Low-to-High Cable Fly
A cable fly that sweeps upward from hip height, aligning the line of pull with the upper (clavicular) chest fibres.
Muscle activation
- Upper chest60%
- Front delts25%
- Lower chest15%
Approximate share of work; varies with grip, stance and tempo.
Step by step
1. Start position
Set both pulleys at the lowest position and grab a handle in each hand.
2. Mid-rep
Bring the handles together in front of you and squeeze briefly.
3. End of the movement
Lower along the same arc until you feel a stretch across the upper chest.
4. Common mistake
Turning it into a front raise by lifting straight up
Ways to do it
Chest fly on 4 different setups — pick whatever is free in your gym. Progress is tracked separately for each.
How to do it
Setup
- 1Set both pulleys at the lowest position and grab a handle in each hand.
- 2Step forward into a split stance with arms down by your sides, slightly behind the body.
- 3Keep a soft elbow bend, chest up and shoulder blades set.
Execution
- 1Sweep your hands up and in on a diagonal toward upper-chest or chin height.
- 2Bring the handles together in front of you and squeeze briefly.
- 3Lower along the same arc until you feel a stretch across the upper chest.
- 4Keep the elbow angle fixed and the torso still.
Breathing
Exhale as you sweep up, inhale on the way down.
Tempo
3-0-1-1 (eccentric-pause-concentric-pause)
Muscles worked
Primary
Upper chest
Secondary
Front delts, Lower chest
Key form cues
- Scoop up and in
- Hands meet at chin height
- Shoulders stay down
- Elbows soft and fixed
Common mistakes
Turning it into a front raise by lifting straight up
Think 'up and in' — hands finish together in front of the chest, not overhead.
Shrugging the shoulders at the top
Stop at chin height and keep shoulder blades down.
Using momentum from the hips
Brace in the split stance and lighten the load.
Range of motion
From hands low beside the hips with a light chest stretch to hands meeting at upper-chest to chin height.
Variations
Easier
Band low-to-high fly
Harder
Single-arm low-to-high fly with a pause at the top
At home
Resistance band low-to-high fly
Machine / cable
Incline pec deck