Crossover crunches are a great isolation exercise for the chest. Exercise “Crossover”: technique, features and types of Arm raises on a crossover

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 in your training program also insulating.

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 weight. muscle mass, however, it allows you to 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 the bench press and incline bench.

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.

In order to achieve best results from working the pectoral muscles in the crossover, do a peak contraction, holding for one or two counts in a position in which 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.

Performing exercises requires availability sports equipment. If the equipment is occupied, then similar loads can be performed, but using other devices. Each simulator helps pump up one or another muscle group. We can talk for a long time about how to replace bringing the arms together in a crossover, because the simulator works different muscle groups of the arms and shoulders.

Description of the simulator

But in the gym you can find many options that will help replace the exercise machine. As for the muscles that are pumped with the help of the crossover exercise, this is a whole atlas. The work involves the upper and medium bun big pectoral muscle and anterior group of deltoid type.

Exercise options

Bringing your arms together while lying down in a crossover helps to work the chest muscles, focusing on the upper part and arm muscles. They can exercise on the simulator experienced athletes, and beginners. Correct technique execution, rhythm and breathing will help achieve good results.

You can start with a vertical stand, and use different options during the training process. One simulator can comprehensively pump various muscle groups.

Variations for the chest

To achieve the effect, you need to do several sets of 10-15 repetitions. The bench press with a barbell can also be replaced with a similar exercise with dumbbells, which increases the range of motion. Vertical press helps to work through top part chest and touches the shoulder muscles.

Bench press with dumbbells refers to best exercises to work the pectoral muscles. It can be performed both in a vertical position and with different inclinations. Thanks to this, the muscles of the arms, forearms and back will be included in the process, and the muscles of the chest are also actively worked out.

A good way to replace bringing your arms together in a crossover is to raise dumbbells to the sides in a lying position. In terms of effectiveness, it resembles a crossover and a butterfly exercise machine, since it provides a targeted load on the pectoral muscles.

Push-ups on parallel bars and regular push-ups help to make the oblique muscles prominent and strengthen them well; here the load is also distributed among the muscle groups of the arms

The crossover crossover is an isolating exercise for working the pectoral muscles. This movement is recommended for those athletes who already have a decent amount of training experience (more than 1 year); for beginners, crossover work will not be effective. Pumping the arms is most often performed in order to pump the pectoral muscles; during pumping, the target muscle group is filled with blood, and with it a variety of nutrients, due to which muscle growth is accelerated.

Crossover crossovers are also often used to stretch the fascia (the connective tissue that covers the muscle fibers), which also improves speed. muscle growth. To increase the effectiveness of crossover training, you need to know about some features of the technique of performing the exercise.

By bringing your arms together in a crossover, you can work out different parts of the pectoral muscles; with the standard version, the lower parts of the chest are most involved. To work the middle of the pecs, you will need to lower the handles on the machine to about halfway, and to use the upper areas, the handles on the power rack should be lowered to the very bottom. How to do this can be clearly seen in the video clip at the bottom of the article.

Common mistakes when doing the exercise

• Do not round your back, the effectiveness of the exercise in this case will drop many times, you will not be able to achieve the desired contraction of the pectoral muscles.
• Do not press your elbows to your body.
• Do not bend your elbows, maintain a fixed angle at the elbow joint. Perform crossover movements solely by contracting the pectoral muscles.
• Keep your legs parallel, don't put one of them forward, as this will cause one part of your pecs to get more load and the other less, and you may end up with asymmetry in your chest muscles. You can put your foot forward only in one case - if you alternate your legs during one approach, that is, you can perform 5 repetitions with the right foot in front and 5 with the left.
• Do not perform hand folding if your training experience is less than 1 year.

Let's see what a chest workout should look like with this exercise:

• (2 warm-up + 3-4X8-12);
• (1 warm-up + 3-4X8-12);
• (3-4X8-15);
• Crossover crossover (3-4X8-15).

