Crossover exercise through the upper blocks, pumps lower part, middle and inner edges of the chest. "Cuts" the bottom pectoral muscles giving them relief. isolation exercise.
In bodybuilding information in the crossover used to “cut” (highlight) the bottom of the pectoralis major muscle, giving it sharp shapes; for a distinct separation of the chest muscles in the center of the body and the "manifestation" of the muscular relief of the chest.
The muscles involved in the crossover play the first fiddle in the performance of various grips, punches and holds in wrestling, boxing and karate; working out the compulsory program on the rings in gymnastics; passing the ball from the side with one hand in basketball; receiving the ball and hitting with an open racket in tennis and squash.
Information in the crossover through the upper blocks - an exercise for the pectoral muscles 1. Attach the D-Handles to the crossover cables through the top pulleys and grasp them with an overhand grip. Stand exactly in the middle between the legs of the crossover and take a small step forward with one foot. This will give the body a more stable position.
2. Keeping the natural curve of the spine (the buttocks are slightly laid back, the chest is “wheeled”), slightly, by 15-30 °, tilt the torso forward.
3. Extend your arms to the sides as much as possible and lower them slightly down so that the weights come off the stops, and the elbows are almost flush with the shoulders. Slightly bend your elbows and turn your palms to the floor. The elbow joint and wrist are fixed in this position until the end of the set. All movement takes place in shoulder joint.
4. Take a deep breath and, holding your breath, bring the handles in front of your torso until they touch each other or even more (crossing your arms).
5. As you bring the handles together, exhale and try to tighten your chest as much as possible. Your task is to keep the peak muscle contraction for at least a second. Then slowly return to initial position(elbows at shoulder level).
Information in the crossover through the upper blocks - muscles Tips: Information in the crossover through the upper blocks
1. Performing the exercise on straight arms, you risk damaging the elbow joints. If, returning to the starting position, you straighten your arms, the chest muscles are actively included in the work and decreases. This indicates that the selected weight is too heavy.
2. Keep your torso stationary throughout the exercise. By leaning forward to help your whole body close the handles, you take the pressure off your chest.
3. Bring the handles in a wide arc at chest level. Imagine you are hugging a big tree. In this case, the focus of the load is aimed exactly at the middle of the chest. If you bring your hands high (at head level), then the point of attack is shifted to the top of the chest and front deltas. The lower you bring your arms together (below your chest) or the less you tilt your torso, the more the bottom of the pectoralis major muscle contracts.
4. Holding your breath during the positive phase of the exercise (pushing your arms in front of your chest) makes it easier to keep your body still and increases your strength.
5. Do not strain your back and keep your shoulders back. Thus, you exclude the front serratus muscle, which pulls the lower edge of the scapula forward and outward, which is possible only with pronation of the shoulder (turning it inward, towards the chest around the vertical axis). Hence the conclusion: bringing the handles in front of the chest, round (pierce) the shoulders.
The exercise of mixing in the crossover through the lower blocks, pumps upper part and the inner edge of the chest, front deltas. Gives shape and "banding" to the top of the pectoral muscles. isolation exercise.
Crossover through the bottom blocks purposefully loads the upper chest and is used in order to achieve a distinct separation of the left and right pectoralis major muscles both from the deltas and from each other in the center of the body, as well as to practice muscle separation of the upper chest.
Regularly practicing information in the crossover through the lower blocks, you will make your side kicks more powerful from top to bottom in boxing or martial arts, you will become much more confident in playing near the net in tennis, you will be more dexterous in grabbing the opponent and holding him tighter in the fight, throwing the ball more strongly in handball and, finally, improve the quality of your program on the rings and on the carpet in gymnastics.
Information in the crossover through the lower blocks - an exercise for the pectoral muscles 1. Attach the D-Handles to the crossover cables through the top pulleys and grasp them with an overhand grip. Stand exactly in the middle between the legs of the crossover and take a small step forward with one foot. This will give the body a more stable position.
