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Cable crossover: finish off your chest workout with this single-joint move that isolates your pecs

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Michele Olson

ROUTINE DETAILS

WHEN: Include the cable crossover in your chest workouts, preferably toward the end.

WITH: Perform various presses for chest before the cable crossover; use it in place of or with dumbbell flyes or the pec-deck machine.

HOW: Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.

Technique

1 AT A CABLE STATION, attach stirrup handles to the high-cable pulleys and adjust their height to approximately 12-15 inches above shoulder level (if possible).

2 GRASP THE HANDLES WITH YOUR PALMS DOWN and center your body between the weight stacks, taking a small step forward with one foot for balance if necessary. Stand erect, then angle your torso forward by hinging at the hips 15-30 degrees, maintaining the natural curvature of your spine. Your knees should be slightly bent.

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3 WITH YOUR CHEST HIGH, let the weight pull your arms out to your sides so they're at shoulder level and parallel to the floor. Keep your elbows slightly bent.

4 INHALE AND HOLD YOUR BREATH as you pull down and forward, out and in front of your midsection, until your hands touch or cross slightly. Avoid flexing your arms to help complete the movement.

5 PAUSE MOMENTARILY, squeezing your pectoral muscles as you exhale, then return to the start position. You should feel a strong pull in your chest as you near the start position, but don't allow the cables to pull your arms too far back.

PERFORMANCE TIPS

* Pull your arms across your body at mid-chest level. If you pull at a higher level, you'll activate your anterior deltoids rather than isolate your pecs. Pulling the handles together below your chest will give you a slightly different feel but still effectively target your pecs.

* Maintaining a slight bend in your arms throughout the movement is critical. One of the most common mistakes is to "press" the weight as you would in a bench press, which activates your anterior delts and triceps. Keeping the slight bend in your elbows better isolates your chest.

* To get an equal and effective pull from each side, keep your upper body angled forward approximately 30 degrees. Lean too far forward and you'll pull your arms downward, which could minimize the muscular activation of the pectorals.

* Inhale and hold your breath during the pulldown and crossover phases to stabilize your spine and provide a strong base from which to pull. Don't exhale until you reach the end of the range of motion.

* Keep your wrists straight (not flexed or extended) to reduce wrist strain and maximize resistance on your chest.

* Let your shoulders round forward as your arms come in front of and across your body to increase the work of the stabilizers that assist your chest muscles in performing this motion.

Primary muscles + actions involved

The cable crossover works the * pectoralis major and * minor, * anterior deltoid, * coracobrachialis and * serratus anterior. The pectoralis major, a large fan-shaped muscle that runs across the upper portion of your ribcage out to your humerus, is activated in the initial pulldown movement. The involvement of the smaller pectoralis minor, which sits underneath the pec major, increases as your hands come closer together.

The anterior deltoid at the front of your shoulder as well as the smaller coracobrachialis, which lies on your upper arm near your shoulder joint, assists in moving your upper arm forward and across your torso. Located on the side of your ribs, the serratus anterior connects to the scapula, providing more range of motion as your arms come together or cross in the bottom position.

Sport Uses

The cable-crossover movement plays a major role in the pulling and hitting motions common to martial arts. In strength sports such as gymnastics, this exercise provides the kind of strength vital for the uneven bars and vault. Batting in softball, teeing off in golf and hitting a forehand in tennis also require the type of muscle conditioning provided by this exercise.

BY MICHELE OLSON, PHD, FACSM

Cable crossover: finish off your chest workout with this single-joint move that isolates your pecs

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Michele Olson

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