Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Cable Middle Fly: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The cable middle fly is an isolation exercise targeting the pectoral muscles using a cable machine. It emphasizes chest development and also engages the deltoids and triceps as secondary muscles.

Primary muscles
Chest
Secondary muscles
Shoulders , Triceps
Equipment
Cable
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound
Demonstration of the cable middle fly
Front view: muscles worked by the cable middle fly. Primary: chest. Secondary: shoulders and triceps.
Back view: muscles worked by the cable middle fly. Primary: chest. Secondary: shoulders and triceps.
Primary Secondary

How to do the cable middle fly

  1. Step 1: Attach cables to both sides of a cable machine at chest height.
  2. Step 2: Stand in the center of the machine with one foot slightly in front of the other.
  3. Step 3: Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and extend your arms out to the sides.
  4. Step 4: Keep a slight bend in your elbows and maintain a slight forward lean.
  5. Step 5: Engage your chest muscles and bring your arms forward in a sweeping motion.
  6. Step 6: Pause for a moment at the center, then slowly return your arms back to the starting position.
  7. Step 7: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the cable middle fly by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Cable Middle Fly alternatives

More exercises that train the chest as their main target:

More chest exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.