Pec Deck Flyes: The Old Fashioned Way

Conventional wisdom tells you to do your pec deck flyes the same way everyone else is doing them. Turn your elbows into 90-degree angles, place your forearms along the pads, clutch hold of the handles, and start grinding them out. And it's true, this is an invaluable exercises for strengthening and tightening the pectoral muscles, providing separation between them that resembles a chiseled quarry.

However, the next time you have pec deck flyes on your agenda, add a little variation to this exercise. Instead of placing your forearms along the pads, grip them with your palms. Turn your elbows out so that your arms are parallel with the floor. At the starting position, your elbows will be placed behind your torso, providing for an invigorating stretch throughout your chest.

With your chest puffed slightly forward and your back straight against the backrest, slowly begin your set of flyes. Because the range of motion has been elongated, you'll feel a more satisfying stretch and a greater pump, considering that this version of the exercise is both new and more complex.

This exercises places greater resistance on the pectoralis major while allowing for a great contraction, due to the positioning of the elbows, which are turned inward. In this regard, these flyes are very effective in developing a strong inner chest as well.

For a gut-wretching burn, couple this exercise with 2-3 sets of cable crossovers. Ouch!