Chest · Cable machine
Cable Low Fly
The cable low fly is an isolation exercise designed to emphasize the upper (clavicular) head of the pectoralis major and the anterior deltoids. It suits lifters of all experience levels and is best placed toward the end of a chest workout to exhaust muscle fibers under continuous cable tension.
- Muscles
- Chest
- Equipment
- Cable machine
- Type
- Strength
- Animation
- Men and women
How to do it
- Stand in the middle of a cable crossover machine, with both pulleys set to the lowest position.
- Attach a single handle to each pulley and grab them with your hands.
- Step forward slightly and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Slightly bend your elbows and keep your body straight.
- Inhale and brace your core. Exhale as you bring your hands together in front of you, at chest level.
- Keep a slight bend in your elbows throughout the movement and focus on squeezing your chest muscles.
- Slowly return your hands to the starting position, controlling the movement and feeling the stretch in your chest.
Common mistakes
- Excessive bending at the elbows turns the movement into a biceps curl and removes tension from the chest.
- Swinging the torso to generate momentum shifts the load away from the pecs and stresses the lower back.
- Letting the handles travel too far behind the body at the start overstretches the anterior shoulder capsule.
Tips
- Pause for one second at the top of the movement to maximize the peak contraction in the upper chest.
- Adopt a staggered stance with one foot forward to stabilize your hips and prevent leaning backward.
- Maintain a fixed, slight bend in the elbows from start to finish instead of actively bending or extending the arms.
Sets and reps
Perform 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps, focusing on controlled tempo and continuous tension, resting 60 to 90 seconds between sets.
Muscles worked
Your coach guides every set
Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.
On a computer? Point your phone's camera here to get the app.
Questions
What part of the chest does the cable low fly target?
The low-to-high angle aligns directly with the fibers of the upper (clavicular) chest while also recruiting the front deltoids.
How can this exercise be substituted without a cable crossover?
You can replicate the movement by anchoring resistance bands near the floor or by performing low-to-high dumbbell flyes standing upright.
