For chest growth
For chest growth, high-to-low cable fly rates well ahead on our research criteria: more stretch, easier on the joints.
Both are good choices, and they train the chest differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Barbell Bench Press. Easiest press to load progressively, but the bar stops at your chest and limits the stretch.
High-to-Low Cable Fly. Cables keep the chest loaded through the whole arc, and the downward path angles the work toward the lower and middle chest.
For chest growth, high-to-low cable fly rates well ahead on our research criteria: more stretch, easier on the joints. Both are good choices, and they train the chest differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
High-to-low cable fly is easier: it’s easy to learn, while barbell bench press takes some practice.
Barbell bench press needs a barbell, a bench and a squat rack, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. High-to-low cable fly needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
High-to-low cable fly: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Strong for barbell bench press.