Chest · Fly
Lying Cable Fly
The Lying Cable Fly mainly trains your chest. Also working: front delts.
Both cables
Flat bench
Stable
How to do it
- Lie flat on the bench, shoulders in line with the pulleys
- Arms almost straight above your chest, palms facing each other
- Open wide until you feel a clear stretch in your chest
- Bring your hands back together over your chest in an arc
Coach’s tip
Unlike with dumbbells, the cables keep tension on the chest at the top too: deliberately squeeze your hands together at the end. The bench takes care of balance, so you can make the most of the stretch at the bottom.
Setup
Pulley
Both pulleys at the bottom
Grip
Single handles
Load
Both cables
Needs two cable towers
You need
Flat bench
Stability
A bench, the floor or the frame takes the counterforce, or the cable pulls straight up or down. Good for heavy sets.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the same movement (fly). In DCFT you can swap with one tap, and the app only offers what your equipment allows.
Questions about this exercise
What muscles does the Lying Cable Fly work?
Mainly the chest. The front delts help.
How do I set up the cable machine for the Lying Cable Fly?
Pulley: Both pulleys at the bottom. Grip: Single handles. You also need: Flat bench.
Can I do the Lying Cable Fly on a single cable tower?
Not like this. The Lying Cable Fly needs both cables at once, so two towers. If you set up DCFT for one tower, the app leaves it out of your plan and uses exercises such as Single-Arm Cable Fly and Single-Arm Cuff Fly instead.
What can I do instead of the Lying Cable Fly?
For the same movement: Cable Fly, Low-to-High Cable Fly and Single-Arm Cable Fly. In DCFT you swap with one tap.
DCFT
The Lying Cable Fly in DCFT
In the app this exercise comes with your weight: the plate to pin, what you lifted last time and a rest timer that starts by itself.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.