2. Slightly bend your knees and tilt your torso forward 10-20°. Slightly bend your elbows and lock the elbow joint in this position until the end of the set.
3. Take a deep breath and, holding your breath, bring the handles in front of your stomach, just below your chest. At the top point of the handle should touch each other or cross.
4. Pause, exhale and slowly return to the starting position.
5. Throughout the set, the torso, legs, elbows and wrists are fixed. All movement occurs exclusively in the shoulder joint.
Information in the crossover through the lower blocks - muscles Tips: Information in the crossover through the lower blocks
1. Be sure to hold your breath while bringing your hands together. This makes it easier to keep the torso stationary and concentrate on contracting the chest muscles. When you exhale, return to the starting position, in no case do not relax the muscles. Actively resist the weight and spread your arms in the same trajectory as you brought them together.
2. Do not perform the exercise on fully extended arms, otherwise you will injure the elbow joints.
3. The higher and closer you bring your hands together, the more the upper part of the pectoralis major muscle contracts, especially its inner edge in the collarbone area.
4. Be sure to bring your hands together or cross them in front of your torso. This ensures that you fully engage the serratus anterior and pectoralis minor muscles.
5. Do not bend your elbows or tilt your body forward as you bring the handles together.
6. To bring out all the details of the pectoralis major muscle and a distinct separation of the muscles of the left and right sides of the body, alternate the crossover through the lower blocks with the crossover through the upper blocks. The latter option focuses the load on the middle and lower parts of the chest, especially on its inner edges.
The chest is one of the most important parts body. The ribcage primarily protects internal organs such as the heart and lungs. And for any bodybuilder, beautiful pectoral muscles are already half the battle.
Of course, in order to achieve the appropriate shape, you need to train a lot and systematically. The optimal in this case would be to spend 90% of the workout on multi-purpose compound exercises, during which several muscle groups are involved at once. However, if your main goal is to build muscle mass(in this case, we are talking specifically about the pectoral muscles), then bringing the hands together in a crossover while standing is perfect as a final exercise, with which you can qualitatively load the target muscles. Besides, this simulator can be found in almost any gym, which greatly simplifies the task.
Execution technique
- First of all, properly “set up” the simulator. You are performing the crossover with the upper blocks, respectively, position the handles at the highest possible point on each side.
- Set the desired weight (the same in both cases) and, standing exactly in the middle, grasp the handles with your palms down.
- Take a step forward. The arms are slightly bent at the elbows, the chest is forward, the gaze is straight ahead. This is the starting position for this exercise.
- Engaging only slowly bring your palms together, crossing them directly in front of you. Tighten your chest muscles at the bottom.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
- Complete the required number of repetitions.
Any exercise stress requires preliminary theoretical preparation. So you minimize the risk of injury and can get more results in a shorter period of time. Here's what you need to know before jumping straight into crossover mixing:
- Maintain maximum range of motion. Thus, you maximize the use of muscle fibers. During the exercise, you should feel tension in the joints at the beginning of the movement.
- use more a light weight. Don't try to be a hero in front of others. The purpose of crossover abduction is to fatigue the pectoral muscles, which is best done with 10-15 reps with light weights combined with push-ups.
- Do the exercise slowly, follow the technique. Since in this case the load is only on one joint, there is no point in using an additional impulse. Try to feel every movement.
- Pull your shoulders back. Common mistake. By bringing your shoulders forward, you work on the muscles of the back and shoulders, and not the chest. Pull your shoulders back, keep your head straight to use your chest.
- Bend your arms slightly. Also common mistake is excessive flexion of the arms. Yes, this way the reduction of hands in the crossover is much easier, but at the same time its effectiveness is reduced by half. It is better to use less weight, but keep your arms almost straight.
Common mistakes
Probably, there is not a single exercise that absolutely everyone performs correctly and without errors. It is very important during training to monitor posture and technique. Don't be afraid to ask the coach on duty for help. If this is not possible, then at first you can shoot the exercise on camera. So you can reasonably assess your technique and, if necessary, seek help from knowledgeable people.
