Cable Fly vs. Dumbbell Fly

Cable Fly vs. Dumbbell Fly - what’s the difference?⁠
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While both the cable and dumbbell fly can be great accessory exercises for the chest. The advantage of cables over dumbbells is that they offer continuous tension.⁠
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Dumbbells offer very little challenge to the chest muscle fibers during the top half of the movement, thanks to gravity, which moves force in a downward direction as the weights are raised. This means the dumbbell will always offer the most amount of tension in the lengthened portion of the movement, where the muscle fibers have the least mechanical advantage. ⁠
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Cables, on the other hand, offer tension throughout, as the force remains outwards and in direct opposition to the chest muscle fibers during the entire movement.⁠
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Cable flys can also be performed standing, without the support of a bench, which can allow for more movement of the scapula and the potential for greater ROM.⁠
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Both cable and dumbbell fly variations can be modified with grips and angles to challenge certain portions of the chest.⁠
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