How to do a Cable Crossover Incline Bench Fly
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Cable Crossover Incline Bench Fly
Crossover Cable
Incline Bench
Instructions for Proper Form
Cable Crossover Incline Bench Fly is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly. This isolation exercise primarily targets your chest, but also relies on your shoulders for stability. The use of cables allows for more consistent tension than other variations, while also giving you more precise control over the angle that resistance is coming from. By performing this exercise on an incline, you’ll also be further emphasizing your shoulders and upper chest.
- Position and sit on an incline bench between two cables and grasp a handle in each hand.
- Tense your chest to raise the weight while pulling the cables in an arc up and in front of you.
- Hold this position for a moment at the top of the movement while maintaining tension in your chest.
- Slowly allow the weights to descend back into the starting position while maintaining tension in your chest.
- Maintain good posture by keeping your head, shoulders and hips in contact with the bench as well as keeping a slight bend in your elbows throughout the movement.
- You should feel this exercise primarily in your chest.
Common Form Mistakes
High Resistance
Extending your arms away from your body increases the tension placed on your joint’s and muscles. Keep the resistance for this exercise fairly light, and focus on moving slowly, and controlling the movement before you add more resistance.
Always Sitting
Performing this exercise while seated adds stability to the movement. You don’t need to focus on keeping your balance, or stabilizing your body. This allows you to focus more on exertion, which is great, but make sure you’re including some standing variations as well. This will help highlight and address some instability you may have with this movement.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
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Alternative Exercises to Cable Crossover Incline Bench Fly
1. Cable Crossover Fly
97.3 mSCORESWAPPED 459 TIMESCable Crossover Fly is an isolation exercise that targets the chest. It’s a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly, and can easily be adapted to further isolate specific areas of the chest. Using cables to add resistance allows you to keep more consistent tension on your chest, as well as control the angle that the resistance is coming from.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Cable Crossover
2. Machine Fly
98.2 mSCORESWAPPED 383 TIMESMachine Fly is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly. This isolation chest exercise primarily targets the chest, but also recruits the shoulders. The use of a machine makes the exercise more stable allowing you to focus on exertion or learn the movement with minimal risk of injury. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to learn the movement, or advanced lifters looking to push this movement to it’s limit.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Fly Machine
3. Dumbbell Incline Fly
91.1 mSCORESWAPPED 288 TIMESDumbbell Incline Fly emphasizes the upper chest, improving muscle definition and shoulder flexibility. Performed on an incline, it targets the upper pectorals while also engaging deltoids and triceps, offering a comprehensive upper body workout that enhances strength and aesthetics.
4. Low Cable Chest Fly
86.8 mSCORESWAPPED 207 TIMESLow Cable Chest Fly is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the chest. By using a low pulley setup, you emphasize the lower part of the chest more than other Fly variations. The cables provide consistent tension throughout the movement, and allow for greater control over the angle of resistance, enhancing muscle activation.
- Intermediate
- Chest
- Cable Crossover
5. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
99 mSCORESWAPPED 179 TIMESDumbbell Incline Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Incline Bench Press. This compound exercise primarily targets the chest, but the incline also places more emphasis on the shoulders. The use of dumbbells makes this exercise more unstable than its barbell counterpart, while also forcing you to address any strength discrepancies between sides.
6. Dumbbell Fly
98.3 mSCORESWAPPED 153 TIMESDumbbell Fly’s are one of the most common isolation chest exercises, and for good. It primarily targets the muscles in the chest, but also recruits the shoulders for stability. The use of dumbbells ensures that you’re targeting each side of the body independently, and prevents compensating for any weaknesses between sides. In addition the isolated nature of this exercise is a great way to fatigue your chest, and focus on building both muscle mass and increasing strength in your chest.
7. Mid Cable Crossover Fly
67.3 mSCORESWAPPED 108 TIMESMid Cable Crossover Fly is designed for targeting the mid-chest region, effectively bridging the gap between the upper and lower chest exercises. It utilizes the cable machine for constant tension across the pecs, enhancing the stimulation of muscle fibers for balanced chest development. This variation is optimal for achieving a full, rounded chest appearance, ensuring even development across the entire pectoral area.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Cable Crossover
8. Hammerstrength Incline Chest Press
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 67 TIMESHammerstrength Incline Chest Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Incline Bench Press. This compound movement primarily targets your chest, shoulders and triceps. The incline allows you to further emphasize your upper chest and shoulders. The use of a Hammerstrength Machine forces you to use a fixed range of motion which adds stability, and allows you to focus more on exertion.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Hammerstrength (Leverage) Machine (all forms)
9. Cable Chest Press
73.8 mSCORESWAPPED 64 TIMESCable Chest Press is a compound chest exercise that also targets the shoulders and triceps. The use of cables allows for more consistent tension throughout the movement, while also giving you control over the angle that the resistance is coming from. By having cables wider than your shoulders there is also more tension at the end of your range of motion when compared to similar movements.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Cable Crossover
- Freemotion Machine (all forms)
10. Barbell Incline Bench Press
98.9 mSCORESWAPPED 60 TIMESBarbell Incline Bench Press is a variation on a standard Bench Press. Similar to Bench Press, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, but this variation places much more emphasis on your shoulders and upper chest.