Butterfly (Pec Deck)

Execution

1. Sit tall with your chest open; this is the starting position with a light stretch already on your chest.
2. Exhale and press the handles together in front of your chest by closing your upper arms, squeezing the chest hard at the closest point.
3. Hold for a beat at the squeezed position before releasing.
4. Inhale and let the handles open back out slowly until the chest stretches again, without letting the machine yank your arms out too far.

Quick cues

• Squeeze the chest at the closest point.
• Upper arms stay level with the floor.
• Release slow, don't let it yank you.
• Back glued to the pad the whole set.

Common faults

• Fault: The back arching off the pad to close the handles

  Fix: Drop one weight increment and press the shoulders into the pad before each press.

• Fault: Only closing halfway before releasing

  Fix: Close until the handles nearly meet in front of the chest and hold a beat there.

• Fault: Letting the handles snap open too fast, yanking the shoulders

  Fix: Take about 2-3 seconds to open and stop as soon as you feel the chest stretch, not letting the arms travel further back.

• Fault: The seat set too low so the handles sit above shoulder height

  Fix: Reset the seat height until the handles line up with the middle of the chest before starting the set.