Understanding which exercise targets which part of the body is an essential aspect of bodybuilding, but when you throw in opposite angles like inclines and declines, the concept can seem even more complicated. Luckily, Dana Lynn Bailey, who won the Women’s Physique title at the 2013 Olympia event, is happy to share her hard-earned knowledge when it comes to hooking you up on the humble cable fly.
The cable fly is primarily a chest builder, hammering the pecs as you drive the handles together. If you perform the movement as a mid-cable fly, the pulleys are set at chest height and work the pectoralis in both the upper and lower regions. But what happens when the angle of the cable’s trajectory is changed?
What is the difference between incline and decline cable flies?
fall fly
“The decline fly is when the cable is at the highest position, and you are pulling at the lowest position,” explains Kenny Koch. “When you do this, you’ll be targeting that lower chest, just like you would when you’re bench dropping.”
So, decline fly = pectoralis major (lower)
swooping fly
“The incline fly or low-to-high is going to target the upper chest,” Bailey explains of the opposing angle, which moves us forward and upward. “So, just like we change the bench, we do the flat bench, we do the inclined bench, and we do the decline bench, you do the same thing with the cable fly.”
So, Incline Fly = Pectoralis Major (Upper)
get? Good.
But why not just perform the mid-fly? For those of a curious disposition, Bailey reiterates, “This will target different areas of your chest.” In fact, a mid-fly can eliminate the entire pec area, but if you need to bring out a particular aspect of the chest, such as building the upper pecs for a top shelf appearance, or adding mass to the lower pecs to improve definition, knowing how to properly target specific pec areas by fine-tuning your angles is key to success.
To follow Dana Lynn Barlett’s daily tips on Instagram, Click here.
