What exercises can you do on a crossover? Crossover exercise

One of the most famous isolation exercises for pumping up the pectoral muscles, but it doesn’t pump up the entire chest, as many people think. In general, the reduction can be performed at different angles; this angle will determine which part of the pectoral muscles the load will fall on. Accordingly, the load can be emphasized on different parts of the pectoral muscles, and since the exercise is performed with a light weight, then, in fact, what part of the pectoral muscles is trained depends on the angle at which the athlete performs the crossover.

The exercise is not a way to build muscle mass, but experienced athletes with at least one year of training experience can include it in their training program. The fact is that the less trained the athlete, the less work his muscles can do. That is why the first year you should perform only basic exercises. You, of course, can do more work, but this will lead to overwork, you will drive yourself into overtraining and reduce the effectiveness of your visits to the gym to zero.

Work of muscles and joints

Bringing the arms together in a crossover loads the outer or inner part of the pectoral muscles, which depends on how the athlete performs the exercise. If the exercise is performed standing, then the outer part of the chest receives the load, and if lying down, then the inner part. It should also be noted that with the correct technique, the biceps will also receive the load, which should relieve the load from the elbow joint. But you need to fix your shoulders and try to exclude them from the work.

If the technique is incorrect, when the athlete is chasing weight, bringing the arms together in a crossover can even lead to an injury to the elbow joint. But, if the athlete does everything correctly, then this can be avoided. Moreover, even when the exercise is performed standing, bending forward completely removes the load from the spine. And, in general, the exercise does not involve the use of large training weights and is performed in a simulator, so it is very difficult to get injured.

Bringing your hands together in a crossover - diagram

1) If you are performing the exercise while standing, then you should take the crossover handles and stand in the starting position, bending forward slightly and raising your elbows above your hands.
2) Without moving your elbows, bring your hands together so that your palms intersect, then return to the starting point.
3) If you perform the exercise lying down, then you will need a bench, which you should place in the middle of the machine.
4) Lie down on the bench, having previously taken the handles of the exercise machine in your hands, and then begin to move them in and out as if you were doing dumbbell flyes.

Crossover Crossover – Notes

1) When performing the exercise while lying down, it is best to use the help of a partner who will hand you the handles of the simulator.
2) The elbows should always be fixed when bringing the arms together in a crossover, which will help isolate the triceps and relieve stress on the elbows.
3) Again, when performing a flattening while lying down, it is best to keep your feet on the floor, firmly resting your heels, which will provide better stability.
4) In both cases, the head should be in the same position and look forward, do not lift it off the bench or lower it down.
5) Try to increase the range of motion, which will help to better engage those areas of the pectoral muscles that usually do not receive stress.

Anatomy

The crossover crossover allows you to stretch your chest, replacing the dumbbell fly, but, unlike the fly, by performing this exercise while lying down, the athlete gets the opportunity to better work the inner part of the pectoral muscles. The chest is a large muscle group, so it is difficult to steal a load from it, but if this part of the body is lagging behind, then bringing your arms together in a crossover can be very useful.

On the other hand, the exercise is formative, and it is also performed in a simulator, which does not allow the load to progress effectively. But the exercise is almost completely safe for joints. It is precisely these characteristics of bringing the arms together in a crossover that make this exercise indispensable during an injury, and is also well suited for those athletes. Those who have not yet learned to feel their pectoral muscles, which is why they do not receive enough load during more complex exercises.

Ideally, a bodybuilder's pectoral muscles should look like two massive plates, clearly separated from each other, with clearly defined edges.

This cannot be achieved with basic exercises; in order to give your breasts beautiful definition, you need to include isolating exercises in your training program.

This can be the bringing of hands together in a crossover. This is an isolation exercise for working the chest, which is practically useless for gaining muscle mass, but it can improve the shape of the pectoral muscles.

Thanks to him, they will become clearly defined, take on defined forms, and their aesthetics will improve. First of all, advanced level athletes should include crossover crossover exercises in their program. Beginners should first build chest volume with basic exercises such as flat and incline bench presses.

What muscles work

When performing the exercise, the main work is performed by the pectoralis major and minor muscles. In addition, when working in a crossover, the serratus anterior muscle and the anterior delta band receive additional load. With the correct technique, the triceps are excluded from the work.

Exercise options

The exercise can be performed with blocks located at different heights. They can be at chest level, above or below it.

In the first case, the pectoral muscles are fully loaded with work, while the emphasis is on their middle part. With the lower placement of the blocks, the main part of the load is taken by the upper chest, and with the upper one, the lower part.