We use the information only at the end of the workout to finish off our pecs and pump them up additionally. This technique is considered very effective among professional athletes; to better pump blood into the target muscle group, you can perform several drop sets at the very end. You can also perform several approaches in a crossover at the beginning of your workout to warm up and warm up.

Video with the technique of performing hand folding in a crossover

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Good afternoon, kachata! In this article we will touch on another isolated exercise for the chest, we will analyze all the subtleties, learn the mistakes and technique of execution.

General information.

Everyone is used to hearing about basic exercises barbell bench press or dumbbell press, I don’t argue that these exercises are the basis for our pectoral muscles, but for working out the muscles there is great exercise– bringing hands together in crossover, also available butterfly exercise, but that's a completely different story.

Basic exercises will not be able to detail your chest, although they are capable of a lot, but even multiple repetitions will not be able to touch those distant fascicles that we so need.

Muscular anatomy.

This movement is somewhat reminiscent of the flapping of the wings of birds, while bringing their hands together lowest point the entire load is concentrated in the pectoral muscles, only the shoulder joint is included in the work, the triceps are completely turned off. Mostly involved in the work Bottom part chest, but this does not mean that the middle and upper parts are turned off from work, no, they do more of the work of assistants than of the key group. The stabilizer muscles will be the forearms and core muscles.

Crossover exercise - pros:

Lack of support.

The most important advantage block exercises, is that our body is supported by the core muscles - stabilizers. This helps relieve the back muscles.

The trajectory of movement allows our pectoral muscles to be in constant tension, which has a very beneficial effect on breast growth. The load remains the same as in the upper part with arms apart, but in the lower part the load naturally increases.

Stretching.

Crossover allows us not only to injure our muscle fibers, but also to stretch them. As we know the height muscle fibers works much better physical activity with stretch. This also allows you to better fill the muscles with blood and saturate them with oxygen.

Relief development.

The crossover adds definition to your pecs. But don't be fooled by the fact that isolated exercises will help you achieve “dryness” or, the same concept as “almonds”, this magic and relief depends only on the amount of your fat in the body, and not on isolated exercises.

Reducing the load on the deltas.

Do not forget that crossovers reduce the load on the shoulders and transfer it to a different plane from the one in the presses.

Execution technique.

In fact, everything is quite simple, but nevertheless there are some nuances, which I will explain to you now.

There are only two phases.

№1

We approach the machine and set the weight we need, always starting with less. We take both handles in our hands, take the starting position in the center of the block, take half a step forward with one foot (you should get a small step) and become stable. We slightly tilt the body forward, arms are spread to the sides until the pectoral muscles are slightly stretched, and the arms are slightly bent at the elbow. This is where we took our starting position. Now you should take a breath.

№2

Now we exhale smoothly and begin to bring our hands to the center of the body, the movement should resemble a semicircle. Keep your back straight, but your body is slightly tilted forward; for stability, this body position should be maintained throughout the entire movement. When we bring our hands together, we additionally contract and strain the pectoral muscles, this will allow our chest to be better filled with blood. Now we slowly return to the starting position. We do 4 sets of 12 – 15 times.

Errors.

• The arms are too bent at the elbow joint, but should be slightly.
• The elbows are pressed against the body, which should not be the case.
• A rounded back, you shouldn’t do this, you put a negative load on the lower back.

Tips for performing the crossover exercise.

• Weight does not play a primary role in this exercise, more important is technique and additional tension of the pectoral muscles at the lowest point.
• The movement should resemble a semicircle.
• We do everything slowly and smoothly, without jerking.
• We follow the synchronous movement of the hands.

Secrets for better infant slaughter.

No. 1. Push-ups + crossover.

We perform two exercises - one after the other without rest, resting only after two approaches in a row. To begin with, we do 20 push-ups from the floor, after which we immediately do 10-12 hands in a crossover, about 3 approaches in total. But it is worth noting that the weight during information will be much less than usual.

No. 2 Reduction of arms lying at an angle.

