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Cable Fly strength standards

What is a good Cable Fly?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Cable Fly is about 91 lb (0.51x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 153 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 91 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 153 lb Advanced standard
Gym median Separate tab Self-reported, not blended
Check My Level Estimate Your 1RM Methodology
Evidence ledger No blended rankings
Primary source FitnessVolt standards model
Available views Standards
Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

Competition results, gym submissions, and reader logs stay labeled separately so the ranking source is clear.

Quick Answer Cable Fly

A solid (Intermediate) Cable Fly for a 180 lb male is about 91 lb (0.51x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Cable Fly into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 153 lb (0.85x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

Cable Fly demonstration
Estimated Standards

How strong is your Cable Fly? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles Biceps, Anterior Deltoid, Pectorals
Equipment Cable Machine, D-handle Grips
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Isolation

How Strong Is Your Cable Fly?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 91 lbs (0.51x bodyweight) on the Cable Fly ranks Intermediate on the FVCP competition scale, stronger than ~50% of verified competition lifters at this bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

That clears the median for this bodyweight and gives you a useful benchmark for the next tier.

Over 40? Our calculator also reports an age-adjusted percentile and an age-30 equivalent using the McCulloch age factor, so masters lifters are compared to lifters their own age. See the age-adjusted (Masters 40+) standards below for the full breakdown.

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
Your FVCP:
Age-adjusted percentile
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
th percentile

Illustrative: a normal-distribution model anchored to the real Beginner to Elite percentile thresholds for your bodyweight. The marker shows where your lift falls, not a measured frequency count.

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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted Cable Fly entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

91 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.51x x Bodyweight

Baseline figures for a 180 lb male at Intermediate level, from the standards table. This is not reader-submitted data. So far readers have logged a lift here.

Enter your numbers above first. We publish reader benchmarks only after a sample threshold is met.

How Much Should You Cable Fly?

Use this table to find the standard closest to your bodyweight. The tiers are standards, not claims about reader submissions.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM scales with bodyweight at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

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

Is Your Cable Fly Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good Cable Fly at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Cable Fly is about 91 lb (0.51x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 153 lb (0.85x), and Elite is 228 lb (1.27x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Cable Fly is about 44 lb (0.31x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 75 lb (0.54x), and Elite is 113 lb (0.81x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Cable Fly?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 91 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 16 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 44 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 6 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 72 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 113 lb at an Intermediate level. Find your exact bodyweight in the table above.

By age (men): at an Intermediate level a 30 year old male lifts about 85 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 76 lb. See the By Age tab for every age band.

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

How Does Age Affect Cable Fly Strength?

How Cable Fly standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM changes with age at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

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

What Do Cable Fly Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

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.

Novice

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.

Intermediate

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.

Advanced

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.

Elite

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.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • 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.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • 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.
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Advanced Isolation Techniques
  • 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.
Calculate working set loads →
Advanced → Elite Mastery
  • 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.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform Cable Fly

  1. Adjust the pulleys on a cable machine to chest height and attach D-handle grips.
  2. Stand in the center of the machine with a handle in each hand, palms facing forward.
  3. Step forward slightly to create tension in the cables, positioning your feet shoulder-width apart.
  4. With a slight bend in your elbows, extend your arms out to the sides, maintaining tension in your chest.
  5. Exhale and bring the handles together in front of you in a wide arc, squeezing your chest at the movement's peak.
  6. Inhale and slowly return to the starting position, keeping control over the movement.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Read the complete Cable Fly guide on FitnessVolt →

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?

FitnessVolt keeps each data population labeled. Competition percentiles use verified raw meet results where available. Gym percentile tabs use self-reported Symmetric Strength data. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

Is Your Cable Fly Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your Cable Fly against clearly labeled standards and percentile datasets. Here is the cleanest way to read it:

  1. Start with Standards to find the tier closest to your bodyweight.
  2. Use Gym Percentiles when you want self-reported gym comparisons.
  3. Use Competition for verified meet-result percentiles where the lift supports it.
  4. Use By Age when age-segmented gym data is available.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the one rep max 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.

The important rule: do not mix the tabs. Standards, gym percentiles, competition percentiles, and reader logs answer different questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Cable Fly depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training background. The Intermediate tier is a useful first serious target, while Advanced and Elite represent much harder standards. Use the table above for the number closest to your bodyweight.
Many lifters can reach the Intermediate tier on the Cable Fly after steady training, but the timeline depends on starting point, technique, programming, recovery, and bodyweight changes. Treat the tier as a benchmark, not a deadline.
Yes. Competition views use verified meet-result data where available, gym percentile views use self-reported gym cohorts, and reader-submitted benchmarks are shown only after enough entries are logged. The populations are labeled separately.
For weighted lifts, enter a clean raw 1RM or an estimated 1RM from a recent hard set. For rep-based movements, enter controlled full-range reps. Avoid equipped lifts, partial reps, or bounced reps unless you are comparing against the same style every time.

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One Rep Max Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any rep set Benchmarks Compare against competition data RPE Chart Training load percentages by RPE
Written by Tom Miller, CSCS · Reviewed by Editorial Team
Tom Miller, CSCS, is a Sr. Editor & Content Strategist with 10 years of experience in Powerlifting and Personal Training. As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, he is dedicated to delivering informative, engaging, and reliable health and fitness content. His work has been featured on websites including the-sun.com, Well+Good, Bleacher Report, Muscle and Fitness, UpJourney, Business Insider, NewsBreak and more.