It is the last option that is the main one when performing this exercise. Along with this crossover, it is worth including in the training program the combination of arms to work the chest in a sitting machine.

When working, the entire chest is involved, but the main emphasis is on the inner part of it, which allows you to clearly separate the left and right halves. These two exercises complement each other well.

Execution technique

• Take the starting position: grab the handles and pull them towards you, lean forward slightly, your gaze should be directed forward.
• As you exhale, smoothly bring your hands together, bringing them close to each other.
• As you inhale, slowly return to the starting position.

Find the optimal position of your legs and body: your pectoral muscles should feel a slight strain in the starting position, while keeping your elbows slightly behind your body. Move back and forth to find the optimal position.

There are different opinions regarding how the legs should be positioned. Most practitioners believe that they should be spaced apart, placing one forward and the other backward. In this position it is easier to maintain balance.

However, the load turns out to be slightly asymmetrical: either the right or left half of the body does most of the work. In order to avoid this, your legs can be placed at the same level.

If you, like most athletes, choose a non-parallel position of your legs, periodically change their places, bringing your right or left foot forward.

When performing hand pikes in a crossover, the pectoral muscles are under load throughout the entire range of motion. In this way, this exercise compares favorably with lifting hands with free weights, which are performed while lying on a bench: in this case, when the weights are at the top point, a significant part of the load is transferred to the hands.

To get the best results from working the pectoral muscles in a crossover, perform a peak contraction, holding for one or two counts in a position where your arms are almost close to each other.

Common mistakes

There is no need to bend or straighten your elbows; they must be fixed. Make sure that flexion occurs exclusively in the shoulder joints. The body must also be kept motionless. In this case, the arms should be almost straight - many bend them at the elbows at an angle of almost 90 degrees, but this is wrong.

Also make sure that your hands move in the same plane parallel to each other; your hands should not move from side to side while performing information. Another common mistake is bringing the arms together due to inertia, when at the very beginning of the positive phase of the movement the athlete makes a jerk. This makes it easier to handle more weight, but this is wrong.

If you cannot mix with the correct technique, reduce the load.

The combination of hands in the crossover is described in Dmitry Murzin’s book “Arnold Schwarzenegger. Signature Exercises,” which can be an interesting and useful read for every bodybuilder.

Iron Arnie devoted a lot of time to performing such information, noting that they not only contribute to the creation of defined contours of the pectoral muscles: thanks to the inclusion of this exercise in his training program, the chest begins to “split”, that is, a pronounced division of the pectoral muscles into bundles appears, and it looks very spectacular.

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The wide variety of exercise equipment today delights many strength training enthusiasts. Crossover is one of the popular exercises among bodybuilders, which is performed on two block-type exercise machines at once.

With the help of the crossover exercise, you can actively influence the inner and lower part of the pectoral muscles; the deltoids and triceps are also partially loaded. Already the first few workouts will demonstrate results.

Execution technique

Movements in a crossover do not require special technical skills.

When performing them, you should adhere to the following provisions:

1. Place yourself among two block devices: legs apart, hands on the rope handles, spread to the sides, back slightly tilted forward, pelvis abducted, resting on the full foot.
2. Perform the reduction to the level of the hips, with fixation at the bottom for a few seconds and tension on the chest. The pelvis, back and legs remain motionless.
3. You should return to the starting position smoothly, without sudden movements.
4. Perform the downward movement as you exhale, upward as you inhale. The arms should not straighten; there should always be a bend in the elbows.
5. After finishing, the handles are released one by one.

This is a classic version, but there are also variations. For example, doing it on your knees. This method can be used if you want to learn how to properly contract and isolate the chest muscles. For variety, you can try performing the information from a lying or sitting position.

There are several technical tricks that will add to the effectiveness of influence.

It is worth remembering that the weight of the weight plays an important role, but the effectiveness of the influence will depend on the form of execution, namely on the amplitude of movements and the strength of tension at the bottom point when the arms are brought together. Rational technique does not involve any impulsive, only controlled movements. The arms should move synchronously at an angle to the body, and constantly remain in the same plane.

The exercise is similar to the one on the stomach, but it provides more significant tension to the chest, and therefore trains them better.

Another advantage is that there is no need for partner insurance; work in this mode is completely safe if all technical requirements are met.

Typical mistakes when performing crossover mixing are:

• excessive slope of the body, “rounding” of the back; (similar to )
• too sudden movements;
• performing movements with straight arms;
• lowering the arms too deeply.

