EXECUTION
- Grasp the handles of two overhead pulleys with a palms-down grip and with the arms slightly above level.
- Bend forward from the hips approximately 10 degrees while maintaining the normal curvature of the spine.
- Inhale and hold your breath as you begin the downward-sideward pulldown with relatively straight arms.
- As you approach the sides of the body, bring the arms slightly in front until the hands meet or cross slightly.
- After holding the bottom position momentarily, begin to exhale and return the arms to the initial position. Keep the movement under control at all times.
- Hold the body stationary throughout execution.
Training Tips
When first starting it is important that the arms be slightly above level so that the cables are taut with the weight already raised somewhat. From this starting position the muscles must work strongly to pull the arms downward. Note that the exercise becomes more difficult as the arms get lower. Thus if you start with the arms too high you will not be able to complete the movement without bending the elbows to shorten the resistance lever. The arms should remain relatively straight with only a slight bend in the elbow. In addition, you must maintain the same trunk position and not lean downward to assist as the arms are pulled downward. Bending the elbows and leaning the trunk forward detract from the muscle development you are striving to achieve in this lower range.
When first beginning the pulldown, pull the arms directly into the sides of the body so that the upper lats are maximally taxed. If instead you bring the arms forward, the anterior deltoid becomes active and the stress on the lower pectoralis major increases.
The tendons of the latissimus dorsi and pectoralis major undergo a 180 degree twist before inserting on the upper arm. As a result, the lower fibers of both the latissimus dorsi and pectoralis major insert higher on the arm while the upper portions insert lower on the arm. Thus when the arm is approximately level, the upper lats have a direct line of pull since the upper fibers are more horizontal. This is why the latissimus dorsi is very strong in this range. As the arms move down and inward, especially when slightly in front of the body, the pectoralis major is most strong. However, if you lean the trunk forward 45 or more degrees the emphasis on the middle pectoralis major is increased while emphasis on the latissimus dorsi decreases greatly. The more upright position that the trunk is in, the stronger the lats become in their pulling down action.
Downward rotation of the scapula is very important for successful execution of the cable cross-over is the. If the scapula did not rotate downward the arm would be unable to move downward. This would result in considerably less range of motion and a greater chance of injury. Note that the scapula must rotate in synchronization with the arm. If the muscles such as the rhomboid are not fully functional and are unable to rotate the scapula in synchronization, there can be jamming of the arm in the shoulder joint which can then lead to shoulder impingement and other problems.
The cable cross-over can be modified to get development of select muscles or portions of muscles. For example, if you assume a horizontal trunk position and pull directly across and under the body, the middle portion of the pectoralis major is stressed and the latissimus dorsi and teres major are no longer involved. Instead the anterior deltoid and corachobrachialis come in to play major roles. In essence, the more you bend over, the more the pectoralis major comes into play and the less the latissimus dorsi and teres major. To emphasize development of the upper latissimus dorsi it is important that you assume a more erect position and pull to the sides of the body.
In order to maintain trunk stability, which is extremely important in producing the muscle development desired, it is important that you inhale and hold your breath during the pulldown and cross-over 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. If, instead, you exhaled on the exertion, not only would you be about 20% weaker but it would be impossible to hold the spine firmly in place. This in turn could cause injury during the execution and improper execution.
To develop wings (the upper lats) the wide-group lat pulldown is used. This exercise works the lats when the arms are completely above the head to approximately the horizontal or slightly below the horizontal arm position. In order to work the upper lats strongly in the lower range of motion (from slightly above shoulder level to the alongside the body position), it is necessary to do the standing cable cross-over. This exercise is not only very effective for maximum development of the upper lats, but also the lower pecs (especially the inner portions) when the arms are brought together and across.
MAJOR MUSCLES INVOLVED
The muscles of the shoulder joint include the latissimus dorsi, teres major and lower pectoralis major. The lats cover a large area from the upper outer portions of the back to across the entire lumbar area. The teres major is a relatively round muscle located slightly inward from the upper latissimus dorsi while the lower pectoralis major covers basically the middle of the chest. In the shoulder girdle the major muscles involved include the rhomboids, which are located in the middle of the upper back beneath the trapezius, and the pectoralis minor located underneath the pectoralis major. It is situated vertically from its attachment on the ribs to its attachment on the scapula.
MAJOR ACTIONS
In the shoulder joint there is mainly adduction in which the upper arms move downward, staying in line with the trunk and then slightly to the front. In the shoulder girdle there is downward rotation of the scapula. When viewed from the rear the left scapula rotates counterclockwise and the right scapula rotates clockwise on an axis through their centers.
SPORTS USES
The act of pulling your arms down toward the sides of the body and somewhat across is important in many different sports. It is especially important for gymnasts in execution of many stunts on the apparatus, especially on the rings. This action can be seen in pulling down rebounds and deflecting passes. Swimmers use arm adduction greatly in the backstroke, breast stroke and butterfly as well as certain portions of the freestyle stroke. Martial artists benefit from cable cross-overs by improving their pulling down actions. For bodybuilders cable cross-overs are very important for the development of the upper latissimus dorsi, teres major and especially the lower pectoralis major when the arms come across in front.