Flat Bench Cable Crossovers - Exercise Technique

Flat Bench Cable Crossovers - Muscles Worked & Benefits

Exercise Type: Single-Joint
Primary Muscles Worked: Chest
Secondary Muscles Worked: Shoulders

Similar to dumbbell flyes, the Flat Bench Cable Crossover works the middle and inner pecs and shoulders. While the exercise is similar to using dumbbells, the cable creates more resistance due to the constant tension and angle of resistance. A benefit of using the cable system is that you can work each side individually allowing the opposite cable to stabilize your body. Alternatively, if you want to make it more challenging on your core try training one arm at a time and leaving your non-engaged hand on your hip.

Flat Bench Cable Crossovers - Exercise Workout & Technique

• Take position on a horizontal bench, floor-height pulleys either side of you.
• Grasp a handle in both hands, and draw both of your hands to the mid point above your middle pec area simultaneously, with the handles touching parallel at this high point, exhaling as you do so. Hold at what is considered the starting point.
• Bring both of your arms outside and towards the floor, stretching out the pecs.
• Now contract your pecs as you return your hands above you in a tree hugging like motion. Exhale as you bring the arms up and contract the muscle being worked at this point and hold.
• As you inhale, release and let your arms be pulled back to the starting position.
• Ensure that the time spent in the eccentric (down-phase) is twice as long as the concentric (up-phase). 
• Complete the desired repetition range.

Flat Bench Cable Crossovers - Tips & Safety

• Maintain control throughout.
• Hold and squeeze at the top of the movement.
• Ideally the exercise is performed with slightly bent elbows taking stress away from the joint.
• The elbow joint should be stable however and the only moving joint is the shoulder joint to ensure maximum chest isolation.

Flat Bench Cable Crossovers - Alternatives

• At the top of the movement you can contract as you bring the handles together, of you can cross them over one arm over the other throughout, or even alternate which arm crosses the other during the set.