The most common mistakes include:
- Insufficient stretching of the muscles. While most exercises only work with the initial effort, when bringing the hands together in the upper crossover, both the forward thrust and the return to the starting position are important. Be sure to fully stretch the chest muscles, this will lead to better stimulation. muscle fibers and, consequently, strong growth.
- Lack of variety. Secret ideal program training is in constant change. Performing mixing only with upper block, you run the risk of overtraining only the upper chest, leaving the rest of the body disproportionate. Constantly change exercises to stimulate muscle development from all sides.
- Fear of experiments. Yes, crossover curls are great for finishing off your workout, but that doesn't mean you can't try adding this exercise first. Remember, each body is individual and reacts to the load in its own way. Try it, perhaps for you it will be more effective to fatigue the pectoral muscles before the main load.
Advantages
The chest muscles are quite bulky, and therefore when you perform a crossover, you also use the muscles of the core and shoulders to maintain balance. All this leads to more efficient calorie burning.
Also, as mentioned earlier, the development rib cage creates a more harmonious figure and affects appearance shoulders and triceps.
There is an opportunity for diversity here. Crossover is a universal trainer. By placing the cable at different points (upper, lower middle), you get the opportunity to act on the pectoral muscles from different angles, which undoubtedly contributes to a more harmonious growth and development of the muscle corset.
Two ideas for a superset
Supersets - the ability to maximize the load on the target muscles. If the usual reduction of hands in a crossover is not enough for you, then you can diversify the exercise by adding:
- Push ups. A killer superset because you're doing two exercises for the same muscle group without stopping. However, if doing more than 30 push-ups is an impossible task for you, then give up the idea of \u200b\u200bexecuting this superset. It will be too hard for you.
- Body lifting. During the reduction of the hands in the crossover, the core muscles also actively work. Therefore, by combining these two exercises together, you not only work out the pectoral muscles with high quality, but also give a greater load on the press than when performing these two exercises separately.
Perhaps this is all you need to know about this exercise. Follow the technique, experiment, but remember: the main thing is safety!
Friends, hello everyone. In today's article, I will tell you from A to Z, about the crossover exercise (or as it is also called “Reduction of hands on block simulators”.
What it is, what it is aimed at (muscles involved), what are the OPTIONS (variations) for performing this exercise, what are the special subtleties and secrets when performing this exercise, and in general I will tell you how to perform it correctly (execution technique) + what special nuances (technical points that are important to pay attention to), I will also tell you about the PLUSES (advantages) and MINUSES (disadvantages) of this exercise, in the end we will talk about the main mistakes most people make when performing this exercise .. well, etc. those. along the way, I will try to raise all sorts of questions regarding this exercise (and, accordingly, give full answers to them, without lies and falsehood). Well, let's get started.
I demonstrate right away this exercise in reality (so that you understand what is at stake):
Exercise: crossover (reduction of hands on the block)
Bringing the hands together on the block (crossover) is an ISOLATION EXERCISE (i.e. not a basic one, pay attention to this), this exercise does not increase the muscle mass of the pectoral muscles, on the contrary, it forms them (i.e. this is a shaping exercise for the chest), this means that IF YOUR GOAL IS MASS (increasing the size of the pectoral muscles), then this exercise will not work for you, in this case, you need to perform BASIC EXERCISES (in our case, this is “BAR PRESS ON INCLINED BENCH”, “DUMBELL PRESS ON INCLINED BENCH”, “BAR PRESS ON A HORIZONTAL BENCH” (this is what they are designed for, i.e. for hypertrophy (muscle growth)), but when you have already gained meat (a sufficient amount of muscle mass) on the chest muscles, you can to think about how to give this meat (on the chest muscles) some form (view), well, you understand this formative exercise, in terms of increasing muscle volume, it does not give anything.
