Butterfly on the machine

To efficiently train your major chest muscle, assume the correct starting position. Sit on the machine's cushion and press your back against the backrest. Then, grip both bars in the standard manner, ensuring your arms are parallel to the floor. For chest muscle training, your arms should also be at chest height. Keep both feet firmly on the ground for stability.

Note Throughout the exercise, shoulders and back should remain against the backrest. This prevents injuries and promotes effective training of the chest muscles.

Movement execution

Grip both bars and move your hands forward. Move your arms until the bars come together in front of your chest (or just before they touch). Your arms should be almost fully extended. Exhale as you bring your arms together in front of your chest. Then, you can inhale as you carefully return your arms to the starting position. Stop the movement when your arms are in line with your body.

Alternative: "Butterfly" on the Machine with Different Grips Using various grips can bring variety to your training on the "Butterfly" machine. The hammer grip (neutral grip) is the standard option, where you turn your palms inward and your thumbs upward. Additionally, you can use the overhand grip, where the thumbs point inward. Most "Butterfly" machines provide a bar that accommodates both grip variations.

Stressed muscles and common mistakes

Despite the fact that the fitness exercise "Flys" on the machine is particularly suitable for beginners, many athletes make mistakes.

✅ Lifting the Shoulders: If the height of the seat on the machine for Flys is incorrectly adjusted, it can lead to athletes lifting the weights from their shoulders. Consequently, the chest muscles are barely or not trained at all.

✅ Bending the Arms while Pressing: Those who bend their arms during the execution of Flys on the machine are deceiving themselves. This results in the pressing of weights being mainly carried out with the triceps and biceps.

✅ Fully Extended Arms: In the gym, it is often seen that the arms are fully extended during the exercise. However, without bending at the elbow joint, there is a risk of prolonged injuries.

✅ Swinging from the Upper Body: Many athletes tend to generate momentum from the entire upper body. This distorts chest training and minimizes training success. It is advisable to carefully choose the weight to execute Flys on the machine optimally.

Alternatives and similar exercises to the butterfly on the machine

If you regularly incorporate the same chest exercises into your training routine, the workout quickly becomes monotonous. By including a variety of fitness exercises, you enhance training motivation and approach targeted muscle building.