Cable Chest Workout Advantages
Performing exercises in the Cable Crossover Machine has its own specifics. As for the exercises, such as chest cable crossover, main advantages are as follows:
- The pectoral muscles are constantly under pressure. The resistance of the cables does not allow them to relax for a second. While doing chest exercises with dumbbells or a barbell, the effort is rather impulsive, in comparison with cable chest exercises.
- Varying the position of the body and the direction of cable crossover, you can work out various parts of the pectoral muscles. So, for example, if we do a crossover from top to bottom, the lower part of the chest works. If, vice versa, we pull up the handles of the lower blocks, the emphasis is on the top chest. Making the crossover in front of us, we are working on the inner chest.
- Crossover technique involves stretching the target muscles at the top point. This allows you to increase the amplitude of movement and make the muscle contract as much as possible.
- Since there are no heavy weights in cable chest workout, it is much safer for the shoulder joints than, say, the bench press.
Cable Chest Exercises Technique
Isolation exercises allow you to focus on just one area. You can work on proper technique and load the muscle with an exact amount of weight and reps to work it to exhaustion. The benefits of isolation exercises include targeting specific muscles without stressing any others.
Often, in isolation exercises, the technique plays a more significant role than weights. Cable chest fly 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 the way we need. Well, in the case of finishing exercises, we work with already tired muscles, so heavy weights are also irrelevant.
Let’s look at the classic cable exercises for chest:
- Load up the necessary weight on the machine. It should be the same on the right and left. Use such weight that allows you to perform movements completely under control, without jerking.
- Stand directly in the middle of the station, lean forward slightly with your straight back. Put your feet shoulder width-apart, your knees can be slightly bent. Some athletes put one foot forward for a more stable body position when tilting. Such an approach can be used in chest cable crossover, however, when using it, it is necessary to alternate the position of the legs from rep to rep. This will help to avoid the asymmetry of the weight on the right and left side.
- Raise your hands and grasp the handles of the cable crossover machine so that you feel the stretching in target chests. In this case, the elbows should be bent (this rule is maintained throughout the entire movement), the shoulder blades are pressed tightly to the back. Return to the starting position.
- During expiration, without bending your back and without changing the angle of elbows, slowly bring your hands down in front of you. The inside of the wrists should be facing each other. Concentrate on loading your pectoral muscles. At the bottom, linger for 1–2 seconds. You can even slightly move one hand behind the other (alternately) to increase the amplitude.
- During inspiration, raise your hands again to their start position.
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The classic version of the crossover emphasizes the poundage on the lower chest.
When performing the lower chest cable fly, do not allow the elbows to straighten. An angle of about 10 degrees is maintained all the time. With the right technique, the hands path resembles a semicircle. At the same time, the back should remain straight. Shoulders should be straightened.
It is also important to control muscle load and not allow yourself to work at the expense of hands. We train the chest to build defined pectorals, remember this. Avoid jerking, the movement should be smooth, the muscles do not relax for a second.
Variations for cable chest exercises
As already mentioned, classic chest cable crossover mostly affects the bottom of the chest. As a matter of fact, it’s worth bringing variations of this exercise, the combination of which will help to build defined pectorals and pop your top chest.
In general, the technique of the exercise remains the same, only the position of the body and the direction of crossover changes.
Starting position
- Set the pulleys above the head. Select the desired weight for you.
- For the exercise, we will use single iron or nylon handles.
- Take a small step forward to stretch your pectorals. Put your legs in line, if it’s hard, bring one forward. Do not forget to alternate them each set.
- Lean a little forward. Keep the back straight, in the lower back there is a small deflection, the chest is slightly leaned forward.
- Extend your arms to the sides until you feel the stretching of the pectoral muscles. The elbows are slightly bent.
Performance:
- Inhale and fill the pectoral muscles with air.
- On exhalation, start to bring your hands together in front of the chest, until they touch each other. Hold for a short time in this position to maximize chest tension.
- On exhalation, we begin to spread our arms to the sides to the starting position, trying to stretch the pectoral muscles as much as possible
Top chest
When our task is to draw the shape of the top chest, the handles should be pulled not from top to bottom, but vice versa from bottom to top. The low cable curl is performed.
