Alternating Cable Crossover From Bottom

Target Body Parts: Chest
Equipment Needed: Cable Stack Machine, Two Single Handle Attachments

Description

Step 1: Attach a single handle to the bottom pulley of both cable attachments and then stand in the middle of the cable machine. Firmly grasp each handle with your palms facing out.

Step 2: While standing in the middle, take a slight step forward (it doesn’t matter which foot). Your knees and arms will be slightly bent and have your hands at your sides to begin.

Step 3: In a curling and arcing motion, bring your arms up in a wide arc, maintaining a stretch, until your hands cross each other. One hand will be in front of the other as your hands cross to finish out the rep. Alternate which hand goes in front on each rep. Keep your arms and knees slightly bent throughout, maintaining a tight upper body as you lean slightly forward. (This movement also resembles a fly, only standing up)

Step 4: Return your arms to their starting position in a controlled manner, feeling a strong stretch until the starting position. Even in the starting position you should feel a slight stretch and tension on your chest, especially in the lower portion.

Step 5: Take another breath between reps, exhaling only when reps are completed. Remember to alternate which hand goes in front on each rep. Repeat until the desired reps are reached. Weight can be increased in between sets.

Benefits:

Cable Crossovers are a great movement to etch in detail to your chest and it ensures a great stretch and contraction, helping build power and strength off the chest, while also building muscle in your chest (especially the inner chest), shoulders and triceps.

The constant tension and stretch works your chest continuously, forcing your chest to really squeeze. Using the bottom pulley really hammers your lower chest, which can often be a difficult area to target. The alternating fashion of this movement also forces you to extend and squeeze to finish the movement.

This can be a great supplemental exercise when you are focusing on chest movements.