Crossover on the block, as you understand, IS PERFORMED IN THE BLOCK SIMULATOR (special), which is only available in gyms(fitness clubs), i.e. to perform this exercise at home, you don’t have such an opportunity, as you understand, and only a major who has a huge area of \u200b\u200bthe apartment can buy this simulator specially for his home, and in general, why the hell does he know ... something to me skidded in the wrong place .. In short, externally, the simulator consists of two vertical racks, which are connected from above by a frame, on these vertical racks there are adjustable weights (tiles) moving on cables. At the other ends of the cables (above) there are handles, which athletes take in their hands to perform crossovers. This is what the device looks like:
The simulator in which the crossover exercise is performed
P.s. Block crossovers can be used as an alternative to lying dumbbell flyes.<= переходите по ссылке (почитайте про это упражнение), т.е. это я к тому, что многие люди задаются вопросом, а чем заменить КРОССОВЕРЫ НА БЛОКЕ или наоборот НА ЧТО ЗАМЕНИТЬ РАЗВОДКУ С ГАНТЕЛЯМИ ЛЕЖА?… Чаще всего таки люди не обладают достаточным кол-вом мяса (мышечной массы) на грудных мышцах, они либо новички либо среднего уровня подготовленности, а уже задрачивают эти кроссоверы и т.д. ищут ответы на что бы их заменить и т.д. это идиотизм, как по мне (я уже рассказывал выше, это упражнение не подходит для набора, оно формирующее), а те люди, которые уже набрали приличное кол-во мяса и САМИ ЗНАЮТ, что и как им выполнять, на что заменить это упражнение и т.д. надеюсь, вы меня поняли.
As for the muscles involved in this exercise, as you probably already understood (guessed), ONLY THE SHOULDER JOINT WORKS (i.e. pectoral muscles), THE ELBOW JOINT DOES NOT WORK IN THIS MOVEMENT (triceps does not work), what does this give us? => We have the opportunity to fully focus on the study of the pectoral muscles (and purposefully use them).
P.s. if you have already increased the meat on the chest, and want to try something new in your training or give your chest a shape (look), then in principle you can add this exercise to your complex, however, remember: this exercise is performed at the end of the workout, AGAIN AFTER BASIC EXERCISES (BASIC) such as incline press barbells and dumbbell incline press.. , you can read the main article, where I give recommendations about TRAINING THE MUSCLES OF THE CHEST => “How to pump up the muscles of the chest?”<= переходите по ссылке (рекомендую), там я подробно рассказываю и показываю и даже есть примеры тренировочных программ мышц груди. В общем, если и выполняем данное упражнение, то только в конце после основных базовых движений, ни в коем случае не ставим его в начало комплекса (многие умники на своих гавноресурсах рекомендуют делать в начале тренировки, не слушайте эту чушь). 
Crossover Options
This exercise has a lot of options for performing ... let's make a complete classification.
Firstly, the exercise can be performed depending on how high or low you lower the side handles (with which you perform the movement), i.e. YOU CAN DO CLASSIC HAND FABRICATIONS (from the top, when the handles are placed at the top), YOU CAN DO THE BOTTOM (when the handles are placed at the bottom), also (very rarely, but in some halls) there is the POSSIBILITY TO EXPOSE THE HANDLE ALSO and IN THE MIDDLE (horizontally), depending on which option you choose, there will be a load on different parts of your Pectoral Muscles. See the photos below demonstrating the crossover on the upper and lower blocks:
Crossover from the top block and crossover from the bottom block
At the initial stage, I recommend that you bring your hands from the top (this is when the handles are placed at the top), then when you get used to it, you can try another option (well, for example, from the lower blocks), the professionals themselves decide what and how to do.
Secondly, the exercise can be performed depending on where you will bring your hands together and how you will stand (in the starting position). Those. IT IS POSSIBLE TO STAND IN THE START POSITION IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS (someone stands almost vertically, someone makes a slight tilt forward, someone even almost stands with cancer). Do you understand? Here is a photo showing how you can stand while doing the crossover exercise:
Tilt the body forward in the crossover exercise
You can bring your hands together in DIFFERENT ways, someone DRIVES CLOSE TO YOURSELF DOWN (in order to focus on the bottom of the chest) (photo above No. 1), someone brings FORWARD (with a slight tilt of the body) (photo above No. 2), someone then it brings the body down very much (as if becoming a cancer) and makes a wiring (photo below No. 3). All this (small changes) shifts the load on different parts of the chest muscles, at the initial stage, I recommend doing it either slightly with an inclination forward or even becoming cancer and bringing your hands forward, it is important to feel, do, learn, then you yourself will be able to choose a comfortable and maximum effective starting position.
