Chest Fly Exercises

Depending on how you adjust the bench or whether use the gym machine (known as the pec dec or chest fly machine) for the workout, the chest fly can have at least four variations:

• Flat bench chest fly: this is the easiest version of the manual chest fly, but it is very effective for engaging all the chest muscles, arms and shoulders. When done correctly, it even helps to strengthen the core a bit. 
• Incline bench chest fly
• Decline bench chest fly
• Machine fly

The chest fly is one of the greatest exercises for the pectoral (chest) muscles. It stimulates the entire chest and opens up the arms and shoulders (especially the scapulas or shoulder blades). Other than that, a chest fly also targets the other muscles of the upper body such as the deltoids (at the top of shoulders and where the shoulders meet the arms) and triceps (the back portion of the upper arms).

It is a chest-opener exercise that not only stretches the chest muscles but also injects strengthen into the upper body. The motion of the chest fly develops scapular retraction (the shoulder blades are pulled back during the exercise). This improves posture and stability, which has a positive ripple effect, even while working at a desk or chatting on a phone or engaging in other behaviours that could - over time - result in repetitive strain injuries.

This exercise can be performed with dumbbells and a bench at home. However, there are other variations to target the different portions of the chest muscles. To target your upper chest, you should opt for an incline bench fly. A decline bench would be great to stimulate the lower pecs. And flat bench flies train the entire chest.

Hitting a body part without a proper warm-up can increase the risk of workout injuries. Before starting any exercise, perform some joint mobility exercises and exercise the muscles you are about to target - you can do this with lower intensity, lower weight movements than the actual workout. For chest workout, do chest expansion, push-ups, arm-stretch, and shoulder rotation.

Muscle worked

• Chest
• Shoulders
• Triceps

Equipment required

• A pair of dumbbell
• Flat bench, incline bench, and decline bench
• Pec fly machine

Intensity

• Low to high (beginner to professional)

Sets and reps

• 3 sets of 10-15 reps each

Technique for flat bench chest fly

• Grab a pair of dumbbells in each hand and lie down on your back on a flat bench.
• Keep your head and shoulders firmly on the bench, and maintain a neutral grip (palms facing each other) on the dumbells.
• Raise your arms till your hands are close to each other and directly over your chest. 
• Slowly bring the dumbbells down to the sides, to form a straight line with the arms and the chest.
• Hold for a few seconds, lift the arms back to the starting position. This is one rep.

Tip: Generally, people lift their neck while lifting up the weights. Try to avoid this to prevent neck pain or injuries.

Incline bench chest fly
The major differences between the flat bench and incline bench fly are the muscle worked and the angle of the bench. To target your upper pectorals, set the bench at a 45-degree incline. Lie down on your back with your head on the side that is higher. The movement of this exercise is similar to the flat bench fly.

Decline bench chest fly
This variation builds size in the lower chest. The movement of this variation is also similar to the flat bench chest fly. However, set the bench to a 45-degree angle below and anchor your legs in the designated roller pad of the decline bench. In this variation, your head should be resting on the side of the bench that is lower.

Technique for pec fly machine (butterfly)

• Set the seat height according to your comfort and make sure the handles are parallel to your shoulder level.
• Grab the handles in each hand with palms facing away from you.
• Pull out your chest and straighten your back.
• Drive both the handles towards each other until they reach in front of you.
• Hold for a few seconds and take the handles back to the starting position. This is one rep.

Tip: Do not bend your elbows throughout the movement. To avoid unnecessary pressure on your shoulders, ask a trainer to assist you in achieving the proper form.

Lifting heavier weights does increase the intensity of the exercise - it builds more muscle and is better for fat loss. However, performing the exercise with the correct movement is more important than quickly increasing the weights or lifting too heavy. The following are common mistakes people make while doing the chest fly and how to correct them:

• If you find that you are unable to make a wide-arch with your arms, try to reduce the weight or take the help of a gym instructor or workout buddy to perform the movement with the correct form. Try to stretch both arms as much as you can until your arms reach the shoulder level and avoid to arch your back while lowering down the weight.
• Keep your core engaged throughout the movement - you can do this by trying to suck your tummy in slightly till your back is touching the bench.
• Do not swing the dumbbells as it can injure your ligaments.
• Don't forget to breathe normally during the exercise. You can count the repetitions out loud to regularise your breath.
• Controlled movements are more beneficial in any strength training workout - do not rush through the repetitions just to complete the set. Take it slow and steady.
• Most importantly: lift according to your strength, choose a weight that challenges you just a little bit.
• While anyone can do this exercise, do check with your doctor beforehand if you have a chronic illness. Exercise has many benefits for people with chronic illness, but you should listen to your body and stop if you feel discomfort or pain at any point while doing the exercise.

The chest fly is one of the most important exercises to add to any chest workout. Whether you wish to get a well-defined, muscular chest or just counter the harmful effects of sitting at a desk for most of the day, this exercise gives your chest, shoulders and arms the much-needed strength to do it all.

Start with the flat bench fly or machine fly, but also include the incline and decline chest fly as you become more comfortable with the movement. This will ensure that you exercise all parts of the chest - upper, lower and middle chest - in a balanced way.

You can try all three - flat bench, incline bench and decline bench flies - on the same day as the pull-over exercise which also targets the chest, arms and shoulders. Together, these exercises can be your entire chest-day workout. It is difficult to over-emphasize the importance of stretching after a workout. So make sure you stretch and cool down afterwards.

Beginners may experience DOMS or delayed onset muscle soreness a few hours or even a day after the workout. Don't worry, this is normal. Make sure you do light intensity exercises the next day to get over the pain.