For most beginners, training chest & biceps is absolutely essential. Big chest + huge arms = alpha male. Obviously, this is not the case. While training your chest and biceps is important, other parts of the body should not be forgotten (or you end up like a goblin).
Did you know that the only way to grow your chest is by any fly movement? Every chest "press" should be seen as a fly movement.
Cable chest exercises: upper & lower chest, arms in full stretch or not, seated or standing? All of this will be answered in this blog, so be sure to read it from the beginning til the end.
Cable Chest Exercises: How & Why You Should Master Them
Why Cable Chest Exercises?
Cable chest exercises are perfect for refining the shape and structure of the chest. But did you know cable chest exercises are also essential for overall stability and mobility? Other key benefits of cable chest exercises are:
Improved shoulder stability & mobility: Cable chest exercises are extremely important for targeting many of the smaller stabilizing muscles around the shoulder joints, which also helps with other exercises.
Eliminate Imbalances: Cable exercises work unilaterally. This means that one-half of your body doesn't compensate for the other half, which eliminates any possible imbalances.
Increased Time Under Tension: Because you can't rest until the complete exercise is over, the time under tension (TuT) is far bigger. This stimulates the hypertrophic effect, increasing muscle mass *.
Safer & Less Stressful for Joints: Because cable chest exercises tend to place less load than bench or dumbbell presses, it is less stressful on the joints and therefore safer.
Improved Posture & Core Strength: Because most of the fly exercises are performed standing, it also targets your back and abs. Therefore, your overall body posture and strength increase as you fly through your gym (you get it, cable flies).
Essential Equipment and Set-up
There are multiple ways to perform any chest fly: dumbbells, cable stations, or even elastic bands. In this blog, we'll focus on the ones with cable stations.
Cable Equipment Overview
Cable Machine: either a single cable machine or a dual cable (crossover) is fine. However, we recommend you use a dual cable machine, because this supports the possible imbalances your body has.
Attachments: the only possible attachments there are when it comes to cable stations are fly handles (as the name suggests).
Setting Up The Cable Machine
Cable Height:
CABLE FLYES FOR LOWER CHEST: Make sure the cable is as high as possible.
CABLE FLYES FOR OVERALL CHEST: Make sure the cable is a bit lower than shoulder height.
CABLE FLYES FOR UPPER CHEST:
Make sure the cable is as low as possible.
Choosing the Right Weight:
As with all exercises in the gym: form > weight. Make sure to start without weight. I know it sounds silly, as we all want to be "that guy". But first, get the movement down and really start to think about your chest. Where & how do you feel it? Remember, while this exercise mostly targets your chest, you might feel it in your joints, triceps, or even biceps. This is completely normal, as long as it doesn't hurt.
Body Positioning
Stance:
Stability, that's what it's all about. We always recommend stepping forward with 1 leg, while the other leg stays behind. This provides you with the most stability, while still primarily focussing on the chest muscles.
Grip:
Relatively easy if you ask us. Just thumb on top, and the other fingers underneath the handle. The so-called "suicide grip" (all the fingers underneath the handle), which is mostly used on bench presses, is unnecessary and only decreases stability.
Recommended Accessories
There are 2 options here: buying your own equipment at Amazon or going to your local gym. The last one requires minimal equipment, whereas the first one can be quite expensive but is more accessible of course.
DIY Gym | Membership Local Gym |
Best Cable Chest Exercises
#1: Standing Chest Flyes (High to Low & Low to High)
One of the most famous cable chest exercises is the standing cable chest exercise. This movement is the most functional exercise press movement you can do because it targets your abs and back as well. While training your chest, you also improve core stability, because you don't have a bench to rely on.
Most Used Muscle: Upper & Lower pecs, Front delt, Triceps, Serratus Anterior, Core.
Setup
For High to Low: Put the pulleys as high as possible.
For Low to High: Put the pulleys as low as possible.
Steps (Works for both)
Step 1: stand in the middle of the 2 cables and grab the 2 pulleys in 1 hand each.
Step 2: put one leg forward, as shown in the previous image. This increases stability and optimizes strength. Feel free to switch legs if you would like to.
Step 3: retract your shoulder blades, keep your head up, your chest forward, and your core engaged.
Step 4: your entire body should be stationary except your arms at this point.
Step 5: bend your elbows slightly, but not too much.
Step 6: press your hands together as you keep your entire body in the same position until your hands meet together.
Step 7: slow & steady. Don't rush it, the slower you perform the movement, the better it is for muscle growth.
