By RealJock Staff

This exercise provided courtesy of Mike Clausen, founder and co-owner of DIAKADI Body training gym, voted best personal training gym in San Francisco by CitySearch in 2006.

Benefits
Tube flys provide maximum and continuous resistance on your chest as you work to push out in a fly and then resist the pull of the tubes on the return.

Muscles Worked
Chest, Shoulders (rotators)

Starting Position
Choose a medium-weight tube and attach it to a fixed point level with your lower back. (If you don't have access to tubes, use a dual-cable machine for this exercise.) Stand upright facing away from the tube’s point of attachment with one handle in each hand, your elbows at a right-angle level with your upper back, and with your palms facing downward at a slight angle (see Photo 1).

Exercise

1. From the starting position, drive forward through your chest and straighten your elbows as you push both arms forward and bring your hands toward each other. Your hands should come only as close as is required to fully flex your chest without allowing your shoulders to pop forward (see Photos 2 and 3).
2. When your chest is fully flexed and arms extended, reverse direction and return to the starting position, resisting the pull of the tubes as you go. Throughout this exercise, work on developing a smooth, powerful motion, and keeping a regular tempo—you’re going for power on these, and should not pause between repetitions (see Photos 4 and 5).

About Mike Clausen: Clausen is the founder and co-owner of DIAKADI Body training gym, voted best personal training gym in San Francisco by CitySearch in 2006. He has been actively involved in sports and weightlifting since high school, and continues to use that knowledge when training his clients. Clausen is both A.C.E. and N.A.S.M. certified and has been training clients professionally for six years. He enjoys making his clients stronger, both physically and mentally, giving them the tools to create an efficient body and to do things they thought were not possible.