STOP F*cking Up Cable Crossovers (PROPER FORM!)
Summary
TLDRThis fitness tutorial offers expert guidance on performing the cable crossover exercise correctly to maximize chest muscle engagement. It emphasizes the importance of setting the right cable height for targeting different chest areas, using appropriate weight to avoid underestimating the exercise's potential, and proper positioning to prevent shoulder strain. The video also details the correct starting posture, the significance of leaning forward, and the necessity of full arm adduction with a bicep-to-chest touch for optimal results, concluding with a shoulder squeeze for peak chest contraction.
Takeaways
- 😀 The cable crossover is a favorite chest exercise that can be performed correctly with the right setup and technique.
- 🔄 Adjusting the height of the cable crossover can target different parts of the chest: sternal for the middle, higher for lower chest, and lower for upper chest.
- 💡 The anchor point should be set to hip height for upper chest work to avoid recruiting the front deltoid muscles too much.
- 🏋️♂️ Use more weight than usual for the cable crossover to take advantage of eccentric loading and stretching, but ensure proper setup to avoid shoulder pain.
- 🚶♂️ Positioning is crucial; stepping out before setting up helps manage heavier weights and provides a stable, athletic stance.
- 🚪 The distance from the machine affects muscle engagement; standing too close biases the biceps, while too far can stress the shoulder and turn the exercise into a press.
- 🤔 Start with slight elbow bend to reduce stress on the shoulder without compromising chest stretch.
- 🙇♂️ Leaning forward at the start of the exercise sets up the body for proper execution and prioritizes chest work over shoulder dominance.
- 🤲 Finishing the crossover with the bicep touching the chest ensures full adduction and chest activation, not just crossing the hands.
- 🤸♂️ Squeezing the shoulder blades down and elbows towards the sides at the end of the rep maximizes chest contraction and stabilizes the shoulders.
- 🔄 Watch for additional tips on making one-arm rows more effective, as they complement chest exercises.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the video script?
-The video script focuses on how to correctly perform a cable crossover exercise to target different areas of the chest muscles.
Why is setting the right height for the cable crossover important?
-Setting the right height is crucial because it determines which part of the chest is being trained, whether it's the middle sternal portion, the lower chest, or the upper chest.
How does the height of the cable affect the chest muscles being targeted during the exercise?
-The height of the cable affects the angle of the exercise, with higher settings targeting the lower chest and lower settings targeting the upper chest.
What is the recommended weight to use for the cable crossover exercise?
-The script suggests using more weight than most people typically use, as it's often underestimated and can be used for heavy eccentric loading and stretching.
Why is it difficult for some people to get into the correct position for the cable crossover?
-Some people struggle with positioning because they use too heavy weights, causing shoulder discomfort or lack of leverage, making it hard to move the weights into the starting position.
What is the proper way to mount the cable crossover machine?
-The proper way to mount the machine is by grabbing the handle, walking to the other side, and positioning it close to the chest before getting into the exercise stance.
What is the significance of the stance and distance from the machine during the cable crossover exercise?
-The stance and distance from the machine affect the muscle activation and leverage. Standing too close biases the biceps, while standing too far away can stress the anterior shoulder capsule and turn the exercise into more of a press.
Why should the elbows be slightly bent at the start of the cable crossover exercise?
-Slightly bending the elbows reduces stress on the anterior shoulder capsule without changing the chest stretch, making the exercise safer and more comfortable.
What is the recommended starting position for the cable crossover to prioritize chest activation?
-Leaning forward slightly at the start sets up a better pre-stretch and allows for a more effective execution of the exercise, ensuring the chest is doing the work rather than the shoulders.
How can one maximize the effectiveness of the cable crossover by adjusting the finish position of the exercise?
-To maximize effectiveness, one should fully adduct the arm across the chest, ensuring the bicep touches the chest, and squeeze the shoulders down and elbows towards the sides at the end of the repetition.
What is the purpose of leaning back and pushing out at the end of the cable crossover repetition?
-Leaning back and pushing out at the end of the repetition helps to fully contract the chest muscles, stabilize the shoulders, and ensure a complete range of motion for maximum growth.
