How to Do the Butterfly
Beginner chest exercise with machine.
The Butterfly is a beginner-level chest exercise that puts focused tension on the chest, using machine. As an isolation movement it lets you target the chest directly with less full-body fatigue, so it pairs well as an accessory after your main lifts. It slots into most gym setups, and SSS Workout Assistant will program it automatically when it fits your goal and available equipment.
Exercise details
- Muscle group
- Chest
- Primary muscle
- Chest
- Equipment
- Machine
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Type
- Isolation
Also known as: Pec Deck, Machine Fly, Chest Fly
How to perform it
- 1Sit on the machine with your back flat on the pad.
- 2Take hold of the handles.
- 3Tip: Your upper arms should be positioned parallel to the floor; adjust the machine accordingly.
- 4This will be your starting position.
- 5Push the handles together slowly as you squeeze your chest in the middle.
- 6Breathe out during this part of the motion and hold the contraction for a second.
- 7Return back to the starting position slowly as you inhale until your chest muscles are fully stretched.
- 8Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
How to program the Butterfly
- Use the Butterfly later in your workout as an accessory, after your main compound lifts.
- Warm up with one or two lighter sets before your working sets to prime the movement.
- As an isolation move, 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps works well, resting 45–75 seconds. Chase a strong contraction and controlled tempo over heavy weight.
- To progress, add a small amount of load only after you can hit the top of your rep range with clean form.
Butterfly alternatives
No machine? These train the same chest, grouped by what you have available.
Dumbbell or kettlebell
Barbell
Easier and harder variations
The Butterfly is rated beginner. Regress while you build the pattern, progress once it feels easy.
Harder — progress from it
What to pair it with
For a balanced session, pair the Butterfly with a move for the opposing muscles — the Cable Straight-Arm Pulldown (lats) or the Cable Pulldown (lats). Alternating the two as a superset saves time, because one side rests while the other works.
Where it fits in your weekly plan
When the free routine generator builds your week, the Butterfly can land on:
- Full Body days — in 1–2 days a week plans
- Push days — in 3, 5 or 6 days a week plans
- Upper Body days — in 4 or 5 days a week plans
Included when your equipment is set to: Full gym.
Free tools for this exercise
Put it in your plan
SSS Workout Assistant builds a custom weekly routine around your goals and adds moves like the Butterfly automatically — then tracks every set.
Build my free planFrequently asked questions
What muscles does the Butterfly work?
The Butterfly primarily targets the chest within the chest muscle group.
What equipment do I need for the Butterfly?
You need machine to perform the Butterfly.
Is the Butterfly a compound or isolation exercise?
The Butterfly is an isolation exercise, focusing work on a single muscle group. It's well suited to beginner trainees.
How many sets and reps of the Butterfly should I do?
As an isolation move, 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps works well, resting 45–75 seconds. Chase a strong contraction and controlled tempo over heavy weight.
Is the Butterfly good for beginners?
Yes — the Butterfly is beginner-friendly. Start light, focus on clean technique, and add difficulty gradually as it becomes comfortable.
What can I do instead of the Butterfly?
Good substitutes that train the same chest include the Decline Push-up (bodyweight), the Archer Push-Up (bodyweight), the Dumbbell Fly (dumbbell). Pick the one that matches the equipment you have.
Can I do the Butterfly at home?
It's usually done in a gym because it needs machine. At home, substitute a dumbbell or bodyweight variation that trains the same chest.
