Let me be upfront and get the controversy out of the way early…
Partial Chest Flys are a much more effective exercise than Full Range Chest Flys.
Why do I say that?
After a few inches from the bottom of each rep, there is very little resistance placed on the pecs at all. The angle of the load means that the pecs are not forced to work beyond the bottom few inches.
This means you lose “constant tension” on the intended muscle.
It also means you lose muscle fiber recruitment for MOST of the rep.
See my article ‘Feel the Muscle, Not the Weight‘ for more on this.
The Pec Deck actually overcomes this issue of decreasing resistance (because the angle of the load is correct and the pecs are therefore forced to do the work throughout the full range of motion).
However, flys are still a great exercise if used intelligently. Here’s how to do them properly…
Note: One word to keep in your mind when doing this movement…DEEP!
Deep deep deep deep deep deep deep deep deep deep deep… it doesn’t work if you don’t go deep!
How deep? As deep as you can go. You’ll feel a crazy stretch across the pectorals when you are doing it right.
I’m going as deep as I can possibly go in the video; you’ll note my rib-cage naturally expanding at the bottom of each rep.
The 2nd most important point I need to emphasize is this: Keep the angle at the elbow constant.
You see a lot of guys decreasing the angle at the elbow when doing the positive/lifting part of the rep (i.e. bringing the dumbbells in closer to their body).
This is mostly unconscious. Their body is attempting to make the movement easier by taking some stress off the chest and transferring it to the arms. You have to consciously be aware of this and focus on keeping the angle constant so that the pecs are really doing the work.
An angle of a little over 90 degrees works best here.
And needless to say, don’t drop the weight. Feel the negative. Lower the weight under full muscular control if you really want to grow.
Those guys who have experienced the power of my new Chest Blast Workout for quick gains in chest size (up to 3 inches in over a week), know all about partial chest flys. Though they only form a small part of this “hyper-intense” routine. There are strategies in there that you’ve never tried or even heard of before.
So that’s Partial Dumbbell Flys. Remember…
CONSTANT TENSION + MAXIMUM MUSCLE FIBER RECRUITMENT = MORE GROWTH STIMULATION
If you have any questions, just ask below. I’m always happy to help 😀
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Train With Intensity!
Mark
NOTED! Can’t wait to try these! Thanks again Mark
I’m a Chest Blaster and these are extremely effective as Mark says. Prepare for some soreness when you take these sets to failure!
If available, I still think a pec deck machine is the the ultimate exercise of this type as you get full tension at the pcp. Partials a close second. Flat bench cables are also good, but I find standing cable flys uses too much delts.
Wouldn’t going deep put a lot of strain on your rotator cuff? My right one is kinda sensitive so I always try to not go past a 90 degree angle.
Let me know your thoughts.
Would this be a better exercise than “weighted push-ups” to replace chest dips?
@John. No, it doesn’t strain the rotator cuff. Perhaps if someone had too wide an angle at the elbows it could cause damage. But like I say, just over 90degree bend places all the stress on the pecs themselves, there are no joint issues when performed like this.
@Colby. Dips are best replaced with a decline bench press (same biomechanics) – either barbell or dumbbell. But this is a good 2nd choice substitute.
Great article. Chest flies are a difficult exercise for me. I find them awkward, so I’m looking forward to trying this variation out.
Love the new vid Mark and fly style. Deep Dips play havoc with my shoulders so what if I done the following below adding the fly’s at the end.
2x Decline Barbell Press
2x Incline Barbell Press
2x Flat Dumbbell Press
2x Dumbbell Partial Chest Fly’s
@KRS. Yes, it looks fine. Though do try Decline DUMBBELL Bench Presses as they have been shown to recruit more fibers. I’m writing a post about it tomorrow, buddy.
Mark I train alone at home and have difficulty in getting into decline position while holding heavy dumbbells any tips?
Mark, I just started the THT 5 day program. I’ve read that power cleans are good for explosiveness and since I play sports I was wondering where I could implement this in the program or do you not recommend it?