Outlines
🏋️♂️ Correct Cable Crossover Technique for Targeted Chest Training
This paragraph discusses the importance of proper setup and execution of the cable crossover exercise to effectively target different areas of the chest. The trainer emphasizes the need to adjust the height of the cable based on the desired chest area to be trained: sternal for the middle, higher for lower chest, and hip height for upper chest. The paragraph also addresses common mistakes, such as using too light a weight and incorrect mounting of the machine, which can lead to ineffective workouts or shoulder discomfort. The trainer suggests using heavier weights for greater muscle overload and provides tips on positioning, such as stepping out for stability and standing at the right distance from the machine to avoid bicep or front delt engagement. Additionally, a slight bend in the elbow is recommended to reduce stress on the shoulder capsule without compromising chest stretch.
💪 Maximizing Chest Growth with Proper Execution and Mindful Squeezing
The second paragraph focuses on the execution of the cable crossover to maximize chest growth. It advises starting with a lean-forward position to intensify the chest stretch and set up for a powerful rep. The trainer explains the importance of not leaning too far forward or backward to avoid bicep or shoulder dominance. The paragraph highlights the need to cross the arms fully across the chest, with the bicep making contact with the chest for full adduction. To end the repetition, a squeeze is recommended to engage the chest fully and stabilize the shoulders. The summary also includes a call to action for viewers to watch another video on improving the one-arm row and mentions the availability of programs and supplements on the trainer's website.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Cable Crossover
💡Sternal Portion
💡Lower Chest
💡Upper Chest
💡Eccentric Overload
💡Leverage
💡Athletic Position
💡Adduction
💡Biceps
💡Shoulder Alignment
💡Full Adduction
💡Squeeze Down
Highlights
The cable crossover is a favorite chest exercise that can be performed correctly with proper setup.
Setting the correct height for the cable is crucial for targeting different areas of the chest.
For the middle sternal portion of the chest, align the anchor point with the chest height.
To work the lower chest, set the anchor point at head height for a high to low angle movement.
For upper chest training, set the anchor point at hip height to achieve a low to high angle movement.
Avoid setting the anchor point too low to prevent front deltoid recruitment.
Using heavier weights in cable crossovers can lead to better muscle overload and growth.
Proper mounting of the machine is essential to avoid shoulder pain and leverage issues.
Standing in the correct position helps manage heavier weights and maintain balance.
The distance from the machine affects which muscles are prioritized during the exercise.
Maintaining a slight bend in the elbow reduces stress on the shoulder without affecting chest stretch.
Leaning forward at the start of the exercise sets up the body for proper execution and chest emphasis.
Executing each rep with the chest leading, rather than the shoulders, is key for effective chest training.
Squeezing the shoulder blades down and elbows towards the sides maximizes chest contraction.
Crossing the arms fully across the chest ensures complete adduction for full chest activation.
The one-arm row exercise can be made more effective with proper technique, as shown in a related video.
Transcripts
there's not a day that goes by that I
don't see someone doing one of my
favorite chest exercises the cable
crossover and it makes my heart sing the
problem is we it up but that's
where I come in and it's my job to show
you how to do a cable crossover the
right way and it starts with setting up
the right height and that ask the
question of you of what are you actually
trying to train what part of your chest
because depending upon how high you set
this you can train different areas if
you want to go for the middle sternal
portion of the chest then you want this
Anchor Point of the cable to be lined up
with your chest if you want to work more
of the lower chest and you want to set
this thing up at the height of your head
just above the top of your head so when
you bring the arm down you're coming
from this high to low angle which is
going to work more preferentially on
these fibers of the lower chest that
align themselves more this direction if
instead you want to work the upper chest
what we want to do is drop this Anchor
Point down just to hip height so now
when we come up it's going to come from
this low to high position now what's
important about this is you don't want
to go too low cuz if you do that you're
recruiting more of that front delt
instead by having it at this hip height
it's the perfect amount of chest
activation minimizing the front delt and
letting the muscles that you actually
want to grow do the
work so how much weight do you use on
the exercise well honestly probably a
lot more than you're using right now cuz
people too often treat this exercise as
a light chest exercise that you do for
High Reps and you're missing a great
opportunity to overload through Ecentric
and also in that good stretch position
but here's the problem people don't know
how to get on the exercise in the first
place they don't know how to mount the
machine cuz they take these heavier
weights they go to get in position and
either their shoulder hurts or they just
can't move the weights because there's
no leverage here so instead you do this
you grab one of these you put it right
up against your chest and you walk
yourself over to the other side grab it
nice and close put it towards your chest
then get yourself in position cuz at
this point you're able to set yourself
up but that is only if you're standing
the right way and so if you're paying
