Crossovers (exercise) - SportWiki encyclopedia. Crossover - an isolated exercise for the muscles of the chest

The reduction of the hands in the crossover is an isolating exercise on the lower chest, which works out the accentuated lower chest. Those who want to have a beautiful "separation" of the pectoral muscle from the press 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 mount to engage the muscles from different angles. The movement is sometimes replaced by work in loops or with rubber, but for the classic "builder" undercut of the pectoral muscle, this movement is considered indispensable. The exercise is available to both beginners and professionals, and can be performed by both men and women.

It is important to determine the location of the attachment of the handles. Tall athletes can fasten the block system to the uppermost retainer, with an average height it makes sense to lower it so that at the top point of the spread of the arms the shoulders do not lock in an uncomfortable position, and the athlete does not lose control of the muscles of the core and chest. If during the movement the athlete “throws up”, he has chosen the wrong height of the latch.

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

Taking the starting position, it is important not to get injured. First, they grab one handle and bring it to the belt, then the second, after which you need to position the body in the center of the crossover so that the cables are stretched equally. A stable stand "in scissors" is allowed, or on two legs in an inclination, it does not matter.

The exercise is bringing your hands together in front of you, at waist level. During work, you should consciously strain the muscles of the chest, and do 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. The deepening of the inclination of the back is not allowed. It is often written that it should be strictly at 45 degrees, but this is not so, the depth of the slope 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 points that are best avoided:

Corpus cheating. You are not in the Plush Beard video, avoid swings, as they can injure the shoulder joints, even if the athlete does not feel pain and discomfort during the swing;
Active hand pushes. Bodybuilding differs from weightlifting in that it loves controlled exercise. By pushing weight, we can lift more, but the purpose of the movement is not to set a gym record for block machines.
"Running" around the perimeter with your feet. It is worth standing up once so that the position of the body is strong, and not changing it, as “jogging” can cause loss of shoulder stability and cause injury;
Head nods. It is unpleasant when the neck jams during the exercise. And even more frustrating when this "beautiful" feeling is accompanied by a shoulder injury. Therefore, excessive tension of the trapezoid and nodding must be excluded. If you need to nod your head at all costs, the weight is chosen incorrectly, it is too big. Again, the weight must be selected so that there is no need to make additional and unnecessary movements of the body and head.
Breakdown at the start. A jerk with the hands can cause injury to both the shoulder and elbow joints;
Rigidly "inserted" elbows at the start of the movement. This can cause overstretching of the ligaments of the elbow joint and cause injury;
Constantly putting forward the same foot can lead to imbalances in the hip joint.

Implementation options

The exercise resembles the well-known “wiring” with dumbbells, only instead of dumbbells, crossover handles are taken in hand. The cables are attached to the lower part of the attachment sector so that the athlete's hands do not "twist" when taking the starting position. The bench can be horizontal or inclined, it is not of fundamental importance. It is believed that on incline bench breasts work more, but this is subjective and depends on the physique.

The bench is located strictly in the center, the athlete lies down on it, the assistant gives the handles to the level of the center of the chest. Further, the movement resembles the usual “wiring” with dumbbells, the arms go to the sides, and come down to the center at the level of the middle of the chest. It is not necessary to allow an unnaturally large amplitude so as not to dislocate the shoulder joint.

Actually, they resemble the variant with the leg, only you need to stand up straight, and do not put your legs in the leg. The body leans forward, the handles are lowered down, the pectoral muscles are strained, the work is due to the contraction of the chest.

This movement requires a little more work from the front 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 the handles to chest level. This is followed by mechanical reduction of the handles 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. As stabilizers work the muscles of the back and core, the anterior deltas, serratus muscles, and pectoralis minor muscle help the movement.

pros

This is a completely isolating exercise. It does not allow you to include triceps 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 out the chest without much load on the stabilizers and biceps, allows you to take a greater amplitude, stretch the muscles so as to reduce them as much as possible. The exercise is varied enough to avoid increased stress on the elbows, shoulders, and biceps. It helps to work out the muscle along its entire length and allows you not to exclude the lower chest bundle from work.

Minuses:

Not all halls are equipped with a crossover, and there is not always access to it. This is a popular car, it can be constantly busy during rush hour;
Movement cannot help build muscle if only it is performed. Required basic exercises in addition to working in a crossover

Usually, the crossover is not the first movement in a workout, and is not used as an exercise to pre-fatigue the chest muscles. Training starts from the base, and only at the end does the athlete come to block simulator to work out the bottom of the chest.