Inaccuracies in the technique of performing a crossover lead to the fact that the tension is distributed irrationally and falls mainly on the shoulder girdle and across, while the pectoral muscles remain secondary.

What muscles work

Bringing your hands together in a crossover resembles the flapping of a bird's wings. The main load falls on the chest. Only the shoulder joints work, the triceps are only lightly loaded. To be more specific, the lower head of the pectoralis major and minor muscles works with emphasis, and the serratus anterior and upper clavicular parts assist in performing movements as well as the delta.

Visually, inclusion in the work looks like this:

The function of the stabilizer is performed by the muscles of the upper shoulder girdle, forearm, abdomen and spinal extensors.

Nuances

Paying attention to the methodological features of performing information, it is worth remembering several important aspects, starting from your goals and experience in the gym.

Chest training for beginners should be included in the weekly training system twice. Experienced athletes can add two more. At the same time, in the schedule of one lesson it should be at the beginning of the main part. Performing an exercise against a background of increasing fatigue will not bring the desired results. You should perform no more than 3-4 approaches (depending on your experience in the gym). The adequacy of the influence of the information also depends on the number of repetitions in the approach: 10-12 times will ensure an increase in muscle mass, 6-8 repetitions will increase strength capabilities.

If the crossover is used to “wake up” the chest muscles or to get rid of extra pounds, you should perform a large number of repetitions, but do not use heavy weights. A good option would be to gradually increase weight and then lose it after reaching the maximum.

Cross-rover crossovers can also be performed using a power belt. It will help stabilize the core. This will allow you to add a few more reps to your total. If you have enough experience working in this mode, and there is a desire to continue to increase the weight, it is important to use wrist straps, this will reduce the stress on the joints.

To enhance the effect of the information, there are several small secrets.

Secret 1. Combine two exercises into a complex, performing them sequentially. First, do 30 classic push-ups, then work your chest on a crossover 10-15 times. The recovery period is 40-45 s, and then repeat two more approaches. The thoracic region will thus effectively warm up and begin a new cycle of adaptation to such loads.

Secret 2. Use a horizontal lava and perform cross-rover from a lying or sitting position. The effect on the chest will be enhanced by excluding the back and legs from the work. When performed this way, the load does not spread throughout the body, but is accentuated in the required area, that is, jeweler precision is observed in its effect on the chest.

This is a crossover! It can easily be called a gym within a gym! In fact, this machine allows you to train any muscle group and perform isolation exercises. In the crossover you can train the muscles of the legs, arms, back, chest, as well as the abs and deltoids! Moreover, there are dozens of such exercises! This is an excellent multi-functional training base that is equally capable of developing the body of men and women.

Advantages and features of the crossover simulator

This trainer has everything two controversial drawbacks.

1. The first and very controversial one is its modest reserves of weight plates; usually the simulator has a reserve of up to 100 kg. Some athletes use dumbbells to increase the load, however, this is unsafe when increasing the working weight. In principle, for most gym goers, the reserve plates are quite enough. The simulator is designed for maximum muscle development and serves as an additional load to exercises that are performed with free weights.
2. The second, also very controversial drawback is the lack of opportunity to train with consolidated weights. But as mentioned, this machine is a great addition to free weight training for athletes of any level.

And here advantages This simulator has a lot:

1. This type of exercise, such as deadlifts, can be performed in different ways.
2. The blocks can be pulled standing, sitting, using a bench, or even kneeling. Each method of performing exercises allows you to work the muscles to varying degrees. Each variation of one exercise can have different effectiveness.
3. Working in a crossover can replace many exercises on various machines.
4. Crossover gives the muscles a clearer outline and better shape.
5. Also, an undeniable advantage of this simulator is the constant tension of the muscles during exercises.
6. When performing many exercises, they are used, which is a definite plus.
7. The crossover design allows the muscles to stretch as efficiently as possible, which supplies them with blood and oxygen.
8. Crossover allows you to perform different exercises on the same muscle group. You can perform exercises at different angles, position the cable lower or higher, selecting the required amplitude.

Another advantage of using a crossover is the installation, as well as the use of a block to improve jerking technique. For example, American football players make short accelerations and jerks from their seats using a lower block and a belt with a carabiner. Yes, such an exercise cannot be called ordinary or traditional for this simulator, but, nevertheless, it allows you to develop other sports qualities.

Top 20 Crossover Exercises

1. Reduction of arms while standing

This crossover exercise is highly effective for working the pectoral muscles. The technique works well on the bottom of the pectoralis major muscle and its inner part. By moving the body and changing the vector of arm movement, you can change the emphasis on other parts of the pectoral muscles.

