How many reps of the flat bench cable fly should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Twelve reps for two or three sets covers it as a chest accessory, taken to the point where the last rep slows but the arc still reaches full width. Stack numbers do not travel between gyms, so set the weight by feel: if you cannot hold the handles together over your sternum for a second, it is too heavy.

What can I do instead of the flat bench cable fly?

A flat dumbbell fly is the obvious swap and needs no setup, though the load fades as the dumbbells come together. A pec deck gets you closer to the constant tension. At home, lie on the floor with a band running under your upper back and press the ends up and together over your chest.

What is the flat bench cable fly good for, and when should I pick something else?

Lying down takes balance out of the job, so the mid chest gets a long, evenly loaded arc from stretch to squeeze, which makes it strong hypertrophy work to close out a chest session. Pick something else when the gym is busy, since dragging a bench into a cable station ties up a lot of equipment for a light movement. It builds no pressing strength either, so keep the loads moderate and the reps honest.

Intermediate

Flat Bench Cable Fly

Setting a flat bench inside a cable station combines the deep stretch of a dumbbell fly with resistance that never lets up, so the mid chest stays loaded even at the fully adducted top. Lying on the bench takes balance out of the equation and lets you chase a hard squeeze rep after rep. It is an excellent accessory for adding chest detail and controlled volume.

Equipment: Bench, Cables
Body part: Chest
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Pectoralis Major Sternocostal
Browse by movement: Horizontal Adduction

How to do it

1
Set both pulleys to their lowest position and place a flat bench centered between them.
2
Grab a handle in each hand and lie back with arms extended up over your chest, palms facing each other.
3
Keep a slight, fixed bend in your elbows and lower the handles out to the sides in a wide arc.
4
Lower until your upper arms are about level with the bench and you feel a stretch across the chest.
5
Squeeze the chest to draw the handles back up and together over your sternum.
6
Stop just short of the handles touching to keep tension on the pecs.

Tips

Maintain the same elbow bend from start to finish so it stays a fly, not a press.
Cross the handles slightly at the top on some reps for a stronger inner-chest contraction.
Keep your shoulder blades pinned to the bench so the chest takes the stretch, not the shoulder joint.

Variations

Common mistakes

The bench drifts off center between sets, and once it does, one cable pulls harder than the other for the rest of the session; line it up with both stacks before you lie down.
The handles are drawn together over your throat or face rather than the sternum, which shifts the effort onto the front delts.
Low pulleys pull the arms down past the line of the bench at the bottom, and that last bit of range hangs off the shoulder joint rather than the chest.
Once the handles meet, the wrists roll and the hands knock into each other; keep them a fist apart with the knuckles facing up so the tension stays on the pecs.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the flat bench cable fly should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Twelve reps for two or three sets covers it as a chest accessory, taken to the point where the last rep slows but the arc still reaches full width. Stack numbers do not travel between gyms, so set the weight by feel: if you cannot hold the handles together over your sternum for a second, it is too heavy.
What can I do instead of the flat bench cable fly?: A flat dumbbell fly is the obvious swap and needs no setup, though the load fades as the dumbbells come together. A pec deck gets you closer to the constant tension. At home, lie on the floor with a band running under your upper back and press the ends up and together over your chest.
What is the flat bench cable fly good for, and when should I pick something else?: Lying down takes balance out of the job, so the mid chest gets a long, evenly loaded arc from stretch to squeeze, which makes it strong hypertrophy work to close out a chest session. Pick something else when the gym is busy, since dragging a bench into a cable station ties up a lot of equipment for a light movement. It builds no pressing strength either, so keep the loads moderate and the reps honest.

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