Chest Flyes

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Guidelines for all Chest Fly Movements
(unless specifically stated otherwise)

wide foot stance
at the top, pull shoulders back, then let elbows follow (almost 2 separate movements)
aim for max stretch of chest at the bottom
to come back up, retract shoulder blades, contract everything in the back and squeeze the weight up leading with the elbows
avoid any internal / external rotation throughout; keep midpoint of wrist inline with midpoint of elbow in turn in line with midpoint of shoulder (move weights in a straight line perpendicular to ground).

Dumbbell Flyes – Flat / Incline / Decline

At the bottom

At the top. Note that the dumbbells do not come inside the shoulders

Variation with Max Scapula Retraction over bench

bend elbows slightly at 45º on the way down – find point at which there is maximum tension / stretch in the chest at the bottom, not in the biceps; if feeling too much of a stretch in biceps, bend elbows a little more
at 45º on the ascent, straighten elbows, lock triceps and try to bring the elbows together (not the hands); stop just short of coming inside the shoulders at the top (end directly above before then immediately beginning the descent).
Variation with Max Scapula Retraction over Bench:
   > slide body up so that the bottom part of the scapula / shoulder blades just protrude / sit over the top of the bench
   > let head almost just hang a little, don’t try to shove it forward
   > ensure stability can be maintained
   > make a conscious effort to avoid arching by keeping the abs contracted as well achieving a maximum (almost exaggerated) stretch of the chest at the bottom.

Dumbbell Flyes with Internal Rotation

Externally rotated at the bottom

Internally rotated at the top

begin, externally rotated at the bottom (pinky finger will be the highest part of the hand)
come up, while internally rotating (pinky finger will then be the furthest back at the top)
use relatively light weight when attempting for the first time.

Pec Deck / Machine Flyes

arms straight, perpendicular to ground (wrists inline with elbows, in turn inline with shoulders)
focus on pulling elbows together (not wrists)
really squeeze hands together (touch) at the top.

Cable Flyes / Crossovers

‘horizontal’ cable flyes depicted

with a split foot position (if standing), begin with body close to apparatus, though in front just enough so that the weights sit just above the weight stack in the bottom position
bring hands to chin height at the top and squeeze together
keep elbows straight and triceps contracted throughout
do not touch the pinky fingers together at the front (if anything you could touch the index fingers together, but it’s not necessary).
For Horizontal Cable Flyes: position cables to just below shoulder height so arms can be slightly below parallel to the ground at the bottom of the movement.
For Decline Cable Flyes: set the cables high and bring the hands forward and down so that they finish in front of the thighs at the bottom of the movement.
If performing on an incline bench:
> place bench slightly in front, cables slightly behind
> due to the angle of force coming from the weight stack, cables do not need to be moved in a straight line perpendicular to the ground (directly above the eyes) – just ensure that a maximum contraction of the chest can be achieved.

Around the Worlds

choose a ‘slight’ decline or even a flat bench
be sure to use a light weight when performing for the first time – perhaps half of what you would use during a standard dumbbell fly
To Perform:
   > 1. start with arms extended directly in front with palms facing forward with dumbbells together
   > 2. bring arms back above the head (straight / locked out)
   > 3. retract shoulders, then bring the arms down and ‘scoop’ them around to just below the pec-line (palms should now be facing the ceiling); squeeze at the bottom
   > 4. raise dumbbells up to the start position and twist hands so palms are once more facing forward.

Exercise Execution

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