2. Pullover in a crossover

This exercise forms and. But this exercise is secondary and is performed for maximum load and stretching of the chest muscles. Usually performed at the end of a set of exercises.

3. Horizontal pull

This exercise is performed while sitting and is aimed at developing the muscles of the back, namely the latissimus muscles. This crossover exercise eliminates the dangerous load on the back, or rather the spine and, in particular, the lumbar region.

4. Lowering straight arms from the upper block while standing

The exercise is designed to strengthen the back. Lowering the arms should only be done using the efforts of the back muscles; bending the elbows and using the shoulder muscles should not be allowed. This exercise requires a straight handle. It is important to keep your back straight.

5. French press on the lower block

This is a highly effective exercise that allows you to train your triceps in a concentrated manner while lying on a bench. To qualitatively work out a separate bundle of the triceps brachii muscle, you can perform various variations of the exercise using different positions of the hands.

6. Leg adduction in crossover

Allows you to tighten the adductor surface of the thigh. To do this, a special belt is fastened to the lower block using a carabiner to secure the lower leg.

7. Taking the leg back in the crossover

The exercise is performed in the lower block of the crossover to work the buttocks and hamstrings. This exercise can be performed on a bench or while standing.

Standing leg abduction in crossover

8. Arm extension on the upper block while standing with a reverse grip

The exercise effectively works the lateral head of the triceps muscle of the shoulder and forearm. The disadvantage of this technique is that it puts a lot of stress on the thumbs.

9. Extension of arms from the upper block

This exercise can be called the most effective for training triceps in a crossover. This exercise allows you to work out all the heads of the muscle, and the emphasis on a specific bundle is carried out using different positions of the hands on the bar-handle (medium, narrow or vertical grip). The exercise can also be performed using a rope handle. This method allows you to train the lateral part of the muscle. This exercise gives the triceps excellent definition.

10. Bend the arms from the lower block

This exercise can be performed in various ways. You can attach a handle-bar to the cable and adjust the grip width, and you can also perform the exercise with a handle-rope; with this type of handle you can train your biceps individually as concentratedly as possible. Overhead or neutral grip curls are a great alternative to dumbbell curls.

11. Standing lat pulldown for deltoids

Exercise serves as an excellent alternative. This crossover exercise effectively works and. To perform it, you need to grab a straight handle with a narrow grip, come closer to the block and lift the handle to your chin, aiming your elbows towards the ceiling.

12. Pull-ups with different palm positions

The machine is equipped with a crossbar, with which you can train your back and biceps muscles by performing exercises with your own body weight.

13. Abduction of the arm to the side in the lower block

This exercise is designed to train the middle part of the deltoid muscle and is an alternative exercise. This exercise can be performed by fixing the position, grasping a special handrail with your free hand, which will give better concentration and stability.

14. Cross abductions of the upper blocks with both hands

The exercise forms the outlines of the posterior bundles of the deltoid muscles. No handles are needed to perform the exercise. You need to stand in the center, then with one hand you need to grab the edge of the upper block opposite to your hand, and with the other hand, accordingly, the edge of the second block. When performing it, it is important to bend back a little so that when doing cross abductions to the sides, your arms work in full amplitude.

15. Reduction of the lower blocks while lying down

The chest exercise is performed on a horizontal bench using a crossover, as well as on a bench at an angle of 30 and 45 degrees. With both hands you need to grab the lower blocks of the crossover using special handles.

16. Rear deltoid abduction

The exercise is performed in the lower block with one hand in a tilted position. In this case, you need to stand sideways to the crossover block, grasp the handle with one hand and raise your arm to the side, performing a swing using the rear delta.

18. Front swings from the lower block with two hands

Available with straight or rope handle. You need to turn your back to the crossover block, place the cable between your legs and swing your arms straight forward.

19. Extension of arms from behind the head from the lower block

Can be performed with a rope or a straight handle. You need to turn your back to the block and place your hands above your head, while maintaining a slight forward tilt.

Kneeling option

Conclusion

The crossover is a professional multifunctional and universal device for all muscles. Of course, you shouldn’t make up the entire program from exercises performed on a crossover. Despite all the advantages of the machine, do not forget that the program should consist mostly of basic exercises with free weights, the rest - on machines.

The crossover crossover is an effective isolated exercise for developing the chest muscles. By performing it in different variations, you can focus the load on different parts of the pectoral muscles: upper, lower, inner or lower part. There are several basic variations of crossover hand movements: standing, lying on a bench, through upper or lower blocks. How to correctly do all variations of this exercise will be discussed in our article today.

