DB BENCH PRESS/FLY vs. OTHER PUSH EXERCISES
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EMG STUDIES
PECTORALIS MAJOR
– BB Bench Press Flat vs. DB Bench Press Flat vs. DB Fly
EMG – Pectoralis Major and Anterior Deltoid during 3 Upper Body Lifts – 2005 – Welsch
Procedure
– 12 college-age men and women with various degrees of lifting experience; performed 3 repetitions using the 6RM
Results
– dumbbell fly had significantly less relative time of activation than did barbell or dumbbell bench presses
Pectoralis Major – average activation: bb bench 90% · db bench 80% · db fly 65%
Anterior Deltoid – average activation: bb bench 90% · db bench 85% · db fly 70%
PECTORALIS MAJOR UPPER, MIDDLE & LOWER
– BB Bench Press Flat vs. DB Fly
A Comparison of Muscle Activation between BB Bench and DB Flyes in Resistance-Trained Males – 2020 – Solstad, Saeterbakken
Procedure
– 17 resistance-trained men with 4.8 ± 2.0 years resistance training experience
– 6RM; the 5th repetition was tested, dividing it into six phases (lower, middle, and upper phase of the descending and ascending movement
Results
Pectoralis Major – upper: bench 35% · db fly 25%
Pectoralis Major – middle: bench 40% · db fly 40%
Pectoralis Major – lower: bench 40% · db fly 40%
+ Biceps Brachii: db fly 60% · bench 15%
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