It’s time to spread your wings and float like butterfly for that stronger, more defined chest you’ve been thinking about. Chest butterfly exercises are performed by repeating a motion in which your arms are held outstretched, parallel to your back and then brought together, in an arc-like motion, in front of your chest. You can perform this dynamic exercise with dumbbells, stretch cables or a weight machine, each providing similar benefits, if you use proper form and technique. Mimicking the gentle, graceful motion of butterfly wings may not help you actually fly, but hey, at least you’ll be on the road to be becoming one-well-toned butterfly.
Muscles
Chest butterfly exercises, also called deck flyes, target and strengthen your pectoral major muscles, which make up the majority of your chest anatomy. Developing your pecs helps your chest maintain a full and rounded tone, while providing them with the strength required to adequately support your torso during motions that involve moving objects toward or away from your body.
Circulation
Chest butterfly exercises help to improve your upper-body circulation, which means more energy and power during other activities or sports. Your chest muscles are connected to the muscles in your shoulders, and improving the circulation between the two can help prevent shoulder joint instability or injury. Improving your upper-body circulation also helps to relieve excess tension in your back and arm muscles, helping to relieve pain and soreness.
Posture
Your pectoral muscles attach to your collarbone, shoulder blades and the vertebrae of your back and neck. As you perform chest butterfly exercises, these muscles are pulled tighter and strengthened. This helps your neck muscles to support and align your head, while relieving tension and stiffness in your lower back, improving your posture. In order to receive this posture-improving result, adhere to proper form by keeping your back and head aligned throughout the exercise.
Variations
You can perform chest butterfly exercises on an inclined bench to target your upper pectoral muscles and shoulders. You can also perform them on a declined bench to stimulate your lower pectoral muscles, triceps and upper abs. Targeting various muscle groups helps to keep your physique proportionate in strength and stability, while assisting to maintain a degree of dynamic and freshness in your workout.
References
Writer Bio
Residing in Florida, Anton Reid began writing in 2005. He has written a range of health- and cultural-related articles for various organizations and companies, including A.Meem.Ra Institute, The Holistic Arts Center and “MAAT’s Pot." Reid is certified in homeopathic healing, licensed in herbal medicine and is a certified Reiki practitioner.