Thirdly, the exercise can be performed AS ONE HAND, and BOTH AT ONCE.
Exercise: crossover (can be performed with one or two hands).
In my opinion, this is already some kind of pun (for such an exercise), it makes no sense to work with one hand (someone argues that I feel better this way, the amplitude is greater, etc.), as for me, this is nonsense, this is an isolating exercise which is performed at the end of the workout in order to load (finish off) tired pectorals as much as possible, no more. There is no universal advice, but at the initial stage I recommend doing this exercise with both hands (immediately) as it should be, in the future you can try as you please, professionals decide for themselves what and how to do.
Fourthly, the exercise can be performed both STANDING and SITTING, and LYING (lying on a horizontal or inclined bench), and kneeling ..
Well, you have already seen the crossover standing a hundred times, but sitting and lying down have never been, so see below the photo of the crossover sitting / lying on the horizon. incline benches:
Exercise: sitting crossover
Exercise: crossover on a horizontal bench
Exercise: Incline Bench Crossover
In general, the darkness is dark. All this allows you to work out the chest muscles from different angles and intensify approaches. There is no universal advice, I do not recommend being smart, at the initial stage, perform standing up (as expected), and then you can already try different variations, and the professionals themselves decide what and how to do.
Crossover technique
This exercise in terms of execution technique is very difficult, it only at first glance may seem that everything is quite easy and simple, however, this is not so, I assure you. So, let's begin.
Go to a special simulator (the one I showed you above), and on each side of the double block (left and right sides), set the optimal weight (for starters, put a small one, 10-15 kilograms will be enough, then, when you study everything 100% technique, you can add weights if necessary). After you have set the required weight (from TWO SIDES), attach the HANDLES to the hook (up), again from TWO SIDES. See below how the handles for performing crossovers look like:
Crossover handles
After you have done all this, we begin the exercise. It is very important at the very beginning of your journey to learn how to GRIP BY THE HANDLES AND STAND ON THE CENTER OF THE CONSTRUCTION CORRECTLY. To do this, you need to go to one side first (I usually go to the left first, that is, I take the handle with my left hand and pull it towards myself and at the same time I help with my right hand (hold) and go to the right side, grabbing with my right hand behind the right handle, after which I go to the center and slightly forward (so that I would be in the center of the simulator and so that my chest would be slightly stretched), while it is important that your body is symmetrical (that is, very often many recommend put one foot forward and the other back so that the balance is maintained), I do not recommend doing this because the balance is disturbed (the level of strength on the left and right sides changes), so I recommend that you make sure that your body is completely symmetrical ( i.e. SHOULDERS, PELVIS and FEET), only in this case you will be able to create an optimally symmetrical load IN THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE Pectoral MUSCLES.This is how your position will look in terms of symmetry and vice versa when you put your foot forward:
Starting position in the crossover exercise CORRECT and NOT COMPLETELY CORRECT
However, many people IN PRINCIPLE CANNOT perform this exercise symmetrically (i.e. they take a decent weight, and their balance is disturbed, they are pulled back), they cannot stand still normally, and have to put one foot forward, in such a In this case, I would recommend you 1 APPROACH, let's put the left LEG, and the 2nd approach the RIGHT (this way you will create a balance for yourself so that both sides of the chest are worked out with the same strength). Therefore, do not be discouraged, there is always a way out J
THE PHOTO ABOVE (demonstrates) the correct and not quite correct execution of the exercise, THIS IS YOUR STARTING POSITION (however, there is an error, the hands are already brought down, but should be on top if this is the starting position, I just didn’t find a normal photo in order to demonstrate to you this), here is the starting position of the hands:
starting position of the hands in the crossover exercise
But I found a normal photo (see below):
starting position of the whole body in the crossover exercise
I repeat (in short), we took the handles in the right way, went to the center of the simulator, took a step forward (+ - in order to stretch the pectoral muscles), while the body is ideally symmetrical (i.e. deltas, pelvis and feet are symmetrical), well, if you can’t, then one leg forward the other from behind (but in this case 1 approach is the left leg, another approach is the right leg, i.e. change legs so that there is a balance of power on that and that side of the chest), the back is even and the body is tilted forward (not deeply down, as if cancer, although it is possible and so, slightly tilted down, as shown in the photo above).<= если вы все сделали правильно, то рукояти с тросом разведены по бокам до легкого чувства растяжения грудных мышц, а локти чуть подсогнуты и находятся позади Вас. ЭТО ИСХОДНОЕ ПОЛОЖЕНИЕ.
