chest flyes or push ups?

scotinjapan · Post by **scotinjapan** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:23 am

I've been doing flyes and presses(with dumbells) for a while now and have noticed a decrease in the fat around the chest area but would I be better off ditching the flyes and switching to push-ups? Should say I'm not looking to build mass--just tone up.

all advice welcome.

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 3:33 pm

Dumbbell flies done on a bench only hit the outer pecs. Cable flies will hit the inner pec and are much preferred.

I have found that dumbbell flies largely duplicate the effort of bench presses.

Better would be to do pushups or benches. If you don't have access to a bench press and weights, then do close grip, wide grip and decline push ups. Do the decline pushups with your feet on a chair or step ladder. Decline pushups replicate the motion of an incline bench press and it is harder to perform as there is increased weight on your arms.

Joesportstalk · Post by **Joesportstalk** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 8:55 pm

I personally like Push ups better.

However if growth is your goal then the progressive Dumb bell exercises would be best for you.

Tyler Hawke · Post by **Tyler Hawke** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:35 am

If you are looking to tone up, then pushups are the way to go. it is considered by some to be the best overall exercise. A good push up workout would be - 2 to 3 sets of these: standard, wide, close, decline, diamond and dive bomber. you do that a few times a week you'll be toned in (as long as you are eating well, not to over weight and getting in some cardio) in 6-8 weeks - you'll at the very least see a definite change in shape.

scotinjapan · Post by **scotinjapan** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:22 am

Cheers. Have started with the advised push ups today--although not the dive bombers, bit out league(just now)
Hopefully I'll see a difference(why are the last little bits of fat the hardest to get rid of? grr)

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:50 pm

there is no exercise that builds mass or builds tone or anything of the sort...

push ups 100 times out of 100 compared to flyes

Joesportstalk · Post by **Joesportstalk** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:33 am

swanso5 wrote:there is no exercise that builds mass or builds tone or anything of the sort...

push ups 100 times out of 100 compared to flyes

this is just simply not true Swanso.

Sorry mate but you are 100% wrong on the fact that "no exercise will build mass or tone"

Why would you say such a statement? I am curious as to your reasoning behind that or what you would base something like that on?

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:49 am

Joesportstalk wrote:
swanso5 wrote:there is no exercise that builds mass or builds tone or anything of the sort...

push ups 100 times out of 100 compared to flyes
this is just simply not true Swanso.

Sorry mate but you are 100% wrong on the fact that "no exercise will build mass or tone"

Why would you say such a statement? I am curious as to your reasoning behind that or what you would base something like that on?

He's speaking in Australian. It cannot be comprehended by mere mortals. I suspect he means "It is not an exercise that will build mass or tone." But we will have to await an official translation.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 5:32 pm

are you telling me that there are particular exercises that specifically build muscle while other specifically tone

if so i can't help you....

Packard · Post by **Packard** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 7:37 am

swanso5 wrote:are you telling me that there are particular exercises that specifically build muscle while other specifically tone

if so i can't help you....

Push ups will never be a high resistance exercise, so building bulk with push ups will be difficult.

High repetitions on an exercise will (generally) tone the muscles and not add too much bulk. Push ups is an exercise that will allow high repetitions.

I think you can reasonably say that push ups will tone muscles more than they will bulk them up.

But I agree that any exercise where you can vary the resistance and repetitions will not be easily classified as a bulking exercise or a toning one.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 2:41 pm

it all depends on the level of the person training

a beginner doing push ups who can only do 4 reps is building strength

that begiiner in 4 weeks doing 12 reps is now building hypertrophy

me doing sets of 30 is obviously building endurance

that being said i can gymnastic ring push ups with feet elevated with 40+kgs strapped to me...not building strenetth or hypertrophy with that one?

RK19 · Post by **RK19** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 2:47 pm

swanso5 wrote:gymnastic ring push ups

what are those?

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 6:35 pm

balst strap push up but with gymanstic rings (like the one's they do iron crosses from in the olypmics

RK19 · Post by **RK19** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:52 am

ahh. gotcha.

Heelus · Post by **Heelus** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 5:07 am

and muscle doesn't have a "tone" variants, there's fat, water and muscle that,s it.

And those rings are really tha blast.