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Overview
The pec deck is a great fly variation. As with other flyes, the pec deck movement is an isolation exercise which places stress almost exclusively on the chest muscles. This machine places particular stress on the outer portion of the chest at the bottom stretch in the movement, and greater stress is placed on the middle chest when the pads are squeezed together at the top.
Another variation is to use a seated fly machine or to sit backwards on the rear deltoid machine. The muscles stressed and movement are similar, placing a slightly different resistance on the chest muscles in each exercise.
Setup
Each machine may be slightly different, but the seat can usually be adjusted to match your height. For the pec deck, adjust the seat so that your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Place one arm against the pad (or grab the grip on the fly machine) and bring the pad to the middle of the machine, and carefully use your other arm to bring the other pad into the starting position.
Movement
From the starting position, allow the weight of the machine to slowly bring your elbows and forearms back to a fully stretched position. Getting that stretch at the bottom is important for having the full range of motion necessary to work the outer chest. Exhale and squeeze with you chest to bring the pads (or grips) back to the starting position. Pause here for a moment and squeeze the inner chest muscles before starting the next repetition.
Tips From the Trainer
Adjusting the seat higher or lower between days in the gym can add variation to your workout by working the chest muscles from different angles.
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