The crossover crossover is an isolating exercise for the lower chest, which focuses on the lower chest. Those who want to have a beautiful “separation” of the pectoral muscle from the abs should do it at the end of the workout. Mixing in a crossover can be done both with the upper mount of the block system and with the lower one in order to engage the muscles at different angles. The movement is sometimes replaced by working in loops or with rubber, but for the classic “builder” cut of the pectoral muscle this movement is considered indispensable. The exercise is accessible to both beginners and professionals, and can be performed by both men and women.

It is important to determine where the handles are attached. Tall athletes can attach the pulley system to the uppermost clamp; with average height, it makes sense to lower it so that at the top point of the arm extension the shoulders do not lock in an uncomfortable position, and the athlete does not lose control of the core and chest muscles. If an athlete “throws up” during movement, he has chosen the wrong height of the clamp.

The handles used are curved or D-shaped. If there are no such handles in the gym, you can put on two round clamps and perform the movement with slight resistance by gripping the round clamps.

When taking the starting position, it is important not to injure yourself. First, grab one handle and bring it to the belt, then the second, after which you need to position your body in the center of the crossover so that the cables are tensioned equally. A stable stand “in scissors” or on two legs in an inclined position is allowed, this is not important.

The exercise involves bringing your arms together in front of you, at waist level. During work, you should consciously tense your chest muscles and not relax them for as long as possible, spreading your arms to the sides towards the block mechanisms.

All repetitions must be performed in the same manner so that the athlete does not change the trajectory of movement. A deepening of the back tilt is not allowed. It is often written that it should be strictly 45 degrees, but this is not so, the depth of the inclination is determined by the anatomical features of the athlete, and cannot be deeper than 45 degrees. A straight vertical stand is also not allowed. Otherwise, options are possible that will allow the athlete to work out the muscles more efficiently.

There are technical issues that are best avoided:

• Cheating with the body. You are not in Plush Beard's video, avoid swings as they can injure shoulder joints, even if the athlete does not feel pain or discomfort during the swing;
• Active pushes with hands. Bodybuilding differs from weightlifting in that it loves controlled exercises. By pushing the weight we can lift more, but the goal of the movement is not to set a gym record on the cable machines.
• “Running” around the perimeter with your feet. It is worth standing up once so that the body position is strong, and not changing it, since “jogging” can cause a loss of shoulder stability and cause injury;
• Head nods. It’s unpleasant when your neck gets jammed during exercise. And it’s even more unpleasant when this “wonderful” feeling is accompanied by a shoulder injury. Therefore, excessive tension in the trapezius and nodding should be avoided. If you need to nod your head at all costs, the weight is chosen incorrectly, it is too heavy. Again, the weight must be selected so that there is no need to make additional and unnecessary movements of the body and head.
• "Disruption" at the start. Jerking with your arms can cause injury to both the shoulder and elbow joints;
• Rigidly “inserted” elbows at the start of the movement. This can cause hyperextension of the ligaments elbow joint and cause injury;
• Constantly putting the same leg forward can lead to imbalances in the hip joint.

Execution options

The exercise is reminiscent of the well-known dumbbell fly, but instead of dumbbells, you hold crossover handles in your hands. The cables are attached to the lower part of the fastening sector so that the athlete’s arms are not “twisted” when taking the starting position. The bench can be horizontal or inclined; this is of no fundamental importance. It is believed that the pecs work more on the incline bench, but this is subjective and depends on the body type.

The bench is located strictly in the center, the athlete lies down on it, the assistant places the handles at the level of the center of the chest. Further, the movement resembles a regular “fly” with dumbbells, the arms are directed to the sides and brought to the center at the level of the middle of the chest. There is no need to allow an unnaturally large amplitude to avoid dislocating the shoulder joint.

Actually, they resemble the version with a split leg, but you need to stand up straight and not put your feet in a split leg. The body leans forward, the arms are lowered down, the pectoral muscles are tensed, the work is done by contracting the chest.

This movement requires a little more work from the anterior deltoid. You need to perform the exercise by attaching the handles to the bottom of the crossover. Then the athlete takes a step forward and brings his arms to chest level. This is followed by mechanical reduction of the arms at the level of the middle of the chest. The pectoral muscles contract at the point of maximum tension.