This means that the joint warm-up is not needed, it is enough to perform a couple of approaches with light weight.

Single-joint exercise - work is only in the shoulder joint;
Cheating and body swings are excluded;
Elbows in the upper phase should not be pulled up to the ears, they are in the plane of the shoulder;
Muscles must be consciously strained, as if “bringing” the weight to the desired position;
You can not throw your head back, look at the ceiling, you should relax your neck and look forward;
It is necessary to use a stable position of the body, best of all - a rack in scissors;
Work takes place along an elliptical or arcuate trajectory. “Throwing your arms”, bending them at the elbows, should not be;
The reduction is carried out approximately at the level of the waist;
It can be assumed that the athlete uses a small weight, but it is impossible - pushes and jerks along the trajectory, and relaxed hands when lowering the weight;
We must try to consciously exclude the work of the muscles of the trapezoid

Muscle contraction is performed on exhalation, exhalation on effort is the basic rule when performing strength exercises.

Mistakes

“Different” movements, when the athlete in the first repetition bends his arms at the elbows, in the second - changes the position of the body, and leads the weight in different ways;
Mahi body, helping in working with weight;
Throwing weight;
Relaxed and rounded back;
"Inserted" straight elbows

Most often, bodybuilders are advised to consciously reduce the chest in lowest point. This can be achieved through a small isometry, and this, in turn, by slightly turning the palms towards each other at the bottom of the exercise.

You can achieve maximum isolation, and completely eliminate cheating, if you kneel. This variant of the starting position will allow the athlete to completely eliminate body swings.

If you want to shift the focus to the top of the chest, you need to bring your hands higher. This can be achieved both by changing the angle of inclination of the body, and by changing the mount.

If you work "crosswise", winding one hand after the other in the lower part of the amplitude, then 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 lifters should perform the movement at the end of their workout, after basic and other isolation exercises.

Usually performed in the mode of 12-15 repetitions in 3-4 sets, and the warm-up is not considered work. The exercise is not performed with a lot of 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 tear of the pectoral muscle. In all other cases, you can accurately perform the information. If there is an injury to the rotator cuff, it may be necessary for some time to completely eliminate the load on the chest, including work in the crossover.

How to replace the reduction of hands in a crossover

From the point of view of biomechanics, a complete replacement is the reduction of hands with rubber expanders. But from the point of view of muscle work, this is an incomplete replacement, since expanders give resistance differently than blocks. They allow you to contract the muscles more strongly at the peak point, but give you the opportunity to relax on lowering the weight.

Mixing in a crossover classic exercise bodybuilding, and every athlete should do it right.

Crossover is a large block training complex that allows you to perform a wide variety of exercises for all muscle groups. One of these is the information of the hands on the upper blocks, it is about them that we will talk in detail today.

Description of the exercise

First of all, it can be noted that there are several varieties of this exercise that allow you to work out pectoral muscles. By varying the technique, you can emphasize the load on the middle, lower or upper chest area.

The exercise is isolated, which means that almost the entire load falls on the pectoral muscles, so it is best to perform this exercise at the end of a workout after basic exercises such as bench presses, push-ups, pull-ups, and so on.

The synergists are the biceps, triceps, and anterior delts, but the tension in these muscles is minimal if you do it correctly. In the event that you still understand that both the biceps and shoulders are very actively involved in the exercise and get tired, reduce the weight. Isolating exercises are done for “finishing”, there is no need to use large weights, since this will not lead to special muscle growth.

If the exercise is performed while standing, then the legs, abs and back act as stabilizers. If necessary, exclude them, choose the option on the bench.

Benefits of exercise

Consider what gives the reduction of hands in the crossover:

This is one of the best isolated chest exercises.
The back is not pressed against the bench, as, for example, during the bench press, which reduces the load on it.
The chest muscles are well stretched, this saturates them with oxygen. At a young age, this allows you to expand the diaphragm.
The load is present at all stages of the exercise - when you reduce and when you spread your arms - at each point the pectoral muscles are actively working.
This exercise shapes and refines the outlines of the chest, making them more aesthetically correct.
Variability allows you to load different areas of the pectoral muscles.

Variants and technique of exercise

There are five possibilities for doing this exercise:

standing through top blocks
standing through the bottom blocks
lying on a horizontal surface
lying on a slope

Before starting a workout, you need to set the weight on both blocks, and also make sure that the handles are suitable for the exercise.