close attention you notice that I
stepped out when I set up to do the
exercise instead of keep keep my feet
square and trying to do the exercise
this way cuz I talked about using
heavier weights and there's no way that
you're going to be able to
counterbalance these heavy weights
especially as they get to the starting
position without going backwards or
having an incredibly strong core so by
taking that step out I set myself up to
be not only in a more athletic position
but a more stable grounded position so I
can manage these heavier weights but how
far away from the machine should I be
because it actually matters a lot you
see if you imagine the cables here as
forming a doorway where you stand in
relation to that door really matters in
terms of what muscles you're going to
prioritize see if I stayed within the
doorway then all I'm doing is biasing
the biceps because even though the idea
is to cross my arms across my chest in
adduction I'm still pulling the weight
or the tendency is to pull the weight a
little bit closer towards my body which
is going to engage the biceps too much
on the other hand if I got way out in
front of the machine I'm outside the
doorway completely but now I put not
only a lot of extra stress on the
anterior shoulder capsule which could be
uncomfortable for some but I'm actually
going to turn this extra exercise more
into a press at the end because that's
the angle of the cable that I've
established it's not as much about
adduction as it's about getting my arms
out in front of me which we don't want
so instead what you want to do is get
set up in that starting position like I
told you with your hands up here against
the chest leave one foot in the door and
just take one stride out this will set
you up in the perfect amount of
adduction to Target the chest minimize
the biceps and also minimize those front
delts however how much elbow Ben should
you have when you start doing the
exercise cuz that matters too well
enough to be kind of those shoulders are
yours because keeping your arm straight
might feel like a really good stretch on
your chest but having just a little bit
of Bend in the elbow like that is enough
to take off some of that extra stress
from once again that anterior shoulder
capsule and guess what it doesn't change
the amount of stretch that you're
getting on the chest because whether or
not my arms are extended straight or
there's a slight Bend doesn't change the
relationship of the chest in terms of
its shoulder alignment to the sternum so
what we want to do is give ourselves
that brief reprieve by having that
slight bend the next thing you want to
do though is set your body up for
success and this is where most people
screw up they don't lean forward to
start that's going to number one
intensify the stretch on the chest to
start but more importantly set you up to
execute every rep the right way because
just like on the bench press you want to
be able to push your body back into this
imaginary bench as you press the weight
out in front of you because it not only
gives you leverage but it once again
gives you the chance to push those
heavier weights but it also does
something very important as I'm leaning
forward to start it sets me up to
naturally want to pull back and lean
back as I come across and what that does
is it prioritizes the chest it makes
sure that the shoulders don't dominate
the exercise cuz what most people do
incorrectly as many of those I showed
you in the beginning of the video is
they start by leaning forward and they
lean even more forward as they go and as
soon as that shoulder crosses out in
front of the chest and leaves the chest
behind it's going to do the majority of
the work which is not what you're trying
to do here you're trying to train your
chest so let the chest do the work by
letting it be out in front of the
shoulder and if you do this by starting
Lean Forward again you get a better
pre-stretch but it sets you up perfectly
to drive back into that imaginary bench
get the chest doing all the work feel a
better contraction and ultimately grow a
bigger chest and when growing a bigger
chest is what you're after there's still
one more thing we can do to squeeze more
gains out of every repetition and it's
literally squeezing the right way so
when we talk about the finished position
of the crossover a lot of times we start
sort of end here right in front of our
chest and that's not enough if you want
to turn this into a true adduction
exercise which is one of the main
functions of the chest you got to add
duct that arm across the chest and
notice I said arm not hand cuz some
people just think if they crossed their
hands they've done enough and you're not
far enough you need to think about your
bicep in relation to the chest your
bicep should touch your chest if
possible by getting across your midline
if you can get all the way across your
midline you can make contact up here
with your chest and ensure that you're
getting full amounts of adduction but
that's not it because not only are you
again leaning back and pushing out but
you also want to do one more thing at
the end of the repetition you want to
squeeze your shoulders down adduct your
elbows down towards your sides to really
light up the chest to get the full
contractive capability of the chest and
to stabilize your shoulders to keep them
feeling good on every repetition so
again leaning forward back squeeze down
and also get those Hands Across the
chest by getting those biceps to your
chest by the way if you're looking at
how to make a one arm R more effective
make sure you watch this video over here
it's one that people also screw up and
it balances out nicely with your chest
on the back side all right guys back
with another video in a couple days P
programs and supplements at aex.com
click subscribe so you never miss a
video when we put one out all right guys
see you soon
[Music]
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