Bench presses and flies both work the muscles of your chest -- but that is where the similarities end. The bench press exercise is a compound exercise that targets more than one muscle group. Flies are an isolation exercise that targets only the chest. Each type of exercise has its place in a workout program.
Bench Press Exercise
The bench press exercise has several variations, but the most common version is on a flat bench with a barbell. You move the bar vertically, in an up and down motion. The bench press is a compound exercise that involves movement at the shoulder and elbow joints. Compound exercises target more than one muscle group. The bench press works not only your chest, but also your shoulders and triceps muscles.
Chest Flies
You do chest flies with dumbbells, moving your hands in an arc pattern. Chest flies are an isolation exercise and target only your chest muscles. The only movement occurs at the shoulder joints -- there is no movement at the elbows during a fly. You cannot use as much weight during a fly because only the chest muscle is moving the weight. Since the triceps and shoulder muscles assist the chest during a bench press, you can push more weight.
Benefits of Bench Press
You can work more muscles in less time with compound exercise, such as the bench press, making it more time-efficient than a chest fly. The American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM, recommends basing your weight training on compound exercises, such as the bench press. The bench press is also a more functional exercise than the fly, meaning it more closely mimics regular movements you do in real life activities. Think of pushing a box or piece of furniture. This is very similar to a chest press.
Benefits of Flies
Although flies are an isolation exercise and mainly target only your chest muscles, they still have a place in your workout routine. ACSM does recommend selecting mostly compound exercises, but the guidelines also suggest filling-in your workout with some single-joint exercises. Flies allow you to focus on your chest, which is especially important if your chest is a weak spot or requires rehabilitation from an injury. Perform flies after bench presses to fully fatigue the chest at the end of your workout.
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