Next, we begin to drive our hands at the bottom point, for this we bring the handles of the crossover to the center of the body in a wide arc, as soon as the hands reach the center, linger in this state for 2-3 seconds (contract the chest muscles, feel them), then slowly under control return along the same arc to the starting position until a slight stretch in the muscles of the chest. That's all. This is how the bottom position looks like, i.e. when you bring your hands down:
Bottom position in the crossover exercise
Make sure that the movement occurs only in the shoulder joint, the arms and torso must remain motionless. After all this, repeat the planned number of reps and sets. Regarding the number of repetitions and approaches, everything is individual as always, usually I always recommend 3-4 sets of 6-12 repetitions. Why do I always recommend this way, you can read in the main articles (learn about all this in more detail), here they are => “How many sets to do in exercises” and “How many reps to do in a set?” , BUT SPECIFIC IN THIS EXERCISE, I RECOMMEND a little more reps, 12-15.
Human mistakes when doing this exercise
Do not round your back when doing this exercise. See the photo below (it shouldn’t be like this), on the contrary, the back should be even:
Do not round your back when doing a crossover
Do not press your elbows to your body when doing this exercise. See below photo (this is not correct):
Do not press your elbows to the body when performing a crossover
Do not allow excessively strong bending of the arms at the elbows:
overly strong bending of the arms at the elbows
Many people who work in this exercise at a too fast (so to speak, randomly) pace, brought it together at the bottom point at random, didn’t linger, didn’t contract the muscles, and randomly returned to the top point .. you don’t need to do this, you need to vice versa do everything slowly under control without any impulse movements, at the lower point we must linger by squeezing the pectoral muscles for 2-3 seconds, then slowly stretch the chest muscles to the upper point.
Do not chase weight in this exercise. NEVER!!! It's not basic, it doesn't build muscle, it's INSULATION (it shapes your chest), so use weights that allow you to do the exercise perfectly, otherwise you'll either get it wrong or get hurt or both. Do you need it? …
This concludes this issue, I hope you found it INTERESTING and INFORMATION.
For dessert - a video: a visual, moreover, an explanatory demonstration of this exercise:
Sincerely, administrator.
Crossover is the reduction of the arm in a block simulator. An isolated exercise for shaping the chest muscles. It is well suited for athletes who have already gained the basic mass of the pectoral muscles, and it needs to be polished.
The target muscles for this exercise are the chest. Depending on the variation of the exercise, it is possible to emphasize the load on their lower, upper or inner part.
The target muscles during the exercise are the pectoral muscles.
As additional muscles of the shoulders, arms and back are involved. A number of body muscles perform a stabilizing function. In particular, these are the muscles of the press, legs and buttocks.
Advantage of crossovers
Performing exercises in a block simulator has its own specifics. As for such an exercise as a crossover, its main advantages are as follows:
- The pectoral muscles are under load all the time. The resistance of the blocks does not allow them to relax even for a second. While when doing chest exercises with dumbbells or a barbell, the effort is more of an impulse character.
