Upper chest exercise
Low-to-High Cable FlyHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Upper chest
- Also works
- Front delts
- Equipment
- Cable
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Low-to-High Cable Fly?
- Set both pulleys low and grab a handle in each hand.
- Step forward into a staggered stance, arms low and out to the sides.
- Sweep both hands up and in until they meet at chin height.
- Pause briefly, then lower them slowly along the same arc.
Cues
- Keep a soft, fixed elbow bend
- Hug upwards, not forwards
- Stand tall, shoulders down
Common mistakes
- Bending the elbows to lift: fix the elbow angle throughout.
- Leaning or swinging: stay upright and use a lighter weight.
- Shrugging at the top: keep your shoulders down and back.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
Starting position
Both pulleys of a cable crossover set low, between knee and hip height (knee height, about 50 cm, is the default). One D-handle in each hand. The lifter stands centred between the columns, about one small step in front of the pulley line, so the cables pull down, out and slightly back. Staggered stance: feet hip-width, one foot about 40–60 cm ahead of the other, knees soft. Trunk vertical (no forward lean), abdominals braced, low back neutral. Grip with the palms facing forward at the bottom; they turn to face each other and slightly up at the top. Wrists straight.
The movement
A wide upward "hug" arc from low-outside to high-centre, moving only at the shoulders. The elbows do not bend or straighten during the rep, so it never turns into a press or a curl. The trunk, hips and feet stay still; the shoulders do not shrug as the hands rise. On the way down the arms open along the same arc and stop when the hands are level with the sides of the body.
End position
(turnaround point): The hands meet in front of the body at about chin height (accept upper chest to face height), handles touching or a few centimetres apart, not crossing. Elbows still at the same slight bend. Brief squeeze.
Tempo
1.5–2 s raising, about 1 s hold, 2 s lowering.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulley height | knee height (about 50 cm) | lowest setting to hip height | |
| Stance length (front to back) | 50 cm | 40–60 cm | |
| Trunk angle | vertical | 0–5° lean | |
| Elbow flexion (fixed) | 15° | 10–25° | |
| Hands at start | at the body's side line | never behind it | |
| Hand height at end | chin | upper chest to face | |
| Gap between handles at end | 0–5 cm | no crossing | |
| Raise / hold / lower | 1.5–2 s / 1 s / 2 s | 1–2 s / 0.5–1 s / 1.5–3 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 Low-to-High 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
