Standing Cable Flyes Question?

[candu]

I perform standing cable flyes.
The pulleys are about the height of my head and behind me. I slightly bend my arms and perform a flye motion with my arms slighty less than parallel to the ground.
How straight up should I stand and/or what kind
of angle should these be performed at?
Is this even a correct excercise for my chest?

 

[gopro]

This exercise is ok, but will not do much to add "real" development to your chest. You are better off with the heavy, basics for building muscle.

 

[Robboe]

Yesh, I agree, Mish Moneypenny.

Candu, are you saying that you do a lying flye movement, only you're standing up doing it?

 

[candu]

Yes, I try to mimic it as much as possible.
Should I just go with the dumbbells and lie down.

 

[nikegurl]

I always hear experienced trainers say that cable crossovers are a waste and it makes sense. If someone is new to training and has no chest development to speak of - they should be doing presses and not cable flyes. no doubt.

BUT I will say that I love to throw in only 2 or 3 sets of these at the end of my chest workout. I'm able to get a really intense contraction with these and I like it as a finisher. I'd never use it in place of a pressing move but it's nice at the very end for me b/c it doesn't hurt my shoulder (pec deck usually does) and I get a great squeeze at the bottom of the movement.

So not useless - just not a good foundation move in my opinion.

 

[candu]

Thanks for the responses.

I will go back to dumbells flyes.

 

[barc77]

Originally posted by gopro
This exercise is ok, but will not do much to add "real" development to your chest. You are better off with the heavy, basics for building muscle.

Do you think that flys lying down flat/incline or decline are good for adding mass to your chest? I just started doing flys a few weeks ago ( I thought I was doing them all along but I was actually doing dumbell presses), After doing flys my chest got sore, instead of just a tired feeling that I usually get. I would appreciate any feed back.
Thanks

 

[gopro]

Originally posted by barc77



Do you think that flys lying down flat/incline or decline are good for adding mass to your chest? I just started doing flys a few weeks ago ( I thought I was doing them all along but I was actually doing dumbell presses), After doing flys my chest got sore, instead of just a tired feeling that I usually get. I would appreciate any feed back.
Thanks

Yes, I think heavy flyes...6-8 reps to failure...are good for building the chest. They are best done after heavy pressing in most cases. People usually go too light on these. Don't be afraid to use some good weight...BUT KEEP GOOD FORM...DO A FLYE, NOT A PRESS. I will go as high as 110 lb dumbells on flat flyes!

 

[barc77]

Damn, 110 lbs dumbells, I am impressed. After a set of 6 with 45's I feel like I am going to pass out. I have been doing 3 sets of flys after doing bench. I will stick with that and hopefully keep adding more weight.

Thanks for the advice

 

[Scotty the Body]

Here's a link to standing cable fly:
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/CBStandingFly.html

 

[candu]

The cable setup I was using was different than that. The pulleys were on the wall behind you so I could not get that identical motion. I performed the exercise with my arms more parallel to the floor than that and joined my hands out in front of my chest. That's where I had concerns.

 

[Scotty the Body]

Sounds the same as a lying fly, http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/CBLyingFly.html
But in a standing position because of the set up.
Yes, these are ok as well.

 

[twarrior]

Pyramid flye's and presses

I've been given some advice that doing pyramid flyes and presses with dumbells wil increase mass quicker. I have been starting with 40's x10, then 45 x 10 then 50 x 10. Then I work back down, 45x10 and 40x10. After that I am wiped out. I've also notice that some of the times my arms give out before my chest does. Should I drop the poundages to get better chest contractions???



Twarrior

 

[gopro]

Originally posted by candu
The cable setup I was using was different than that. The pulleys were on the wall behind you so I could not get that identical motion. I performed the exercise with my arms more parallel to the floor than that and joined my hands out in front of my chest. That's where I had concerns.

This exercise is fine for when you already have a large chest, but will not do much to build it in the first place. Better to leave this exercise for when you are "refining" your physique. For now, sick to regular dumbell flyes!

 

[gopro]

Re: Pyramid flye's and presses

Originally posted by twarrior
I've been given some advice that doing pyramid flyes and presses with dumbells wil increase mass quicker. I have been starting with 40's x10, then 45 x 10 then 50 x 10. Then I work back down, 45x10 and 40x10. After that I am wiped out. I've also notice that some of the times my arms give out before my chest does. Should I drop the poundages to get better chest contractions???



Twarrior

You do not need to be doing 5 sets of flyes. You would be better of just pyramiding through the first 3 sets and moving on. Or, if you are already warmed up from presses, you can START with the 50s when at your strongest, and then, pyramid DOWN to 45s, then 40s.

If your arms are giving out before your chest you are probably using too much weight and not "isolating" your pecs.

 

[twarrior]

Gopro,

You hit the nail on the head with the weights!!! I dropped down the poundage and started with 40-35-30 x 10 and got a great chest workout with good contractions on the upstroke and nice stretches on the down without my arms giving out.

Twarrior

 

[gopro]

Originally posted by twarrior
Gopro,

You hit the nail on the head with the weights!!! I dropped down the poundage and started with 40-35-30 x 10 and got a great chest workout with good contractions on the upstroke and nice stretches on the down without my arms giving out.

Twarrior

Excellent! I'm glad I could help! Now fry those pecs my man!