Machine Pec Fly

How to do it

1. Adjust the seat so the handles sit at chest height with your elbows roughly in line with your shoulders.
2. Grip both handles with a slight bend in the elbows and press your back firmly into the pad.
3. Brace your core and pull your shoulder blades back and down to set a stable chest position.
4. Sweep the handles together in a wide arc by squeezing the chest, keeping the elbow angle fixed.
5. Pause at the middle when the handles meet, holding a hard chest squeeze for a full beat.
6. Let the handles open back out slowly over 2 to 3 seconds until you feel a controlled chest stretch.

Common mistakes

• Bending the elbows mid-rep so the lift becomes a press, which removes the chest isolation.
• Letting the shoulders roll forward at the stretch position, which strains the front shoulders.
• Slamming the handles together with momentum instead of squeezing through the contraction.
• Cutting the stretch short and never letting the arms open fully, which trains a tiny portion of the lift.