Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Cable One Arm Fly on Exercise Ball: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The cable one arm fly on exercise ball is a unilateral chest exercise performed while seated on an exercise ball, which adds a balance component to the traditional cable fly movement. It targets the pectorals while also engaging the deltoids and triceps, and requires core stability to maintain posture on the ball.

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

How to do the cable one arm fly on exercise ball

  1. Step 1: Sit on an exercise ball with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
  2. Step 2: Hold a cable handle in one hand and extend your arm out to the side, parallel to the ground.
  3. Step 3: Keep your elbow slightly bent and your palm facing forward.
  4. Step 4: Slowly bring your arm across your body, squeezing your chest muscles.
  5. Step 5: Pause for a moment at the end of the movement, then slowly return to the starting position.
  6. Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the cable one arm fly on exercise ball 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 One Arm Fly on Exercise Ball alternatives

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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.