Upper chest exercise
Incline Cable FlyHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Upper chest
- Also works
- Front delts
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
How do you do the Incline Cable Fly?
- Set the bench to 30° between two low pulleys.
- Lie back with handles above your upper chest, palms facing.
- Open your arms wide until your hands reach chest level.
- Hug the handles back together above your upper chest.
Cues
- Soft, fixed elbows
- Hug a barrel
- Shoulders pinned to the bench
Common mistakes
- Pressing instead of hugging: keep the elbow bend fixed.
- Lowering too deep: stop with hands about level with your chest.
- Clanking the handles: stop just before they touch.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
Starting position
An adjustable bench set to a 30° incline (accept 30–45°) is placed centred between two cable columns, with the lifter's shoulders in line with the pulleys front to back, so each cable runs out to the side and down to its pulley. Both pulleys on the lowest setting. Seat on the bench, head, upper back and buttocks on the pads, feet flat on the floor, knees about 90°. Shoulder blades back and down, natural low-back curve. One D-handle in each hand, palms facing each other. Wrists straight.
The movement
A wide "hug" arc out to the sides and back, moving only at the shoulders, with the hands meeting above the upper chest. The elbow bend stays fixed, so the arms never press. Head, trunk, hips and feet stay still on the bench.
End position
(turnaround point): Arms lowered out to the sides in a wide arc until the hands are about level with the shoulders and chest, the upper arms about in line with the torso's surface, no more than about 10° below it. Elbows at the same slight bend, now pointing down towards the floor. A light stretch across the chest, never forced; range is a little less than on a flat bench.
Tempo
2 s lowering, about 0.3 s at the stretch (no bounce), 1.5–2 s raising, about 0.5 s squeeze at the top.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench back angle | 30° | 30–45° | |
| Pulley height | lowest setting | floor to knee height | |
| Shoulders vs pulleys (front to back) | in line | ±10 cm | |
| Elbow flexion (fixed) | 15° | 10–25° | |
| Gap between handles at top | 3 cm | 2–5 cm, no clanking | |
| Arms at top | vertical to the floor | ±5° | |
| Hand height at bottom | level with shoulders/chest | upper arm 0–10° below torso surface | |
| Knee angle | 90° | 80–110° | |
| Lower / raise | 2 s / 1.5–2 s | 1.5–3 s / 1–2 s |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Incline Cable Fly is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
