EXECUTION
- Grasp stirrup handles of two overhead pulleys with a palms down grip and then assume a bent-over position equidistant from each pulley, which should be in line with your chest.
- The arms should be above the level of the back with the elbows bent slightly. Feet should be shoulder-width apart and the legs bent slightly.
- Be sure to bend forward from the hips 45 to 90 degrees while maintaining the normal curvature of the spine. Your back should be fairly level to the floor.
- Inhale and hold your breath as you begin the downward-inward pull. Keep the arms bent slightly in the elbows during the pull down.
- Pull the arms downward and inward until the hands are together or slightly crossed in front of the body.
- Hold the bottom position for 1-2 seconds, and then exhale and return the arms to the initial position.
- Hold the body stationary as you execute the movement to keep the movement under control at all times.
TRAINING TIPS
- Starting with the arms slightly above the level of the back is most effective for initiating the pull-down with the outer pectoralis and anterior deltoid.
- Be sure to maintain the arms slightly bent so that the elbows are not stressed as they would be if the arms were kept straight.
- Maintain the same trunk position during the execution. If you lean down as you pull your arms down, it will detract from taxing the pectoralis major muscles as much as possible.
- If you have to increase the bend in the elbows in order to complete the downward and inward pull, it means you are using too much weight. The arms should remain in the same position throughout execution.
- Be sure to pull the arms across the chest, keeping them in line with the middle pectorals. If you pull the arms more toward the head, emphasis will be on the upper pecs and anterior deltoid rather than the middle pecs, for which this exercise is best suited.
- If you bend over from the hips only 10-15 degrees, emphasis will be on the lower pecs and latissimus dorsi when you pull down and in. Themore you bend over the more you eliminate use of the latissimus dorsi and the more you involve the entire pectoralis major, especially the middle portion.
- To make the exercise safe and effective, the serratus anterior muscles come into play to abduct the scapula. Because of this, you should not contract the back muscles to hold the shoulders back. Instead, let the shoulders round as the arms come in front and across the body.
- To help maintain trunk stability, it is important that you inhale and hold your breath during the pull down and crossover phases. The breath holding increases the intra-abdominal and thoracic pressure which in turn stabilizes the spine and allows you to hold a rigid upper body. This creates a strong base from which the muscles can pull.
MAJOR MUSCLES INVOLVED
The muscles of the shoulder joint and shoulder girdle are involved in the bent-over cable crossover. The pectoralis major,anterior deltoid,and coracobrachialis are the major muscles of the shoulder joint that are involved in pulling the arm down and across. The pectoralis major covers the entire chest, but in this exercise the middle to lower portions are targeted. The deltoid muscle covers the entire shoulder and is divided into 3 sections, the anterior, middle and posterior. In this exercise only the anterior or front portion is involved. The coracobrachialis is a small muscle located deep underneath the deltoid and pectoralis major muscles. In the shoulder girdle, the major muscles involved are the serratus anterior and pectoralis minor. The serratus anterior is located on the outer surface of the ribs at the side and is covered by the scapula at the rear and the pectoralis major in front. The pectoralis minor is a small muscle located on the front of the upper chest and is covered by the pectoralis major.
MUSCLE AND JOINT ACTIONS
In the shoulder joint, there is mainly horizontal adduction in which you bring your upper arms downward and inward across the chest. Emphasis is mainly on the outer pectorals and anterior deltoid as the arms begin to pull down. As the arms get below the shoulders and move across, emphasis changes to the middle and inner portions of the pectoralis major, especially at the end of the movement. In the shoulder girdle, the scapula are abducted, i.e. the scapula slide forward as the arms move down and across the chest.
SPORTS USES
The bent-over cable crossover is an exceptional exercise for bodybuilders to develop the middle and inner portions of the pectoralis major. (The middle to lower portion is targeted if you are bent over about 30 degrees.) This exercise is valuable for many sports, especially those that require the athlete to pull his or her arms inward toward the center of the body. The shoulder action plays a major role in many martial arts pulling and hitting actions, and it is especially important in grabbing and pulling in actions as seen in football and wrestling. It is great for gymnasts, especially those who work on the rings and and is needed by athletes who execute hitting actions in their sport, as,for example, baseball players and golfers and punching actions as seen in boxing and karate.