Cable Crossover: How To Do, Muscle Worked and Form
When it comes to achieving a well-developed chest, relying solely on the bench press may not be enough. Compound lifts are good for building muscles in general, but it's important to do isolated movements that work specific muscle groups to make your muscles stronger.
The cable crossover is one of the exercises that bodybuilders have been doing for a long time. The cable crossover technique allows the user to exert significant tension on their pectoral muscles without involving other muscle groups.
Its unique mechanics and range of motion can provide significant advantages when it comes to strengthening and sculpting your entire chest area.
In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about:
- What Is Cable Crossover
- Muscle Worked During Cable Crossover
- Benefits of Cable Crossover
- How To Do It
- Common Mistakes To Be Avoided
- Variations of Cable Crossover
- Sets and Reps
The cable crossover is a popular exercise commonly performed in the gym using a cable machine. It is designed to target the muscles of the chest, as well as other supporting muscles such as shoulder, core, and arms.
The cable crossover offers several advantages over traditional chest exercises like the bench press. It provides constant tension on the muscles throughout the movement, ensuring a thorough contraction and maximizing muscle activation.
Additionally, the cable crossover provides a versatile range of motion, allowing you to adjust the height and angle of the cables to target different areas of the chest. Such as:
- Middle Crossover: Specially target the inner chest
- Low Cable Crossover: Specially target the Upper Chest
- High Cable Crossover: Specially target the Lower Chest
In its basic form, the cable crossover involves standing in the center of a cable machine with one handle in each hand. The cables are positioned at a middle point on each side.
With controlled movements, you pull the handles across your body and meet them in the middle in front of your chest. Then, slowly return to the starting position. This exercise resembles the motion of hugging or crossing your arms in front of you.
Muscle Worked During Cable Crossover
The cable crossover primarily targets the muscles of the chest, particularly the pectoralis major.
In addition to the chest, other muscle groups are involved as stabilizers and synergists during the exercise.
- Anterior deltoid,
- Serratus anterior
- Biceps Brachii,
- Trapezius
- Rhomboids
The cable crossover exercise offers three variations. These variations allow you to specifically target different areas of your chest for balanced development.
- To target the upper chest, perform a low cable crossover.
- To target the lower chest, perform a high cable crossover.
- To target the middle and inner chest, perform a middle cable crossover.
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