resistance-Trained Males. Journal of sports science & medicine, 19(4), 645–651.
Heinecke, Marc L.1; Mauldin, Matthew L.2; Hunter, Monica L.3; Mann, J. Bryan4; Mayhew, Jerry L.3 Relationship of Barbell and Dumbbell Repetitions With One Repetition Maximum Bench Press in College Football Players, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: February 2021 – Volume 35 – Issue – p S66-S71 doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003539
Chris Hemsworth Shares Fast-Paced, Muscle Building Chest Workout
Chris Hemsworth continues to build muscle with intense workouts!
Chris Hemsworth has shown an incredible interest in fitness and this has led to him being one of the most shredded actors in Hollywood. It has also led to creating an app called CentrFit, where users can get different workouts to try. Recently, Hemsworth used his Instagram account to share a muscle-building chest workout.
The 38-year-old actor is known for his roles in Thor and The Avengers. Recently, he has been training for Extraction, along with some other projects. During the pandemic, Hemsworth and his team came up with the idea to begin CentrFit to show off some home workouts to use while the gyms were closed.
Hemsworth has continued to show off different exercises, such as agility and explosive strength. On his Instagram account for 55.1 million to see, Hemsworth has started to put his body through yoga and boxing workouts. This time, he kept it going with chest.
Chris Hemsworth Chest Workout
“I don’t care where you are, whether you’re at home, on a bus, on a train, or on a plane, I want to hear you yelling! So move it, get involved!” Chris Hemsworth shared.
Chris Hemsworth shared a clip showing off all exercises, along with sets and reps to perform. An energetic Hemsworth began by calling all viewers to give full effort over the course of the workout. He recommended resting for 60 seconds between each set.
Hemsworth was going through a rigorous training regimen and diet last year preparing for one of his Thor projects. Coach Luke Zocchi shared that Hemsworth was consuming up to 10 meals per day trying to build the necessary size for the big screen. It seemed to work as Hemsworth has been able to keep his shredded physique.
It is clear that Chris Hemsworth is going to continue to focus on fitness and share different workouts. There are many actors that can be trusted in giving out workouts because of their build and Hemsworth is near the top of the list.
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