Cable Single-Arm Bear Fly
What Is the Cable Single-Arm Bear Fly?
Cable Single-Arm Bear Fly is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the chest and core, and it also engages the shoulders, the serratus anterior and the quadriceps. It is an advanced-level movement that combines a one-arm cable fly with a bear plank hold, so the body has to stay square on three points of contact while one arm sweeps the handle down and across under the chest.
The fly itself is simple: the working arm moves only at the shoulder, bringing the hand from out to the side, toward the cable stack, to a finish just in front of the planted hand. What makes the exercise demanding is the base. With the knees hovering just off the floor and one hand busy with the handle, the cable constantly tries to pull the working side up and turn the torso open toward the machine. The obliques and the rest of the trunk have to resist that rotation, the abdominals keep the lower back from sagging, the quads hold the knees off the floor, and the support shoulder holds the upper body up.
Because the plank limits how much weight can be handled, this is not a main chest builder. It works best as a lighter accessory or as part of a core or conditioning circuit, where it trains the chest and anti-rotation core control in one movement.
It suits lifters who already hold a solid Bear Plank and can control a standing Cable Single-Arm Fly. If either is shaky, build them up separately first, and practice the anti-rotation side with the Cable Pallof Press. Setting the knees down on the floor makes the movement much easier, but it also takes away most of the core challenge that sets this exercise apart.
Muscles Worked
- External Oblique
- Primary
- Pectoralis Major
- Primary
- Deltoid
- High
- Rectus Abdominis
- High
- Rectus Femoris
- Medium
- Erector Spinae
- Minimal
Instructions
- Attach a single handle to a cable pulley set at roughly waist height on the column.
- Hold the handle in the hand nearest the stack and set up on all fours side-on to the column, with the stack out to your working side and slightly ahead of your shoulders.
- Place the free hand flat under its shoulder with the fingers spread, rest the handle on the floor just in front of it, and set your knees under your hips with the toes tucked.
- Brace your core and lift your knees about 1 to 2 inches off the floor, keeping your back flat and your hips level with your shoulders.
- With a slight bend in the elbow and your palm facing the floor, let the cable draw your working arm out to the side and up toward the pulley until it is about level with your back and you feel a stretch across the chest. Do not let it swing much higher than that.
- Sweep the handle back down and across in a wide arc, keeping the elbow angle fixed, until your hand finishes just in front of the planted hand.
- Keep your hips and shoulders square to the floor and your knees hovering throughout, without letting the cable twist you toward the stack.
- Complete your reps, set the knees down, then turn around to train the other arm.
Common Mistakes
Resting the knees on the floor
Letting the knees settle onto the floor turns the bear plank into a tabletop and takes away most of the core work the exercise is built around.
Twisting toward the stack
Letting the cable rotate the torso and hips open toward the machine as the arm opens means the core is losing the anti-rotation battle, so lighten the load.
Hips piking up or sagging
Raising the hips shifts the load onto the shoulders, while letting them sag strains the lower back, so keep them level with the shoulders.
Bending the elbow into a press
Bending and straightening the elbow during the rep turns the fly into a pressing or pulling motion, so keep the slight elbow bend fixed.
Overstretching at the open position
Letting the cable pull the arm well past the line of the back or the shoulder roll forward at the top stresses the front of the shoulder.
Using too much weight
A load you could fly standing is usually too heavy here, because the plank, not the chest, is the limit.
Injuries
Cable Single-Arm Bear Fly is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The front of the working shoulder is most exposed at the open position, where the cable pulls the arm out toward the stack while the chest is stretched. Letting the arm swing up well past the line of the back or the shoulder roll forward there puts the joint in a vulnerable spot, so stop the arm where you can still feel the chest in control and keep the load light enough to own that position.
The support side carries its own strain. The planted wrist bears much of the upper body in full extension, and the lower back takes stress if the hips sag or twist under the cable's pull. Spread the fingers and press through the whole hand, or rest on a fist if the wrist complains. Keep the hips level with the shoulders and the knees just off the floor for the whole set.
To regress, set the knees down on the floor, or move to the standing Cable Single-Arm Fly and build the base separately with the Bear Plank. To progress, slow the lowering phase and pause briefly at the open position before adding weight. Stop if you feel sharp or pinching pain at the front of the shoulder, wrist pain that does not ease when you shift the hand, or any low-back pain.
- Equipment
- Cable and body weight
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Should my knees touch the floor?
No. Hover them about 1 to 2 inches off the floor for the whole set, because that hover is what makes the core resist the cable's pull. Setting the knees down is a useful regression while you learn the movement, but it removes most of the core challenge.
- Q: How heavy should the cable be?
Lighter than you would use for a standing single-arm fly. Pick a weight you can move through the full arc without your hips turning toward the stack or your knees dropping, and add load only once that stays true for every rep.
- Q: Where should I set the pulley?
Set it at roughly waist height on the column, so the pulley sits above your body and the cable runs down to your hand. That angle keeps tension on the arm at the bottom of the rep, when the hand finishes near the floor.
- Q: Which arm does the work, and how do I switch sides?
The arm nearest the cable stack holds the handle and pulls it across under your chest, while the far hand stays planted. To train the other side, turn around so your other shoulder faces the stack.
- Q: Can this replace a regular cable fly?
Not as your main chest builder, because the plank caps how much weight you can use. Treat it as an accessory that trains the chest and anti-rotation core control together, alongside a standing or bench fly for heavier chest work.