# Pec Deck bad for you?



## APG (Mar 24, 2005)

"Stop queuing for the most popular machine in the gym-its torturing your shoulders.  Because the pec deck forces you to hold your upper arms parallel to the floor while rotating them back wards against heavy iron,it places great strain on the shoulders.  Instead, try the cable fly.  It makes you work harder with the same weight because it keeps tension on your pecs for the exercise's full range of motion, while the free movement works the stabilizing muscles that guard against injury"

Mens Fitness April 2005

Is this correct?


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## KentDog (Mar 24, 2005)

I don't know about whether it is bad for you, but I don't think the part about it being "the most popular machine in the gym" is correct.


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## vegman (Mar 24, 2005)

APG said:
			
		

> the pec deck forces you to *hold your upper arms parallel to the floor while rotating them back wards against heavy iron*,it places great strain on the shoulders.


that doesn't make sense


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## WilliamB (Mar 24, 2005)

Yea i think you mean perpendicular to the floor.


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## APG (Mar 24, 2005)

no the article def says parallel...


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## vegman (Mar 24, 2005)

APG said:
			
		

> no the article def says parallel...


Then how would that strain the shoulders?  it's very similar to DB flys. Now I can see having some strain on the shoulders using the pec deck with the large pads, where your forearms are perpendicular to the floor.


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## Dale Mabry (Mar 24, 2005)

Your upper arms are parallel in the pec deck.


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## APG (Mar 24, 2005)

so is it best to avoid the pec deck and use cables instead?


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## Goodfella9783 (Mar 24, 2005)

Dale Mabry said:
			
		

> Your upper arms are parallel in the pec deck.


This is true. Perpendicular would mean that your arm and/or arms would form a 90 degree angle with the floor.


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## vegman (Mar 24, 2005)

Dale Mabry said:
			
		

> Your upper arms are parallel in the pec deck.


+

what is an "upper arm?"


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## BiggerNstronger (Mar 24, 2005)

Hmmm...proper form and technique is to MAKE SURE your elbows are straight out, not pointing to the ground or otherwise.     Bottome line is there is no "better" or "worse" to any excercise, it all depends on the individual and the form they use.     All that being said, we dont have a true "pec deck" in our gym but when we DID have one it burned more in my shoulders than it ever did in my chest.   The machine we have now that replaced it allows you to have pretty much the exact same form as you would if you were doing bb flys but your upright instead of laying down...I do feel this somewhat in the shoulders but it does give a great burn in the chest, IF my form is correct.


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## XcelKrush (Mar 24, 2005)

I dont grab the handles I keep my arms straight and push using the inner elbow side of my arm.  It keeps your shoulders in a natural position and still hits the chest well.


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## musclepump (Mar 24, 2005)

I've never once felt any strain at all on my shoulders when using this machine.


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## Dale Mabry (Mar 25, 2005)

vegman said:
			
		

> +
> 
> what is an "upper arm?"




Bi, tri, and shoulder.


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## min0 lee (Mar 25, 2005)

I really don't digest anything Mens Fitness writes.


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