- By varying the position of the body and the direction of information, you can work out different parts of the pectoral muscles. So, for example, if we do a top-down crossover, it works. If, on the contrary, we pull up the handles of the lower blocks, the emphasis is on. By making the crossover right in front of us, we are working on the center.
- The crossover technique involves stretching the target muscles at the top point. This allows you to increase the range of motion and force the muscle to contract as much as possible.
- Since this exercise does not use heavy weights, it is significantly safer for the shoulder joints than, say, the bench press.
Execution technique
Often, in isolated exercises, technique plays a more significant role than direct weighting. The crossover is no exception. Our task is not to load the muscle to the maximum (there are basic exercises for this), but to make it work so that it grows in the way we need. Well, or in the case of using an exercise for finishing - we are working with an already tired muscle, so large weights are also irrelevant.
Consider the crossover in its classic form, leaving the variations for last.
- Set the required weight on the simulator. It should be the same on the right and left. Use a load that will allow you to perform movements completely under control, without jerking.
- Stand between the racks evenly, lean forward slightly with a straight back. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, knees can be slightly bent. Some athletes put one foot forward for a more stable body position when bending over. This approach has a place to be, however, when using it, it is necessary to alternate the position of the legs from approach to approach. This will avoid the asymmetry of the load on the right and left side.
- Raise your hands and grab the handles of the blocks with them so that you feel the stretching of the pectoral muscles. At the same time, the elbows should be bent (this rule is maintained throughout the entire movement), the shoulder blades should be tightly pressed to the back. Fix in the starting position.
- As you exhale, without bending your back and without changing the angle at your elbows, slowly and under control bring your hands down in front of you. The inner sides of the wrists should be directed towards each other. Concentrate on the maximum effort of the pectoral muscles. Hold at the bottom of the exercise for 1-2 seconds. You can even wind one hand after the other a little (alternately) to increase the amplitude.
- On an inhale, raise your arms back to the starting position.
The classic version of the crossover emphasizes the load on the lower chest. When performing the exercise, do not allow the elbows to straighten. An angle of about 10 degrees is maintained all the time. With the right technique, the trajectory of the movement of the brushes resembles a semicircle. The back should remain straight at all times. Shoulders should be straightened.
It is also important to control muscle effort and not allow yourself to work at the expense of your hands. We train chest, remember this. Avoid jerks - the movement is made evenly, the muscles do not relax for a second.
Variations for the top and middle of the chest
As already mentioned, classic crossovers for the most part affect the bottom of the chest. In fairness, it is worth bringing variations of this exercise, the combination of which will help to polish the shape of the pectoral muscles as much as possible from all sides.
In general, the technique for performing the exercise remains the same, only the position of the body and the direction of the pull of the cables change.
Top of chest
When our task is to draw the upper contour of the chest, the handles will need to be pulled not from top to bottom, but from bottom to top. That is, the exercise is performed on the lower block.
When using the lower blocks, the load is redistributed to the upper chest. In the initial position, the arms are slightly bent at the elbows, lowered down to the sides of the body and slightly laid back (until the chest is stretched). The palms are directed towards the body. As you exhale, raise your hands and bring them together in front of you. On an inhale, return to the starting position.
Mid chest
To work the middle of the chest, fix the blocks in the middle of the supports and perform the information directly in front of you. In this position, the hands at the end point will not be directed up or down, but forward.
Working out the central part of the chest. You can also try a horizontal crossover. To do this, a bench is placed between the supports of the simulator. You lie down on it with your body and take hold of the handles of the blocks in the lower position. The load will be similar to what you get by doing . However, thanks to the resistance of the simulator, your muscles will not relax for a second, that is, the study will be even more powerful.
Performing on a horizontal bench. How to build a workout
You can put crossovers into your training program after the heavier basic exercises. They should be performed in 10-15 repetitions of 2-3 sets with light or medium weight. It is the technique of movement that is of paramount importance.
You can also combine crossovers with push-ups, doing one set of both exercises without a break. That is, for example, do 20-30 push-ups, then immediately 10-15 data, then rest - and the next approach.