Liftworthy
ExploreTrainFeed
Liftworthy

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

Rankings
  • All rankings
  • Add an exercise
  • Build a workout
About
  • How scores work
  • The app
  • Your tiers
Legal
  • Privacy
  • Terms & community rules
General training information, not medical advice. If something hurts, stop and see a professional.
  • Explore
  • Train
  • Feed
  • You
Explore/Chest

Pec Deck

Also called Machine fly

MachineIsolationEasy to learn
Front
Back
Primary Secondary

Works

Chest

Also delts

You need

Pec deck / rear delt fly

How to do itPictures · 3 steps
1Start
2Squeeze
Main musclesAlso working
  1. 1Handles at chest height
  2. 2Let the arms open to a deep stretch
  3. 3Squeeze for a second at the middle

Most common mistake

Stopping at a comfortable halfway point and skipping the stretch.

Watch a demo

Good for

  • Ranked #2 for chest
  • Keeps the work on the target muscle
  • Easy to keep adding weight
  • Easy on the joints and recovery

Compare with

vs Cable Flyvs High-to-Low Cable Flyvs Machine Chest Press
S
For chest
#2 of 32
See the full list →
Research
94
Scored by hand
Results
Soon
From the app
How lifters rate itBe the first
S
A
B
C
D
F
Why research scores it 94
Target tensionExcellent
Loaded stretchStrong
ProgressionExcellent
Low costExcellent

Isolates the chest with a fixed path, so every rep is the same quality.

Research behind these criteria

  • Target tension: Zabaleta-Korta et al., 2021 · Kinoshita et al., 2023
  • Loaded stretch: Maeo et al., 2021 · Maeo et al., 2023 · Pedrosa et al., 2022 · Kassiano et al., 2023
  • Progression: Plotkin et al., 2022 · Pelland et al., 2026
  • Low cost: Schoenfeld et al., 2021 · Refalo et al., 2023
How scores work

Machine taken? Swap to

  • SCable FlyCable
  • SHigh-to-Low Cable FlyCable
  • ALow-to-High Cable FlyCable
  • AIncline Machine PressMachine

Takes

None yet
needed to post
280