This video from James Harrison (credits to him) shows it perfectly:
#2: Seated Cable Chest Flyes
In the second place, we have the seated cable chest flyes. This is a solid option if you want to hone the chest and avoid some of the imbalances you might have. However, it has to be said that this exercise limits your a little ROM (Range Of Motion) and does not improve your core stability as much as the standing chest flyes.
Setup
This one works the same as the standing chest flyes. The only difference is that you're on a bench. So again:
For High to Low: Put the pulleys as high as possible.
For Low to High: Put the pulleys as low as possible.
Most Used Muscle: Upper & Lower pecs, Front delt, Triceps.
Steps
Step 1: place your hands in a pronated grip (knuckles facing the way direction you are pushing the weight).
Step 2: retract your shoulder blades, keep your head up, and your chest forward.
Step 3: bend your elbows slightly, but not too much.
Step 4: press your hands together as you keep your entire body in the same position until your hands meet together.
Step 5: slow & steady. Don't rush it, the slower you perform the movement, the better it is for muscle growth.
Friend of the show, James Harrison, shows the best way to do them:
#3: Flat Bench Cable Flyes
Similar to the seated cable bench press, we have the flat cable bench press. This one is a personal favorite for a lot of people, because of the amount of stretch you get. It provides constant tension on the pectoral muscle, contrary to the flat dumbbell or bench press.
Setup
While most people suggest there is only one variation of this one, where you place a flat bench right at the center of the cable machine, you might experiment with this.
If you put the flat bench a little backward, you focus more on the lower pecs (chest muscle). Targeting upper pecs is not recommended.
Always make sure to experiment with little to no weight, to prevent yourself from nasty injuries.
Most Used Muscle: Pec Major, Triceps, Front Delt.
Steps
Step 1: grab the handles in a neutral grip (palms of your hands towards your body).
Step 2: bend arms to 90*, engage your core, retract your shoulder blades, and keep your head up.
Step 3: when going up, bend your arms from 90* to ~30-40*, stretching them out almost completely.
Step 4: at the top, actively squeeze your chest. Then slowly go back to your starting position and perform the exercise again.
"Thinking about your chest", doesn't it sound weird? It's called mind-muscle connection, and mainly comes down to squeezing the muscle. Because flat cable bench presses are more of a isolating movement to the chest, squeezing them promotes muscle growth. Take a look at this table below, based on a study of T-Nation.
* The numbers show the increased strength while actively focusing on the mind-muscle connection.
This video from Tiger Fitness shows the most optimal form for flat bench cable flyes, of course, credits to them for the clear explanation:
#4: Incline Bench Cable Flyes
The principle is the same as on the flat bench cable flyes. However, with this variation, you focus more on the upper chest and front delts. Be careful with this one: it is very injury-prone. If your shoulder can't hold the weight and it falls backward, you're out for months. The how-to of this part is IMPORTANT.
Setup
First, put the cables as far down as possible. Then, put the bench 1 slot above the flat bench. Your bench can be adjusted by pulling a handle or pressing a button. Put it on the 2nd "level". This is the best way to focus upper chest. If you put it higher, you'll train your front delts more than your upper pecs.
Most Used Muscle: Upper Pecs, Front Delts, Triceps, Serratus Anterior
Steps
Step 1: grab the handles in a neutral grip (palms of your hands towards your body).
Step 2: bend arms to 90*, engage your core, retract your shoulder blades, and keep your head up.
Step 3: when going up, bend your arms from 90* to ~30-40*, stretching them out almost completely.
Step 4: IMPORTANT: TUCK YOUR ELBOWS IN! Make sure to keep your elbows at 60*, or whatever feels okay for you. DON'T HOLD THEM AT 90*. This prevents your shoulder from falling back.
Again, we have a wonderful instruction video from Tiger Fitness for you to get an idea of what we're talking about:
#5: Single Arm Bent-Over Cable Pec Fly
I know it sounds difficult, but basically, it's a normal pec fly but with 1 arm. This way you can focus more on the mind-muscle connection. We recommend you use your other arm to "feel the squeeze" of your chest. By doing this, you increase the mind-muscle connection and therefore make more gains.
Setup
You don't need a double cable station for this. Put 1 just under your shoulder with a simple fly handle and you're good to go!
Most Used Muscle: Pec Major & Pec Minor (the inner part of your chest)
Steps
Step 1: align sidewards with the cable station.
Step 2: step away about half a meter from the cable station.
Step 3: grab the handle with your knuckles facing the cable station and the palms of your hands towards you.
Step 4: keep your elbow bend a little throughout the whole movement. Don't bend it.
Step 5: push your hand to the center of your body and SLOWLY move back, providing a good squeeze at the point with the most tension.