Benefits and contraindications

Before moving on to the story about the technique of performing the exercise, we will briefly describe what advantages and benefits it gives the athlete, as well as to whom its implementation is contraindicated and for what reasons.

Benefits of exercise

With the help of hand movements in a crossover, you can make a huge leap in the development of the pectoral muscles. It is ideal for learning how to “turn on” them correctly, since the work is isolated, the shoulders and triceps are practically excluded from the movement, which cannot be said about other chest exercises.

As a rule, crossover exercises are placed towards the end of the chest workout to achieve maximum blood flow. The work is carried out in a wide range of repetitions - from 12 and above. The working weight is not particularly important; it is much more important to feel the stretch and contraction of the pectoral muscles.




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Contraindications for performing the exercise

• brachial nerve neuritis;
• tendobursitis;
• tendinitis.

Stretching the pectoral muscles too much at the bottom will overstrain the shoulder joints and ligaments, and chronic pain will be felt much more intensely. This applies less to the classic crossover while standing through the upper blocks, but you still need to be careful not to use excessively heavy working weights.

Beginners are not recommended to crossover their arms through lower blocks. This is a very difficult exercise from a technical point of view, requiring an unreal neuromuscular connection. Newbies simply don't have this. Develop your upper chest better with incline presses and flyes, and when you notice an increase in muscle mass, you can smoothly begin performing crossover crossover exercises.

What muscles work during exercise?

If you do everything correctly, then almost the entire load falls on the pectoral muscles. Some static tension is present in the biceps, triceps and front delts, but this should not interfere with your ability to concentrate on working your chest. If you feel that your shoulders and triceps are no less tired than your chest, then the working weight is too heavy.

The abdominal muscles and buttocks act as stabilizers, thanks to them we take the correct position.




Exercise technique

Below we will talk about the technique of performing several types of crossover exercises.




Classic version

The classic combination of hands in a crossover through the upper blocks is done as follows:

1. Grab the crossover handles and place your feet in line. Avoid taking a step forward, as this causes torque in the spine and can lead to injury.
2. Lean forward while keeping your back straight. The stronger the incline, the more the upper chest will work. It is best to maintain an incline of 45 degrees throughout the entire approach.
3. Smoothly bring your arms in front of you while exhaling. Try to make the movement only through the work of the chest muscles; your shoulders and arms should not participate in the movement; your arms should be bent quite a bit. At the point of peak contraction, pause briefly - this way you focus the load on the inner part (middle) of the chest.
4. As you inhale, slowly spread your arms to the sides. Stretch your outer chest slightly and do another rep.

Exercise on lower blocks

Bringing the arms together in a crossover through the lower blocks with an emphasis on the upper chest is done as follows:

1. Grab the handles of the lower blocks and place your feet shoulder-width apart. The negative phase of the movement is not so important here, the stretch at the bottom of the amplitude is much less, so there is no need to try to “tighten” the outer part of the chest.
2. Bring your chest forward and up a little, and pull your shoulders back - this way you will remove most of the load from them and can concentrate on isolated work of the upper chest.
3. As you inhale, begin to raise your arms up and bring them together in front of you. The movement should be smooth. We do not strain our biceps under any circumstances, otherwise 90% of the load will fall on them. Pause for a second at the point of peak contraction to properly squeeze the chest muscles.
4. As you inhale, smoothly lower your arms down, maintaining a bend in the thoracic spine and not pushing your shoulders forward or up.

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Crossover training while lying on a bench

Reduction of arms in a crossover while lying on a bench is performed as follows:

1. Take the handles of the lower blocks and lie down on the bench. The bench should be positioned exactly between the handles. Position it so that the exercise cables are level with your chest. You can use either a flat bench, an incline bench or a negative incline bench. The greater the angle of inclination, the greater the load placed on the upper chest.
2. Lower your shoulders down, squeeze your shoulder blades together and don’t arch your lower back. If you wish, you can put your feet on a bench or raise them in the air so that you don’t want to push them against the floor with all your might and make your task easier.
3. Start bringing the handles together above you. Externally, the exercise is similar to dumbbell flyes, but only externally. Due to the design of the block simulator, additional resistance is created that constantly has to be overcome. Dumbbells don't do that.
4. Continue to bring your arms together until there is 5-10 cm between the handles. At this point you need to pause for a second and tighten your chest even more. It's the chest, not the biceps. If at this moment your chest muscles begin to cramp, then you are doing everything right.
5. Smoothly lower the handles down. At the bottom point, we also make a short delay in order to properly stretch the muscle fascia.

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