Guide To Buying A Pec Fly Machine
A pec fly machine works your pectoral (chest) muscles. It is an isolation exercise that acts as a more targeted version of the dumbbell fly and helps you achieve the separation in your chest that gives it more a defined appearance.
Product Comparison Table
What To Look for
11/01/2020
The seat and handles must be adjustable.
- There is ordinarily be a pin or locking system at the top of the machine to adjust its handles.
- If you are particularly flexible, ensure the machine’s handles go back far enough to fully stretch your chest during the movement.
- Additionally, the seat must be vertically adjustable to accommodate your height.
The handles should move smoothly.
- Check the motion of the handles to see that it is smooth and fluid and that they do not vibrate excessively or create friction during the movement.
- If the handles keep getting stuck while you’re using them, they will create excessive resistance, causing you to jerk your body to move the weight, potentially resulting in injury.
Get rotational handles if you want to work your rear delts.
- Some pec fly machines can double as rear delt machines by rotating the handles. If working your rear delts with isolation exercises is a priority to you, look for a pec fly machine that has 180-degree rotational handles.
- Furthermore, to effectively train your rear delts, the machine should have another set of handles that are parallel to the floor and preferably on the inside of the arms for a greater range of motion.
Commercial gyms will be better off with a dedicated pec fly.
- A dedicated pec fly has a seat, handles, and weight stack meant solely for the pec fly movement. Therefore a dedicated pec fly machine provides a much better pectoral muscle contraction than a multifunctional homegym type machine.
- You can identify a multifunctional machine by checking to see whether it has other workout stations along with the pec fly.
Top Picks
Best High-End Pec-Fly For Home Gyms
Element Fitness Xenon Selectorize Series Pec Fly
For $2,899.00
- Very aesthetic to look at
- Includes 250lb weight stack
- Lifetime warranty for home use
Best High-end Pec Fly For Home Use
Pro ClubLine Series 2 Pec Fly
For $2,613.00
- Commercial grade quality
- Includes a weight stack
- Financing options available
- Expensive
Best Multifunctional Pec-Fly
Marcy MWM-990
For $1,170
- Includes variety of essential exercises
- Comfortable seat
- Preacher bench for preacher curls
- Unadjustable handles
Best Mid-Tier Pec Fly
Body-Solid GPM65
For $440.00
- High quality construction
- Fully rotatable handles for rear delt exercises
- Reasonably priced
- Doesn’t use a weight stack
Common Questions
Q:Which muscles does the Pec Fly machine target?
The pec fly machine primarily targets the following muscles:
- Pectoralis Major: It runs from your clavicle (near collar bones) to the sternum (bottom of the breastbone). The pec fly exercise mainly focuses on the lower sternal muscle, but it also engages the upper sternal.
- Pectoralis Minor: This is a thinner muscle that lies below the Pec major.
- Serratus Anterior: This muscle lies along the sides of the chest wall.
- The reverse fly exercises target your posterior deltoids and rhomboids.
Q:How to use the pec fly machine?
You can use the pec fly machine to perform the machine chest fly, also called butterfly.
- Sit on the bench with your feet flat on the floor. Grab the handles with your arms so that your hands are parallel to the floor.
- With palms facing forward, pull the handles in front of your chest, keeping a slight bend in the elbows.
- Pause for a moment when your arms are in front of your chest.
- Bring the handles slowly back to the starting position while relaxing your chest.
Q:How is the pec fly machine different from the pec deck machine?
Both these machines allow you to perform the chest fly exercise, but they are slightly different.
- The pec fly machine has its handles wide apart so that when you extend your arms, they are completely parallel to the floor. When you bring the handles in front of your chest, your hands are extended in front. Since it provides a wider range of motion, this machine focusses on your outer chest.
- The pec deck machine has a different arrangement and your elbows are at a 90-degree angle when you perform the fly exercise. When you bring the handles in front of your chest, your elbows come together. By restricting the range of motion, the pec deck machine focusses on your inner chest.
Q:What is the reverse machine fly?
Reverse machine fly focuses on your rear deltoids and rhomboids. To perform this exercise:
- Adjust the handles of the machine so they’re close to each other.
- Sit on the pec fly machine facing the pad. Ensure your hands are level with your shoulders.
- Keeping your elbows level, pull the handles apart and squeeze your shoulder blades during this motion.
- Hold for about 1-2 seconds and then return the handles to the starting position.
Q:What is the benefit of the pec fly machine?
Apart from working on your pecs, the machine also works your shoulders and triceps. A benefit of this machine is the ease of using it; you can stack up the weights as per your requirements. This makes it a great exercise for beginners who might face difficulties with the dumbbell fly exercise. By altering your arm positions, you can also target different areas of your chest.
Q:How is chest fly different from dumbbell press?
The chest fly is performed on the pec fly machine. It is a localized exercise that isolates your pectoral muscles. People usually do this at the end of their workout to get that extra pump in their pecs.
The dumbbell press is a compound movement that targets multiple muscles in your upper body, including your pecs, triceps, and shoulders.