* Note: the cable fly is also known as the cable crossover. Both exercises follow the same movement pattern and that is why some people consider comparing them to see which is best. You build the most muscle at the bottom of the exercise when your pecs are in a stretch position and under tension.
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Are cable crossovers better than flies?
So, which is better? It depends on where you are with your workouts. For those needing to work on mind-muscle connection, go with the cable crossover. For those looking to overload the muscle, go for the dumbbell fly.
Is cable fly better than machine fly?
The machine fly has a few advantages over the cable fly. Not only is it a more stable lift than the cable fly, which tends to allow for heavier loading, but it also has a flatter strength curve. It’s not supposed to be easy at the bottom of the range of motion and nor disproportionally hard at the top.
What exercise can replace cable crossovers?
- Push-ups Plus.
- Resistance Band Crossover.
- Resistance Band Low Crossover.
- Dumbbell Chest Press.
- Standing One-Arm Landmine Press.
- Dumbbell Pullover.
- Dumbbell Chest Fly.
Are cable flys worth it?
Cable chest flys are also a great way to work your pectoral muscles while sparing your joints. “One of the main functions of the chest muscles is to adduct your arm across your body,” says Beachbody fitness expert Cody Braun. That’s exactly what the cable chest fly does.
Do cable crossovers build mass?
And despite what people have thought about the cable crossover before, you absolutely can build plenty of muscle and strength with it. So, feel free to use it as a main exercise in your chest workout. But, it’s still a great warm-up exercise as well and you’ll see results either way.
What are cable crossovers good for?
Cable crossovers target the pectoralis major muscles’ sternal heads, found in the bottom of your chest as well as activating muscles in your shoulder and back. The standing Cable crossover exercise recruits the third most muscle fibres in your chest, only behind bench press and flyes.
Should you cross your arms when doing cable flys?
You should begin a cable crossover with your arms extended and out wide, but with that very slight bend at the elbows. As you raise the weights and bring your hands forward and together, your hands should follow an arced path instead of a straight line (a motion some trainers compare to hugging a big tree).
Are cable flys better than bench press?
First, using full ROM can stimulate more stretch-mediated hypertrophy. However, flys actually achieve greater a greater pec stretch than bench presses. Most people don’t achieve a full pec stretch with the barbell bench press, as the barbell can’t go down further than your chest.
Do cable flys work biceps?
You can design a split in any number of ways, one of which is to “split” the upper body so that on Mondays, for example, you work back, triceps and shoulders, and Wednesdays you work chest and biceps. Flyes are an ideal exercise to work on your chest and bicep day as they involve both muscle groups.
Are chest flys worth doing?
The dumbbell chest fly can help open up your chest muscles. Chest openers may help reduce upper back pain, increase range of motion, and reduce tightness in the upper body. If you’re doing dumbbell chest flies as a way to open up your chest muscles, consider using lighter weights, or even no weights.
How do you mimic a cable crossover?

What muscles do cable Flyes work?
Cable fly has the involvement of a number of synergist muscles, these muscles include, rhomboids, levator scapulae, anterior deltoids, and latissimus dorsi. It is also assisted by are the biceps brachii, the brachialis, and the brachioradialis and Triceps.
What exercise can replace chest flys?
- Banded Fly.
- Floor Fly.
- Incline Bench Press.
- Push Up.
- Cable Fly.
- Wide Grip Bench.
- Plate Pinch Press.
Which fly is best for chest?
#8 Incline Dumbbell Flyes It targets the upper chest area which is most responsible for increasing the appearance of fullness in the upper chest. However, it is a “fly” movement that targets a small area of the chest and puts more tension on the rotator cuffs than the flat bench fly.
What’s the best fly workout?

Do chest flys build pecs?
The fly machine is ideal for increasing chest strength and muscle mass by targeting the pectoralis muscles. You have two sets of pectoral muscles on each side of the front of your chest: the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor.
Are cable crossovers the best chest exercise?

Why is cable crossover so hard?
Why are Cable Crossovers so Hard? The exercise is hard because (done properly) you isolate your pecs and they do all they work. The range of motion is arc shaped and the resistance from the cables is constant.
Can you build a chest with cables?
Instead, to build a bigger and stronger chest effectively and safely, do standing cable flyes. This machine move keeps tension on your chest muscles for both the lifting and lowering parts of each rep, which isn’t the case with free weights.
Do cable flys work the triceps?
The cable chest fly is a great exercise that is relatively simple to do and can yield lots of results when performed properly. As the name suggests, this exercise helps to tone and strengthen the muscles in the chest, but also targets the triceps and shoulder muscles.
What are 3 exercises for the triceps?
- Close-Grip Bench Press. Not only does this tricep exercise work on the targeted area, but it will also improve upon your chest and core.
- Cable Rope Tricep Pushdown.
- Lying Triceps Extension.
- Tricep Dips.
- Diamond Push-Ups.
- Bench Dip.
- One-Arm Overhead Extension.
- Standard Push-Up.
Do cable crossovers help bench?
In a study conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin, the bench press was regarded as the best exercise to activate the pectoralis major, with the cable crossover coming closely in 3rd position.
Why do cable crossovers hurt my shoulders?

Should you do cable crossovers?
The cable crossover is a great chest exercise because it stretches the pecs from the start position, hitting the outer pec muscle fibers. Your pulley position is determined by the area of the chest you want to target.