A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level Cable Fly of 91 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 153 lbs (0.85x bodyweight).
FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP), based on 2.5M+ verified competition results
How strong is your Cable Fly? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.
How Strong Is Your Cable Fly?
How Much Should You Cable Fly?
1RM weight (lbs) you should be able to lift at each standard, based on your bodyweight.
| BW (lbs) | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | 1 | 15 | 46 | 93 | 153 |
| 120 | 3 | 19 | 53 | 102 | 165 |
| 130 | 5 | 24 | 59 | 112 | 176 |
| 140 | 6 | 28 | 66 | 120 | 188 |
| 150 | 9 | 32 | 72 | 129 | 198 |
| 160 | 11 | 36 | 79 | 137 | 209 |
| 170 | 13 | 40 | 85 | 145 | 218 |
| 180 | 16 | 44 | 91 | 153 | 228 |
| 190 | 18 | 49 | 96 | 161 | 237 |
| 200 | 20 | 53 | 102 | 168 | 246 |
| 210 | 23 | 57 | 108 | 175 | 255 |
| 220 | 26 | 61 | 113 | 182 | 263 |
| 230 | 28 | 64 | 118 | 189 | 271 |
| 240 | 31 | 68 | 124 | 195 | 279 |
| 250 | 33 | 72 | 129 | 202 | 287 |
| 260 | 36 | 76 | 134 | 208 | 294 |
| 270 | 38 | 80 | 139 | 214 | 301 |
| 280 | 41 | 83 | 143 | 220 | 308 |
| 290 | 43 | 87 | 148 | 226 | 315 |
| 300 | 46 | 90 | 153 | 232 | 322 |
| 310 | 49 | 94 | 157 | 237 | 329 |
| 90 | 2 | 12 | 31 | 58 | 93 |
| 100 | 3 | 14 | 34 | 62 | 97 |
| 110 | 4 | 16 | 36 | 66 | 102 |
| 120 | 5 | 17 | 39 | 69 | 106 |
| 130 | 6 | 19 | 41 | 72 | 110 |
| 140 | 6 | 20 | 44 | 75 | 113 |
| 150 | 7 | 22 | 46 | 78 | 117 |
| 160 | 8 | 23 | 48 | 81 | 120 |
| 170 | 9 | 25 | 50 | 83 | 123 |
| 180 | 10 | 26 | 52 | 86 | 126 |
| 190 | 11 | 27 | 53 | 88 | 129 |
| 200 | 11 | 29 | 55 | 90 | 132 |
| 210 | 12 | 30 | 57 | 92 | 134 |
| 220 | 13 | 31 | 59 | 95 | 137 |
| 230 | 14 | 32 | 60 | 97 | 139 |
| 240 | 14 | 33 | 62 | 99 | 142 |
| 250 | 15 | 34 | 63 | 100 | 144 |
| 260 | 16 | 36 | 65 | 102 | 146 |
How Does Age Affect Cable Fly Strength?
How Cable Fly standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.
| Age | Beginner | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 10 | 33 | 73 | 127 | 194 |
| 20 | 11 | 38 | 83 | 146 | 222 |
| 25 | 11 | 39 | 85 | 150 | 227 |
| 30 | 11 | 39 | 85 | 150 | 227 |
| 35 | 11 | 39 | 85 | 150 | 227 |
| 40 | 11 | 39 | 85 | 150 | 227 |
| 45 | 11 | 37 | 81 | 142 | 216 |
| 50 | 10 | 35 | 76 | 133 | 203 |
| 55 | 9 | 32 | 70 | 123 | 187 |
| 60 | 9 | 29 | 64 | 112 | 171 |
| 65 | 8 | 26 | 58 | 102 | 154 |
| 70 | 7 | 24 | 52 | 91 | 139 |
| 75 | 6 | 21 | 46 | 81 | 124 |
| 80 | 6 | 19 | 42 | 73 | 111 |
| 85 | 5 | 17 | 37 | 65 | 99 |
| 90 | 5 | 15 | 34 | 59 | 90 |
| 15 | 6 | 18 | 38 | 66 | 100 |
| 20 | 6 | 20 | 44 | 76 | 115 |
| 25 | 7 | 21 | 45 | 78 | 118 |
| 30 | 7 | 21 | 45 | 78 | 118 |
| 35 | 7 | 21 | 45 | 78 | 118 |
| 40 | 7 | 21 | 45 | 78 | 118 |
| 45 | 6 | 20 | 43 | 74 | 112 |
| 50 | 6 | 19 | 40 | 69 | 105 |
| 55 | 5 | 17 | 37 | 64 | 97 |
| 60 | 5 | 16 | 34 | 59 | 88 |
| 65 | 4 | 14 | 31 | 53 | 80 |
| 70 | 4 | 13 | 27 | 47 | 72 |
| 75 | 4 | 11 | 24 | 42 | 64 |
| 80 | 3 | 10 | 22 | 38 | 57 |
| 85 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 34 | 51 |
| 90 | 3 | 8 | 18 | 31 | 46 |
What Do Cable Fly Strength Standards Mean?
Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are learning the movement path and resistance curve on the Cable Fly, building the controlled movement pattern and mind-muscle connection needed to train the target muscle effectively.
Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the Cable Fly with strict form and a smooth tempo. You are adding resistance progressively without sacrificing range of motion or using body English.
Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your Cable Fly is performed with excellent control and targeted tension. You use RPE to manage isolation work intensity and program it strategically within your training split.
Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built significant strength on the Cable Fly through disciplined, progressive training. You employ advanced techniques like drop sets, pauses, and tempo work to continue driving adaptation.
Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your Cable Fly strength is at the upper end of what most lifters achieve. You have maximized the target muscle development through years of focused, periodized isolation work.
How to Progress Your Cable Fly
Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Cable Fly to the next level.
- Train the Cable Fly 2x per week with slow, controlled reps.
- Focus on full range of motion and eliminating momentum or swinging.
- Keep sets at RPE 6-7 to develop proper movement patterns.
- Build the mind-muscle connection - feel the target muscle working on every rep.
- Increase load progressively while keeping strict form on the Cable Fly.
- Program 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps at RPE 7-8.
- Add a variation (different grip, angle, or equipment) to address development gaps.
- Place isolation work after your primary compound movements.
- Use drop sets, paused reps, and partial reps to break through Cable Fly plateaus.
- Train at RPE 8-9 with advanced intensity techniques on your last 1-2 sets.
- Manipulate tempo to increase time under tension without compromising form.
- Manage total volume for the target muscle group across all exercises.
- Maximize Cable Fly strength through precise programming and fatigue management.
- Use periodized blocks to cycle between volume, intensity, and deload phases.
- Quality of contraction matters more than load at this level.
- Continuous refinement of technique will yield the remaining gains.
How to Perform Cable Fly
- Adjust the pulleys on a cable machine to chest height and attach D-handle grips.
- Stand in the center of the machine with a handle in each hand, palms facing forward.
- Step forward slightly to create tension in the cables, positioning your feet shoulder-width apart.
- With a slight bend in your elbows, extend your arms out to the sides, maintaining tension in your chest.
- Exhale and bring the handles together in front of you in a wide arc, squeezing your chest at the movement's peak.
- Inhale and slowly return to the starting position, keeping control over the movement.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tips for Cable Fly
- Keep a slight bend in the elbows to reduce strain on the joints.
- Focus on a slow, controlled movement to maximize muscle engagement.
- Avoid letting the handles touch at the movement's peak to maintain constant tension.
- Engage your core for stability and to prevent excessive arching of the back.
- Adjust the pulley height to vary the angle and target different parts of the chest.
Where Do These Cable Fly Standards Come From?
These Cable Fly standards are based on 2.5M+ verified competition results from powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide. Every number comes from a sanctioned meet with certified judges - not self-reported gym lifts. Data is sourced from OpenPowerlifting and other verified competition databases, ensuring accuracy you can trust.
Last Updated: March 30, 2026
Reviewed by the Fitness Volt Editorial Team, certified strength training analysts.
Is Your Cable Fly Good for Your Weight?
Strength standards help you objectively measure your Cable Fly performance relative to other lifters of the same bodyweight and sex. Here is how to interpret them:
- Find your bodyweight in the left column of the table above.
- Look across the row to find which strength level your 1RM falls into.
- Use the age tab to see how your strength compares within your age group.
- Switch between Male and Female standards using the toggle - each has its own dataset.
If you do not know your 1RM, use the E1RM Calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can Cable Fly 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.
These standards are derived from 2.5M+ competition results across powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide, combined with community training data.