Tighter Incline Flys
 

So a while ago I switched to a more isolated way of doing incline flys at the suggestion of a training buddy. Normally you would do a full range of motion where you bring the weights from your side all the way above with your arms near full extension going in a wide arc pattern. Instead, a friend suggested you try to mimick a bearhug range of motion as if your wrapping your arms around someone. Instead of doing a wide arc, you do a tighter arc keeping the dumbbells much lower above your chest. This way you have shorter range of motion and more isolated form. For me it seems to be hitting the upper pecs alot better.

If you think about it, it makes sense because at a certain point in regular form you are doing dumbell presses when you get to the halfway point of a full extension and your arms begin straightening out. The way he suggested is alot harder and you have to watch so the weights don't come crash down on your face.

Has anyone tried this or can see anything wrong with his reasoning or do inclines like this also? I personally think this is alot more effective than how most people do them.

I remember reading that arnold said when doing fly of any kind you should act like your hugging a tree. thats how i've always done mine, and incline flys are one of my favorites.

I do the same thing. I do it because I always go very heavy with incline flyes. I feel no matter what type of exercise you do it should always be heavy enough to where you hit positive failure without going over your targeted amount of reps. I don't think I could ever do 100's near full arm extention! This exercise is the only way you could even go heavy. I do recommend if you are doing them to try and squeeze the weights together as hard as you can for a full one count. (one Mississippi)

Well, looks like he was right then. I've turned a few other people at the gym onto doing a shorter and tighter range of motion and they definately feel it too. Funny to see them have to drop like 10 lbs to do them right though :)

They'll drop down in weight initially to get the motion, but in the end they'll go up twice as much poundage than doing them full extention! ;) You did them a favor. However, I do love watching them struggle with 30 lb dumbbells! :p

Flys to me are nothing more than a warm up excercise before I hit the heavy stuff. Of couse warms ups are 70lb dumbells for flys.

It sounds like to me that you WERE doing a dumbbell press and are NOW doing a dumbbell flye. Is that correct. If so then they will certaily hit your chest differently. In the strictest sense the flye can minimize the involvement of the triceps and really hit the chest hard. Do them strict and you will notice a difference. I feel that both should be used in a cycle to keep the chest off-balance.

No, I wasn't doing a dumbbell press. My point was just that a shorter and tighter arc seemed to isolate the upper pec alot more. If you notice people in the gym, they do a huge large arc until their arms are basically straight at the end and at some point they aren't doing flys.

I think all they do is fatigue the chest. If you are going to use them, I'd say maybe a set or two after your workout. Only heavy compound movements will force your muscles to grow. Flyes, cables, ect. limit your use of heavy poundage. People think flyes and cables shape your chest, but they don't. These types of exercises provide you with some extra definition if that's what you are training for.

Dr.X, all flyes do is fatigue your chest before you hit the heavy movements like bench. I made the mistake of doing flyes for a warmup and it limited me on my bench press. If I was to do 70 lb dumbbells for a warmup, which is the dumbest thing I have ever heard, then I'd probably drop alot of weight on my bench. It all boils down to which exercises are best for building mass. I'll keep my chest fresh and stick to 350 for reps rather than fatigue it with some flyes and then do 315 for reps. :o

Dr.X, all flyes do is fatigue your chest before you hit the heavy movements like bench. I made the mistake of doing flyes for a warmup and it limited me on my bench press. If I was to do 70 lb dumbbells for a warmup, which is the dumbest thing I have ever heard, then I'd probably drop alot of weight on my bench. It all boils down to which exercises are best for building mass. I'll keep my chest fresh and stick to 350 for reps rather than fatigue it with some flyes and then do 315 for reps. :o[/QUOTE]

Actually if I don't do them as a warm up, (and for me I don't start at 70 but I do end up there,) I will spend or I should say waste alot of time warming up with just bench. I workout at 5 am. I have found that it has had no effect what so ever on how much I can bench. In fact I can lift more because of the fly warm up. You might think differently when you hit the 40's. O by the way, just because I can do 70lb flys dosent' mean I'm using all my energy on them. They really are just a warm up for me to losen up the chest/shoulder.

I doubt I'll think differently, but that's just my opinion. As for your warmups, what exactly do you do to warm up on flat bench? I ask because 90% of people do them incorrectly. Also, if you are going really heavy on bench press, flyes are the worst thing you can do in regards to strength. It weakens your shoulder joint. But, if you're doing 225 X 10 or something, then I guess it doesn't matter. I just assumed you meant doing a heavy bench after flyes...

I used to do it your way and sometimes still do but I guess age has caused me to make adjustments. I truley do not fatigue myself with the dumbell flys but they really help me losen up. I'm just really strong in this area. O and 225 x 10 is a walk in the park.
I just can't bench with almost any weight without some degree of pain with out the fly warm up. I will just continue to bench light over and over again until the pain subsides and by them I am fatigued and have difficulty going heavy but with the flys I can easily do them, by a standard that most would consider heavy but easy for me and then jump right into bench with no pain hitting it hard. Go figure but my years of experience has taught me this is how my body works and what it does come down to is knowing your own body.
Peace brother :)

I figure if you are taking prohormones than it should help combat your pain and fatigue...

Anyway, here's something to try for warmups that works for me.
We'll say your max is 315..
1.135 X 12 (slow tempo)
*rest 1 minute
2.135 X 10 (tempo of 3-1-0; down for 3, hold for 1, explode up)
*rest 2 minutes
3.185 X 5 (3-1-0)
*rest 1 minute
4.225 X 3 (3-1-0)
*rest 1 minute
5.275 X 1 (3-1-0)
*rest 1 minute
6.295 X 1 (3-1-0)
*rest 2 minutes
Set 1: 315 X (whatever)

- The first 3 sets are warmup sets to get the blood moving into your chest.
- The last 3 sets are weight acclimation sets getting your joints and ligaments accustomed to the heavy load.
Doing my warmups this way takes some time, but enables me to go really heavy on ALL my sets instead of pyramiding up. For people to pyramid up, usually they go too light on the first 2-3 sets so it's a wasted effort. ;)

Thanks 0311,
I appreciate you taking the time and posting the routine. I will implement it on my next chest day and let you know how it went.
Your an asset to this forum.

In the end i guess it really comes down to what works best for you. I've found if i get stuck on heavey bench, and i hit a pleateu, I work a few weeks of heavey incline flys, and it helps me push through it.

as far as shaping goes ... i wouldnt know i still have too much fat to know what my actual chest looks like. :D

For me if I get stuck on a plateau for bench press, I switch to doing incline press for my first exercise over the following couple of weeks. It gives me more power because it puts a stonger emphasis on front delts. When I finally get back to flat bench, it's easier.

I always do cable flyes, for some reason it gives me more of a burn.