If not, then you need to unfasten the carabiner, remove the handles and hang the appropriate ones. They look something like this:

Reduction of hands through the upper blocks

This is a classic version of the exercise.

Technique:

Crossover handles should be in the up position. If they are in the middle or at the bottom, move them up.
Take one handle, then move to the other side and take the second one. Take one or two steps forward to pectoral muscles Ah, there was static electricity.
You can put one foot forward for convenience.
Tilt your body forward with a straight back. The stronger the angle of inclination of the body and the angle between the arms and the body, the more actively the middle chest area will be included in the work.
Inhale and as you exhale bring your hands together in front of you. The task is to ensure that this movement is as isolated as possible. Do not bend your arms too much, so as not to take away the load on the biceps.
Well tighten up at the point muscle contraction to act on the inner region of the chest (sometimes this is a lagging zone).
With an inhalation, slowly spread your arms to the sides.

For a better understanding of the technique, we suggest watching the video.

Video: Reduction of arms in a crossover through the top - pumping the pectoral muscles

Reduction of hands through the lower blocks

This option is not suitable for beginners, it is complex, but well accentuates the load on upper region chest muscles.

Technique:

If the handles are located at the top or in the middle, you need to lower them down.
Grab your hands and take a step forward. You will not feel the same stretching of the pectoral muscles as in the previous version - this is normal.
You don't need to lean forward. On the contrary, straighten your back, bring your shoulder blades together and push your chest forward.
With an exhalation, you need to bring your hands in front of you, but now through the bottom. Why is this exercise not recommended for beginners? It is very difficult to focus the load on the pectoral muscles and not connect the biceps. Usually, most of the load goes to him, and the exercise loses its meaning.
As you inhale, spread your arms to the sides.

Reduction of hands lying

Depending on the purpose, the exercise can be performed on a horizontal or inclined surface.

This exercise is also performed with the lower blocks.

Technique:

Set the weight and place the bench exactly in the center, it is important that there is no skew on one of the hands.
When you lie down, the handles should be at your level. chest.
After you have prepared the bench, take the handles, sit down and lie comfortably on the bench. The back should be firmly pressed to the surface, no need to bend the lower back.
Exhale as you bring your arms over your chest, being careful not to bend your elbows. You can stop when there is about 10 cm between your hands. Tighten your pectoral muscles.
While inhaling, slowly spread your arms to the sides.

This option will concentrate the load in the middle of the chest. In order to switch it higher, you need to perform mixing on an incline bench.

Mixing on an incline bench - how to do it right

Technique:

It is necessary to set the angle of the bench from 30 to 45 degrees, bearing in mind that the higher the slope, the more it works the top of the pectoral muscles.
The mixing is done through the bottom blocks, so move them down if necessary.
The bench should be located strictly in the center.
Take the handlebars and sit on the edge of the bench.
Sit on the back of the bench without arching your lower back.
Inhale and as you exhale, bring your hands together in front of you, tensing your pectoral muscles.
As you inhale, gently spread your arms to the sides.

Reduction of hands sitting

It is also acceptable to perform this exercise while sitting, which allows you to exclude leg muscles and other stabilizers from work.

Sitting, you can perform mixing with a straight back or in an inclination.

Technique:

The handles should be positioned approximately in the middle of the frame (focus on your height and comfort).
Grasp the handles and sit on the edge of the bench. Tilt your body forward if necessary.
Exhale as you bring your hands together in front of you.
With an inhale, return to the starting position.

Remember to place the bench between the blocks in the center and slightly in front to feel the stretch in the pectoral muscles.

Common mistakes when doing the exercise

The exercise cannot be classified as technically very difficult, but of course, there are a number of mistakes that beginners very often make.

The back must be kept straight. Do not try to bring your hands together at all costs, while rounding the spine.
Do not press your hands to the body.
Do not bend your arms, especially if there is a 90 degree angle at the elbow.
Do not drop your arms after adduction so that they are parted under the weight of the weight. Movement must be controlled.
If the movements are not synchronous, then there is a lagging side. Reduce weight so as not to break the technique. Try to mix with each hand in turn.
Another mistake can be called improper muscle control during the exercise, but this is not quite a technical error, but rather a matter of experience. There is no need to quit the exercise if you feel like you are pulling with your arms or shoulders. Reduce weight, you may just have a hard time doing the exercise with pecs alone. Repeat it constantly until you understand the principle.

