Okay, let’s talk about finding a substitute for the dumbbell incline fly. I ran into this myself not too long ago.
The Problem Kicking Things Off
So, the incline bench at my gym? Always packed. Seriously, trying to get on it during peak hours felt like winning the lottery. And sometimes, honestly, the dumbbells just felt a bit awkward at that angle. My shoulders would occasionally give me a little twinge, nothing serious, but enough to make me think, “There’s gotta be another way to hit that upper chest without this hassle.” I like the idea of the incline fly, that stretch and squeeze for the upper pecs, but the setup and the occasional discomfort were starting to annoy me.
Trying Different Stuff Out
First thing I did was mess around with the cables. Seemed logical, right? Cables offer constant tension. I tried setting the pulleys high, sort of mimicking a decline fly but aiming higher. Nah, didn’t feel quite right. Felt more like a regular fly or even pressing motion.
Then I thought, what about machines? We have a pec deck machine, but that’s more of a flat angle, doesn’t really target the upper chest the way an incline movement does. There’s also a chest press machine, but again, that’s a press, not a fly. I wanted that specific fly stretch and contraction focused up high.
I went back to the cables. This time, I set the pulleys right down at the bottom, near the floor. Grabbed the D-handles. My thinking was, if I pull upwards and inwards, maybe that could simulate the incline path? It took some fiddling.
Landing on the Low Cable Crossover
Bingo. The low-to-high cable crossover started feeling pretty good. Here’s what I ended up doing:
- Set Up: I put the pulleys on the cable crossover machine all the way down to the lowest setting. Grabbed the D-handles.
- Stance: Took a step forward, staggering my feet slightly for balance, leaning my torso forward just a bit. Not too much, maybe like 15-20 degrees.
- The Movement: Started with my arms low and slightly wide, elbows slightly bent (like you hold dumbbells in a fly). Then, I focused on pulling the handles upwards and inwards, aiming for my hands to meet somewhere around my upper chest or chin level. The key was really thinking about squeezing the upper pec muscles together at the top.
- Control: Controlled the weight back down slowly, feeling that stretch across the upper chest again. Didn’t just let the stack drop.
Why This Works For Me
This just felt better. Seriously. The constant tension from the cables felt smoother than the dumbbells, especially at the top of the movement where dumbbells sometimes lose tension. My shoulders felt much happier, no weird twinges.
Plus, no waiting for the incline bench! The cable station is usually easier to get onto. I could really focus on the muscle connection, feeling that upper chest working throughout the entire rep. It wasn’t exactly the same as the dumbbell incline fly, but it hit the target area effectively and felt more stable and consistent for me.
So yeah, that’s my go-to now when I want that incline fly effect without the dumbbells. Set those cables low, lean forward slightly, and pull up and in. Give it a shot if you’re looking for a change.
