Chest · Machine
Machine Chest Flyes
How to do the machine chest flyes, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Machine
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Fly
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit on a pec deck machine with your forearms resting against the pads. Push the pads together in front of your chest by bringing your elbows closer, squeezing your chest muscles. Slowly return to the starting position, feeling the stretch in your chest.
- 1Sit with your arms on the pads and bring them together in front of your chest, feeling a deep contraction in your pecs
- 2Keep a slight bend in your elbows and pause briefly when the pads meet
- 3Control the return to feel a stretch through your chest without losing tension
Common mistakes
- Don't let the weight stack crash between reps or use momentum to swing the arms
- Avoid leaning forward or rounding your shoulders; maintain a neutral spine
- Don't overstretch at the back if it causes shoulder discomfort
Muscles worked
The machine chest flyes mainly works the mid chest, with the upper chest, lower chest, and front delts assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- BicepsMinor
- ForearmsMinor
Machine Chest Flyes strength standards
See how your machine chest flyes ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM85 lb
Silvere1RM140 lb
Golde1RM210 lb
Platinume1RM285 lb
Diamonde1RM327.5 lb
Champione1RM365 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the machine chest flyes for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More chest exercises
- How to do the archer push-up
- How to do the assisted dip
- How to do the resistance band chest flyes
- How to do the resistance band push-up
- How to do the barbell bench press
- How to do the paused bench press
Last reviewed April 2026.