Flat Bench Cable Flyes

How to do the Flat Bench Cable Flyes

1. Position a flat bench between two low pulleys so that when you are laying on it, your chest will be lined up with the cable pulleys.
2. Lay flat on the bench and keep your feet on the ground.
3. Have someone hand you the handles on each hand. You will grab each single handle attachment with a palms up grip.
4. Extend your arms by your side with a slight bend on your elbows. Tip: You will keep this bend constant through the whole movement. Your arms should be parallel to the floor. This is your starting position.
5. Now start lifting the arms in a semi-circle motion directly in front of you by pulling the cables together until both hands meet at the top of the movement. Squeeze your chest as you perform this motion and breathe out during this movement. Also, hold the contraction for a second at the top. Tip: When performed correctly, at the top position of this movement, your arms should be perpendicular to your torso and the floor touching above your chest.
6. Slowly come back to the starting position.
7. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	chest
Equipment	cable machine
Difficulty	intermediate
Type	isolation

No cable machine? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Clock Push-Up Bodyweight Decline Push-Up Bodyweight Dumbbell Flyes Dumbbell Incline Push-Up Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Medium Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Reverse Grip Bodyweight

Easier than the Flat Bench Cable Flyes

Same movement pattern, lower entry difficulty — work up from here.

Cable Crossover beginner · Cable Machine Cable Iron Cross beginner · Cable Machine Dumbbell Flyes beginner · Dumbbell

Harder than the Flat Bench Cable Flyes

Plyo Kettlebell Pushups expert · Kettlebell

Superset the Flat Bench Cable Flyes with

Opposing lats and middle back and traps work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Elevated Cable Rows lats Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldown lats Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows middle back Upright Cable Row traps

Common questions

What muscles does the Flat Bench Cable Flyes work?

The Flat Bench Cable Flyes primarily works the chest. Bodyweight Flyes, Cable Crossover, and Cable Iron Cross train the same muscle, across 11 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Flat Bench Cable Flyes?

A Cable Machine. Without a cable machine, Clock Push-Up, Decline Push-Up, and Dumbbell Flyes train the same muscle, and 17 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Flat Bench Cable Flyes suitable for beginners?

It is rated intermediate. Start with Cable Crossover, Cable Iron Cross, and Dumbbell Flyes and work up.

Where should the Flat Bench Cable Flyes go in a workout?

Late — the Flat Bench Cable Flyes is isolation work, so it follows your compounds. Supersetting it with Elevated Cable Rows and Full Range-Of-Motion Lat Pulldown cuts session time without extra rest.

Similar exercises

Bodyweight Flyes EZ Curl Bar Cable Crossover Cable Machine Cable Iron Cross Cable Machine Dumbbell Flyes Dumbbell Incline Cable Flye Cable Machine Low Cable Crossover Cable Machine