Analysis of the exercise

Anatomy of exercise - which muscles work

The main target group is the lower bundle of the pectoral muscle. The muscles of the back and core work as stabilizers, the front deltoids help in movement, serratus muscles, and the pectoralis minor muscle.

pros

This is a completely isolation exercise. It does not allow the triceps to be involved in the work, which means it is suitable for those who bench press a lot and consider the bench press their priority. The movement allows you to work the pectoral muscles without putting much strain on the stabilizers and biceps, allows you to achieve a greater amplitude, and stretch the muscles so as to shorten them as much as possible. The exercise is varied enough to avoid increased stress on the elbows, shoulders, and biceps. It helps to work the entire length of the muscle and allows you not to exclude the lower pectoral bundle from the work.

Minuses:

• Not all halls are equipped with a crossover, and there is not always access to it. This is a popular car and can be constantly busy during rush hour;
• Movement cannot help build muscle if it is all you do. Basic exercises required in addition to crossover work

Typically, the crossover is not the first movement in a workout, and is not used as an exercise to pre-fatigue the chest muscles. The training begins from the base, and only at the end the athlete approaches the block simulator to work the lower chest.

It means that joint warm-up not needed, just do a couple of approaches with light weight.

• The exercise is single-joint - the work is done only in the shoulder joint;
• Cheating and body swings are excluded;
• The elbows in the upper phase should not be raised towards the ears, they are in the plane of the shoulder;
• The muscles must be consciously tensed, as if “bringing” the weight to the desired position;
• You can’t throw your head back, look at the ceiling, you should relax your neck and look forward;
• You need to use a stable body position, preferably a scissors stance;
• Work occurs along an elliptical or arcuate path. You should not “throw your arms up” by bending them at the elbows;
• The reduction is carried out approximately at waist level;
• It can be assumed that the athlete uses a small weight, but it is impossible to use pushes and jerks along the trajectory, and relaxed arms when lowering the weight;
• You need to try to consciously exclude working with the trapezius muscles

Muscle contraction is performed by exhaling, exhaling with effort - the basic rule when performing strength exercises.

Errors

• “Different” movements, when the athlete bends his arms at the elbows in the first repetition, and changes the position of the body in the second, and carries the weight differently;
• Body swings that help with weight work;
• Throwing weights;
• Relaxed and rounded back;
• "Inserted" straight elbows

Most often, bodybuilders advise consciously contracting the pecs at the lowest point. This can be achieved through a little isometry, and this, in turn, by slightly turning the palms towards each other at the bottom point of the exercise.

You can achieve maximum isolation and completely eliminate cheating by kneeling. This version of the starting position will allow the athlete to completely eliminate body swings.

If you need to shift the emphasis to the upper chest, you need to bring your arms higher. This can be achieved both by changing the angle of inclination of the body and by changing the fastening.

If you work “crosswise”, placing one hand behind the other at the bottom of the amplitude, you can achieve a strong muscle contraction without changing the amplitude.

Inclusion in the program

This exercise can be the only one on the chest only if we are talking about training a woman with breast implants. All other athletes should perform the movement at the end of the workout, after basic and other isolation exercises.

Usually performed in 12-15 repetitions in 3-4 sets, and the warm-up does not count as work. The exercise is not performed with heavy weight, so the rest can be quite short, about a minute between sets.

Contraindications

The only contraindication to this exercise is an unhealed tear or separation of the pectoral muscle. In all other cases, you can carefully follow the information. If you have a rotator cuff injury, you may need to completely eliminate weight-bearing on your chest for a while, including crossover work.

How to replace bringing your hands together in a crossover

From a biomechanical point of view, a complete replacement means bringing your hands together with rubber expanders. But from the point of view of muscle work, this is an incomplete replacement, since expanders provide resistance differently than blocks. They allow the muscles to contract more strongly at the peak point, but allow the ability to relax as the weight lowers.

Mixing in crossover – classic exercise bodybuilding, and every athlete should do it correctly.