In low cable curl, the weight is redistributed to the top chest. The line of resistance from the cables targets the muscles of upper pectorals. It stretches the muscles under load which can lead to greater muscle gain.
In the start position, stand in the npp steroids center between the cables, turn to face away from the cable pulleys and grasp one handle in each hand in an underhand grip, the hands are slightly bent at the elbows, lowered down on the sides of the body and slightly laid back (until the top chest is stretched). The palms are directed to the body. Take two steps forward and position your feet in a split stance with your left foot forward and right foot back or whichever position is more comfortable to you, ensuring that your feet are slightly further than shoulder-width apart. As you exhale, your hands need to be raised and brought down in front of you. On inspiration – return to starting position. It works better if you contract your chest at the peak of the rotation to really hit those inner pecs. Repeat for the specified number of repetitions.
Mid pectoral
To work out the middle of the chest, attach stirrup handles to the middle pulleys of a cable crossover station. Stand directly in the middle of the station, grab the handles, make crossover right in front of you.
Inner chest workout.
You can also try the lying cable chest fly. In order to do it, place a bench in the middle of the station. Attach stirrup handles to the low pulleys, lay down on it and grab the handles of the chest work out machine. The poundage will be similar to the exercise with dumbbells. However, thanks to the resistance of the machine, your muscles will not relax for a second, that is, the exercise will be even more effective. It will help to get defined pectorals even sooner.
The cable attachments should be grasped with a neutral grip with your palms facing one another. Slowly lower the cable attachments outward to your sides, remember to keep your arms slightly bent until your arms are parallel with the ground horizontally, inhaling throughout the movement. Raise the cable attachments until they nearly meet at the top (above your chest), exhaling throughout the movement. Repeat as many repetitions as are desired.
Lying cable chest fly
How to build a chest cable workout
You can include cable chest fly in your training program, and do it after more difficult basic exercises. Chest cable exercises should be performed in 10-15 repetitions of 2-3 sets with low or medium weight. For chest cable crossover of primary importance is technique.
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You can also combine a cable chest workout with push-ups, performing the sets of both exercises without a break. That is, for example, 20-30 push-ups, then immediately 10-15 crossovers, then relax, and do the next set.
Tell me please what exercises to do to build upper chest
Upper chest workout includes a special set of exercises, for which you only need barbells and dumbbells.
Training of the upper chest should be very intensive. The following exercises should be performed:
• Incline Bench Press;
• Incline Dumbbell Bench Press;
• Incline Dumbbell Bench Fly.
Is cable fly really good for chest?
Cable fly is one of the best exercises for developing the lower bundles of the pectoral muscles. A feature of this exercise is that throughout the exercise the muscles remain in tension, due to which the efficiency is very high. Cable machine has long been popular with many bodybuilders throughout the world and often you will need to stand in the queue in order to use the machine. During crossover the arms should be moved at a slow pace.
Could you tell me how to build my chest?
To achieve the fastest result, it is recommended to combine pectoral muscles workout with triceps, shoulders and abs exercises – especially if you workout 3 times a week. Strength training of the chest itself should be carried out no more than once every 72 hours – otherwise the muscles will not have enough time for full recovery and subsequent growth. As for the selection of the best chest exercises, it’s enough for beginners to complete one or two basic exercises (for example, bench press) with heavy weights in 5-7 repetitions, as well as one or two isolation exercises (for example,… Read more »
How many exercises should I do to build chest?
There are two main points of view. Supporters of low-volume training believe that only 2-3 sets and 1-2 exercises for one muscle group are enough. But on two conditions: exercises should be basic (that is, each exercise involves several muscle groups at once), and weights must increase at each workout (so that the muscles receive the stress necessary for growth). Supporters of high-volume training believe that for muscle gain you need to do an average of 3 to 4 exercises per muscle group with a total number of sets from 8 to 12 (sometimes more). It is believed that this… Read more »
I think I made a huge mistake on my form while doing these cable chest exercises today. After I just finished following the workout routine, I felt something wrong on my arms and barely on my chest, it gets weakened and I can’t even proceed to the next reps. What should I do?
Well, maybe it’s your first time doing this cable chest workout, and it made your muscles stress so much. My advice is you should stretch the back of your arms first as much as you can, in that form you might feel comfortable while doing your chest exercises. I hope this piece of advice might help you.
