WHY CABLE FLYES ARE SUPERIOR TO DUMBBELL FLYES
Cable flyes and dumbbell flyes are some of the more common chest exercises we see in the gym.
And while we might simply think of these two exercises as variations, or one and the same, I firmly believe cable flyes are a superior exercise compared to dumbbell flyes in almost every way.
In this article, we’ll dig into the key advantages that cable flyes have over their dumbbell counterpart, like the superior tension curve, constant resistance, and added safety. I’ll also show you how cable flyes offer more versatility when it comes to programming chest exercises for your clients.
By the end of this discussion, if you’ve been using dumbbell flyes as a go-to for chest development, you might just reconsider swapping them out for cables to maximize results.
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What Presses and Flyes Have in Common
One thoughtful question I have heard in the past was
“If I can use more weight with pressing exercises, why bother doing flyes at all?”
In order to understand the answer to this question, it’s important to understand why the “fly” exercise exists in the first place!
After all, if pressing allows us the possibility to generate more tension with heavier loads, why would we choose an exercise like the fly for our clients, which forces them to use less weight?
The answer is simple: Fatigue.
I promise I’ll explain this soon, but first, it’s crucial to recognize the fundamental differences between presses and flyes.
Before diving into the differences between dumbbell flyes and presses, let’s first consider what they have in common.
The easiest way to do this is by isolating the action of the humerus during both exercises. Let’s try a quick experiment: simulate the movement of a pressing exercise and note the position and angle of your humerus relative to your torso, both in the lengthened and shortened positions.
Now, simulate a dumbbell or cable fly and focus on the position and angle of your humerus at both the top and bottom positions.
What do you notice?
That’s right, the positions are the same.
There’s an argument to be made that flyes can potentially offer a slightly deeper stretch in the lengthened position, but the basic premise remains: both presses and flyes achieve the same thing—horizontal adduction.
So I ask the question again, why bother doing flyes when presses allow for heavier weights and achieve the same movement pattern?
The answer lies in focusing not only on the prime movers but also the synergist muscles involved and how they influence the overall workout.
Synergist muscles are those that assist the primary movers in executing or stabilizing a movement.
Allow me to explain: when someone performs several sets of presses close to failure, they generate local fatigue in several muscles, primarily the pectorals and the triceps. However, in flyes, due to the increased angle at the elbow joint, tension shifts away from the triceps and onto the biceps.
During pressing movements, fatigue often originates from the triceps, not necessarily the pectorals. This means that while the triceps might fail, the pecs can still handle more work. Flyes, however, minimize triceps involvement, allowing the chest to be worked more directly and without the burden of triceps fatigue.
From a muscle hypertrophy standpoint, this makes flyes incredibly useful because the secondary muscles involved differ from those in presses. By reducing triceps involvement, flyes allow you to continue stimulating the chest, even after the triceps have fatigued during presses. This extends the training effect on the pecs and promotes greater hypertrophy.
Why Cable Flyes Are Superior to Dumbbell Flyes
Now that you understand why flyes are a potent chest-builder in any hypertrophy plan, we can finally move on to the main reason you’re here:
“Why are cable flyes superior to dumbbell flyes?”
Before answering, we need to follow-up this question with another: “Better for what?”
Ultimately, it depends on your clients’ goals. If their goal is to specifically get stronger at dumbbell flyes, then dumbbell flyes are going to be the better option. Or, if they only have access to dumbbells, then your only option is your best option, so dumbbells it will be!
However, in the context of building muscle, I firmly believe that cable flyes are superior to dumbbell flyes.
The most critical reason for this is that
cables provide consistent tension throughout the entire range of motion and offer a more balanced strength curve
With free weights like dumbbells, which rely directly on gravity, the result is a variable tension curve. Meaning that, when performing a dumbbell fly, as your arms approach the top of the movement (where they become parallel to the force of gravity), tension on the chest drops off significantly. This creates a situation where only the bottom third of the movement experiences meaningful resistance, while the upper two-thirds become less effective for stimulating muscle growth.
In contrast, cable flyes maintain tension throughout the lift, from the bottom to the top. Moreover, you can manipulate how much tension is felt during different parts of the range of motion by adjusting the distance from the cable machine. For example, stepping back from the machine can increase tension during the shortened position, something impossible with dumbbell flyes.
Safety and Variability
Another reason why cable flyes are more effective is safety. With dumbbells, reaching failure, especially for a novice lifter, can be risky. If they fail at the top of the lift, there’s a risk of the dumbbells falling on their face. If they fail at the bottom, their shoulders are compromised due to the extreme stretch.
Cable flyes, on the other hand, allow for a safer experience. If failure is reached, the handles can simply be returned to the machine. This makes them a more controlled and adaptable movement.
Additionally, cable flyes offer many variations that allow to target different areas of the chest (clavicular, sternal, and costal heads) while also being performed in various positions, such as:
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- Standing cable flyes
- 1/2 kneeling cable flyes
- Seated cable flyes
- Lying cable flyes
- Bench Flyes at varying angles
Each variation provides unique benefits. For instance, standing cable flyes allow for unhindered scapular movement since there is no bench that the back is pressed against.
While 1/2 kneeling flyes can double as a core-hip strengthening movement by requiring you to brace and maintain pelvic and spinal integrity They also activate the anterior oblique sling—a functional system connecting the obliques to the adductors, which enhances stability and power through the hips and core.
For someone stronger, who might find standing cable flyes problematic due to the weight pulling them backward, I recommend switching to seated cable flyes. The support of the bench allows to stabilize the body and focus fully on applying tension to the chest without being pulled off balance.
With the added flexibility of multiple pulley heights on a cable machine, it’s clear that cable flyes offer more versatility and greater muscle-building potential than dumbbell flyes.
As much as I am touting all the benefits to cable flyes, there is potentially something positive to be said about dumbbell flyes, which is they may still have a use case for a strength-focused goal.
The reason for this is because dumbbells require more activation of stabilizing muscles compared to cable flyes. Therefore there may likely be an improved transfer of strength from dumbbell flys to dumbbell presses or bench press.
Now that being said, even in this case I would STILL use some form of cable fly in order to stress the muscles throughout a more complete range of motion.
In a nutshell, cable flyes offer significant advantages over dumbbell flyes, particularly when it comes to clients who want to build muscle. The consistent tension throughout the entire range of motion and the ability to manipulate the angle of resistance make cable flyes a superior tool for chest hypertrophy. Moreover, they provide greater safety and variability, allowing to target different parts of the chest while minimizing the risk of injury, especially for novice lifters.
While dumbbell flyes can have a place in a strength-focused training plan—mainly for improving stabilizer muscle activation—their limitations in terms of tension and range of motion cannot be overlooked. For those clients looking to maximize chest development and minimize unnecessary joint stress, cable flyes should be a staple in their routine.
Ultimately, the versatility and continuous muscle engagement offered by cable flyes make them an unparalleled choice for clients serious about chest hypertrophy.
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