Chest · Horizontal adduction

Seated Cable Fly

The seated cable fly is a chest isolation exercise where you sit on a bench between two shoulder-height pulleys and bring the handles together in front of your chest with a slight elbow bend. Sitting stabilises your body, so the pecs work through a smooth arc under constant cable tension.

Also known as: Seated cable chest fly, Cable fly seated, Seated cable crossover

Muscle group: Chest
Movement pattern: Horizontal adduction
Type: Isolation
Equipment: Cable machine, Bench
Difficulty: Beginner

What muscles does the seated cable fly work?

Primary movers

Pectoralis major

Assisting muscles

Anterior deltoid
Biceps brachii (short head)
Serratus anterior

A fly pulls the arms across the body, which is the primary job of the pecs. With the pulleys at shoulder height, the arc is level and targets the mid chest.

The cables keep tension on the muscle at every point, including the squeeze at the centre where dumbbells lose load.

Sitting upright on a bench with a back pad stabilises the torso. That means you do not have to brace your legs or core, so you can focus on the pecs.

Bending the elbows more turns the exercise into a press, so the elbow angle should stay fixed throughout.

How to do the seated cable fly

Setup

1
Set both pulleys to shoulder height and attach a handle to each.
2
Place a bench centred between the stacks and sit upright.
3
Grip a handle in each hand with arms out to the sides and a slight elbow bend.
4
Press your back against the pad and set your shoulder blades back.

Execution

1
Bring the handles together in front of your chest in a wide arc.
2
Squeeze your pecs at the centre.
3
Hold for a second.
4
Return slowly until you feel a good stretch.
5
Keep your elbow bend fixed.
6
Keep your shoulders down.

Common seated cable fly mistakes

Pressing the handles

Bending the elbows brings in the triceps.

The fix: Keep your elbow angle fixed and hug the arc.

Going too heavy

Heavy weights pull the shoulders forward.

The fix: Choose a weight you can control through the whole arc.

Over-stretching

Letting the arms go far behind you strains the shoulders.

The fix: Stop when your hands are in line with your chest.

Shrugging

Raised shoulders put the traps in the movement.

The fix: Keep your shoulders down.

How many sets and reps?

Goal	Sets	Reps	Load	Rest
Hypertrophy	3	10–15	Moderate, 1–2 RIR	60–90 s
Finisher	2–3	12–20	Light	45–60 s
Beginner	2	12	Light	60 s

Use it as a finisher after your main presses. Hold the squeeze for a second and lower slowly. Add weight in the smallest steps available.

Running the seated cable fly in your next block? Hercules logs every set, shows last session's numbers before you lift, and suggests when to add weight.

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Frequently asked questions

What does the seated cable fly work?

The chest, especially the mid fibres, with the front delts and biceps helping.

Why sit?

It stabilises your body so you can focus on the pecs.

Seated or standing cable fly?

Seated is steadier. Standing lets you change the angle and engages the core. Both work.

How heavy should I go?

Light enough to keep your elbow angle fixed and your shoulders back.

How do I set the pulleys?

At shoulder height for a level arc and a mid-chest focus.

Hercules tracks every seated cable fly you log, shows you last session's numbers before you lift, and flags when your progress stalls.