Cable Crossover

beginner · isolation

Setup

Set both pulleys to their highest position, pick a weight and take a handle in each hand. Step one foot forward with a slight forward lean, arms pulled together in front of your chest; this is the starting position. Dual cable towers are standard at mid-size and larger Vietnamese gyms; with only a single-stack cable, work one arm at a time and switch.

Execution

Keep a slight bend in the elbows to take stress off the biceps tendon, and hold that angle for the whole set.
Inhale and open your arms out to the sides in a wide arc until you feel a clear stretch across your chest.
Keep your torso and legs still, letting the motion happen only at the shoulder joint.
Exhale and pull the handles back together along the same arc you opened on, squeezing the chest hard at the end.
Hold a beat at the squeezed position before opening again for the next rep.

Breathing

Inhale as you open your arms, exhale as you pull them back together.

Quick cues

A soft, fixed bend in the elbows.
Front foot planted, torso doesn't sway.
Wide arc, not a straight pull.
Squeeze the chest, hold at the middle.

Common faults

Fault: The torso rocking forward to help pull the handles in
Fix: Drop one weight increment and plant the front foot, bracing the core so the torso stops rocking.
Fault: Locking the elbows fully straight when opening out
Fix: Hold a fixed, slight bend in the elbows for the whole set to protect the biceps tendon.
Fault: Opening the arms too far behind the shoulder plane
Fix: Stop as soon as you feel a clear stretch in the chest, without opening further to chase a bigger stretch.
Fault: Pulling the handles in with the shoulders and arms instead of the chest
Fix: Think about pressing the elbows together in front of you and squeezing the chest at the end, without jerking the shoulders.

Equipment

cable

Muscle groups

chest, shoulders