This video from Shytownfitness shows it the best:
#6: Cable Pullovers
Last but surely not least, we have the cable pullovers. The reason we put this this low on this list, is that this exercise is either a pull or push movement. Some people say it is push while other people argue that it is back exercise (to be fair, everything can be a back exercise if you do it wrong enough).
With that being said, it is worth noting that this exercise is great for your upper chest.
Setup
Grab a flat bench and a cable station. Put it far enough from the cable station so that you can stretch your arms in full without hitting the iron. Also, grab a so-called "triceps rope" and attach it to the cable station. That's it!
Most Used Muscle: Upper Chest, Triceps.
Steps
Step 1: grab the rope in a neutral grip before laying down on the bench. Otherwise, you'll not be able to grab the rope once you're ready to go.
Step 2: lay down on the bench with the rope in your hands (I know it looks stupid).
Step 3: start with stretched-out arms aligned with your head. Pull the rope with straight arms until it is directly above your chest.
Step 4: slowly return your arms in line with your head and notice the stretch in your lats and chest. Repeat after this.
This picture from Set for Set is the best way to show it:
Common Mistakes to Avoid
You can work your *ss off, and do 5, 10, 50, 1000 reps, but if you do all of them wrong, most of your effort is worth nothing. Most of this comes down to 5 simple mistakes: the 4 mistakes we're going to cover in this part of the blog.
#1: Elbow Bending
We've marked this a few times already in this blog, but we cannot emphasize this enough:
Do not bend your elbows too much!
It's okay to start with a slight bend, but as you perform the movement, stretching your arms is essential for muscle growth.
As you start bending your elbows more and more, you make more use of the biceps instead of the pec muscles. It's not called a fly movement to press the weight forward.
How To Fix This?
Always straighten your arms at the end of the movement (duh).
Keep in mind: chest forward, head up, retract your shoulder blades, and arms with a slight bend.
#2: Shoulders in Front of Chest
As you perform your flyes, your shoulders tend to move forward, especially in the last reps of your sets when you're chest muscle is screaming for help. On those occasions, your joints are there for the rescue.
We don't want that, remember?
By doing this, you put unwanted stress on the joints, making them more prone to injuries. Your shoulders are important for other exercises, don't waste them on flyes.
How To Fix This?
Make sure to keep a proud chest, by pushing it forward throughout the whole movement, and don't overextend your shoulders forward.
#3: Limiting Forward Reach
Yes, we know. The last part of the exercise is the hardest. However, by stopping before you reach full squeeze, you leave a lot of gains on the table. It's the most important part of the movement, so skipping it is not a great idea.
How To Fix This?
Full stretch -> full squeeze. No half reps. Every rep should be a full stretch in the beginning and a full squeeze at the end. If this is not possible, you should lower the weight.
#4: A Big Ego
Considering you've made it this far into the blog, I suppose you're not Arnold Schwarzenegger or Ronnie Coleman. Don't go too heavy! Always remember that form is way more important than weight.
If you've perfected your form, you can go higher in weight. Otherwise: stay where you are brotha!
How To Fix This?
Let someone check on your form. If you can do 10 -12 reps with solid form, only then it's time to go to a higher weight. But if you feel like you use too much momentum, swinging and struggling too much, you should first optimize this.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why should I include cable chest exercises in my workout routine?
What are the key benefits of cable chest exercises?
What equipment do I need for cable chest exercises?
Are cable chest exercises suitable for all fitness levels?
Can cable chest exercises help with posture and core strength?
What's the recommended stance and grip for cable chest exercises?
Which cable chest exercises target different chest areas?
What mistakes should I avoid during cable chest exercises?
How can I prevent injuries during cable chest exercises?
Is it necessary to feel the mind-muscle connection during cable chest exercises?
Conclusion
In essence, the inclusion of cable chest exercises in your workout routine extends far beyond the superficial goal of achieving a well-defined chest. These exercises emerge as comprehensive tools for enhancing upper body strength, stability, and overall muscle development. While the aesthetic benefits are undeniable, such as sculpting a visually appealing chest, the real magic lies in the functional advantages these exercises bring to the table.
The beauty of cable chest exercises lies in their ability to not only target major muscle groups but also engage the often-overlooked stabilizing muscles around the shoulders. This engagement not only contributes to a more robust physique but also promotes joint health by placing less stress on them compared to traditional bench or dumbbell presses.
As you navigate the array of exercises, from standing flyes to incline variations, the emphasis on correct form over sheer weight becomes a guiding principle, ensuring a safer and more effective workout. Thus, the cable machine transforms from a mere piece of gym equipment to a dynamic tool for sculpting not only muscles but also a foundation of stability, mobility, and holistic fitness.
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* References
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