Machine Chest Fly

Starting position

1. Adjust the seat so the handles (or elbow pads) are roughly at mid-chest height.
2. Sit down and press your back and head firmly into the pad, feet flat on the floor.
3. Grab the handles with a slight bend in your elbows; if the machine has pads, press your forearms into them.
4. Pull your shoulder blades back and down and keep your chest open.

Execution

1. Exhale and bring the handles together in front of your chest in an arc, driving with your chest rather than your hands.
2. Pause for a second at the end and squeeze, without letting the handles bang together.
3. Inhale and slowly open your arms to a light chest stretch without letting the weight rest on the stack.
4. Keep your back against the pad for the whole set.

Common mistakes

• Opening the arms too far back — the shoulder joint is overloaded at the end range.
• Back leaving the pad — the torso jerks the weight and the chest does less.
• Shrugging the shoulders — the traps kick in and the neck tenses up.
• Letting the stack slam on the way back — you lose the lowering phase and risk jerking the shoulder.

Beginner tips

• Set the seat height before your first set — it decides how comfortable your shoulders will be.
• If the machine has a range limiter, pick a start position where the stretch is noticeable but not painful.
• Take 1–2 seconds to close and 2–3 seconds to open.

Alternatives

• Standing Cable Crossover — the same movement on cables with a freer path
• Flat Dumbbell Flyes — a free-weight version
• Flat Dumbbell Bench Press — the core chest exercise