Hi, the fact that you are feeling this cable cross over exercise within your arms, tells me that your technique is incorrect with this exercise. Your arms should only be used as “the middle man” within this exercise. It should be your chest that is taking the weight and pulling the cables, not your arms. Remember that when you see these bodybuilders performing this exercise, they have big and developed muscles that can support the weight and their technique is conditioned within them like second nature, so although it looks straight forward on the video, it has taken even these… Read more »
Thank you so much for this cable chest workout guide. By the way, I have a question, If I am doing my cable chest, Is it necessary to change my leg position in every set? Or should change on every rep?
While doing this cable chest exercise, There’s no need for you to change your leg position. What’s important is you make sure to squeeze every contraction while doing this chest workout. When you are positioning your leg, this may vary depending on how you’re going to hold the weight while doing those reps most safely, for you to keep getting yourself into an accident.
Hi, the leg positions used within these cable chest workouts vary with different individuals, for instance, if a heavy bodybuilder is using heavy weight, usually he can support himself during this exercise even if he positions his legs close together, but a beginner, will not be able to take the same stance as their body will be moved around during this movement due to the fact that they have not got the weight to counterbalance the weight load that they are pulling. The footing is all about stability, if you are stable within this exercise and can isolate the chest,… Read more »
Is there another way to make this cable chest workout routine a bit easier? Well, my idea is if I could add this in my daily chest workout exercise, and the other variation of cable chest workout would be added to my next session for me to lessen the strains of my muscles. Is it possible?
It’s not a bad thing though, I think it might work on you if you’re a busy type of person. If so, You must at least finish at least 30 sets for isolation workout, like first, you’re going to focus on your top chest, next to your middle, and lastly your inner chest as a weekly basis of your cable chest workouts. At least you should make a balanced workout on your chest.
Hi, yes, this is possible. Usually bodybuilders use these machines in their high rep workouts or use these to finish off a heavy chest session to squeeze the blood within the worked muscles for that little extra tear. For most beginners, they can use this exercise instead of the free-weight fly exercises, so that they can develop these muscles before adding any serious weight. This exercise (although not as effective for an experienced bodybuilder), can be split up and used within your routines for instance; if you train on the flat bench, you can then do a few sets of… Read more »
It just bothers me something, if I’m going to do the split stance while doing the cable chest workout. Should I be using my dominant side of the leg, or should I do the switching?
Well, for me it doesn’t matter which side you are going to use, switching is also a good idea when doing your chest exercises. but I do prefer that you should be using your non-dominant side to train both sides when you’re doing the split stance.
I’m having a hard time maintaining my leg position while doing heavyweights in the cable chest. What do you think I should do about it? Actually I’m using a variety of stances including a split stance, but still, I don’t think I’m doing it as effectively as it should be.
Hi, as well as slowing down your tempo to help you to control the movement to ensure keeping a good technique at all times, if you cannot maintain your leg position within this exercise, my guess is that your weight is too heavy for you within this exercise. Try to bring down your weight slightly and isolate the chest more to see if this helps, also taking a few steps forward and slightly bending over (with a straight back) and with your most dominant foot being behind you as the main stabilizer, should ensure that you will be able to… Read more »
As for the cable chest workout, I was being advised to get the proper movement at the top of it, I must place my hands and have them cross over to one another. Though, when I do that certain technique, your method is quite better. What do you think, should I stick to my adviser’s style or should follow yours instead?
Once you get to build enough muscle, you will or might not get constant force any longer thus you’ll be able to switch your method to the different technique as your body gets used to the same amount of method. On the other hand, there are some skilled muscle building don’t cross their hands as part of the routine. They only place them to their chest line or below in it. But not entirely they would have them cross together.
Hi, these kind of techniques used are usually experienced bodybuilders advised for people who are looking for that extra little push to be able to antagonize the chest and force it to grow (tear) even more. With this exercise, it should be perfected for at least a year with a good technique and good form to ensure that your chest develops and grows stronger and stronger. If you have a good technique and your chest is on fire while doing this exercise then there is not much need for improvement, but if you strive for that little extra tear. When… Read more »