If, nevertheless, you are experiencing difficulties, then it makes sense to try an alternative - the butterfly simulator. Mixing occurs from a slightly different angle, but the principle is the same. The advantage is that the trajectory is set, and you will always perform the exercise accurately. But this is also a minus, since you will not be able to emphasize the load on the top or bottom of the chest.

Bringing the arms together in a crossover is an important formative exercise for the pectoral muscles. If you want to improve their shape and achieve an aesthetic effect, then perform this movement regularly, trying all possible variations of it.

One of the most famous isolation exercises for pumping the pectoral muscles, but it does not pump the entire chest, as many people think. In general, it is possible to perform mixing at different angles, from this angle it will depend on which part of the pectoral muscles the load will fall on. Accordingly, it is possible to emphasize the load on different parts of the pectoral muscles, and since the exercise is performed with a small weight, then, in fact, the angle at which the athlete performs the reduction of the arms in the crossover depends on which part of the pectoral muscles is trained.

Exercise is not the way to build up muscle mass, but experienced athletes, with at least one year of training experience, can include it in their training program. The fact is that the less trained the athlete, the less work his muscles can do. That is why the first year should be performed only basic exercises. Of course, you can do more work, but this will lead to overwork, you will drive yourself into overtraining and reduce the effectiveness of your visits to the gym to zero.

Work of muscles and joints

The reduction of hands in the crossover loads the external or inner part pectoral muscles, which depends on how the athlete will perform the exercise. If the exercise is performed while standing, then the load gets outer part chest, and if lying, then internal. It should also be noted that when correct technique the biceps will also receive a load, which should relieve the load from the elbow joint. But the shoulders must be fixed and try to exclude from work.

At wrong technique when an athlete is chasing weight, bringing the arms together in a crossover can even lead to an injury to the elbow joint. But, if the athlete does everything right, then this can be avoided. Furthermore, even when the exercise is performed while standing, leaning forward completely removes the load from the spine. And, in general, the exercise does not involve the use of large training weights and is performed in the simulator, so it is very difficult to get injured.

Reduction of hands in a crossover - scheme

1) If you are doing the exercise while standing, then you should take the handles of the crossover and stand in the starting position, bending forward slightly and raising your elbows above the hands.
2) Without moving your elbows, bring your hands together so that your palms intersect, then return to the starting point.
3) If you are doing the exercise lying down, then you will need a bench, which you must place in the middle of the simulator.
4) Lie down on the bench, having previously taken the handles of the simulator in your hands, and then begin to bring them together and breed them as if you were doing a dumbbell row.

Reduction of hands in a crossover - notes

1) When performing the exercise lying down, it is best to use the help of a partner who will give you the handles of the simulator.
2) The elbows should always be locked during the crossover, which will help isolate the triceps and take pressure off the elbows.
3) Again, when flattening while lying down, it is best to keep your feet flat on the floor, with your heels firmly planted, which will provide better stability.
4) The head in both cases should be in the same position and look forward, do not tear it off the bench, or do not lower it down.
5) Try to increase the range of motion, which will help to better engage those areas of the pectoral muscles that usually do not receive a load.

Anatomy

Bringing the arms together in a crossover allows you to stretch the chest, replacing the dumbbell layout, but, unlike the layout, doing this exercise while lying down, the athlete gets the opportunity to better work out the inside of the pectoral muscles. Chest is big muscle group, so it’s difficult to steal a load from her, but if this part of your body is lagging behind, then bringing your hands together in a crossover can be very useful.

On the other hand, the exercise is shaping, moreover, it is also performed in the simulator, which does not allow you to effectively progress the load. But the exercise is almost completely safe for the joints. It is these characteristics of bringing the hands in the crossover that make this exercise indispensable during an injury, and also well suited to those athletes. Which have not yet learned to feel their pectoral muscles, which is why they receive less load during more complex exercises.

- one of the most famous isolation movements, aimed at pumping the pectoral muscles. It can be performed different ways, namely, the reduction of hands in the crossover while lying, standing and sitting. In the first two positions, it is possible to change the angle of inclination and the direction of the arms to shift the load on the lower, middle or upper chest muscles.

For most athletes attending Gym, the main exercises for gaining muscle mass in the pectoral muscles are the dumbbell bench press, the barbell bench press, and the lying dumbbell breeding. But an excellent result does not end only with a set of mass, you still need to give shape to your chest. And the crossover isolating exercise will help you cope with this task.

The chest of the athlete should look like two muscle plates, reminiscent of armor. The separation of all departments of the thoracic should be clearly visible, as well as the line of separation of the left and right halves. All this you can not achieve by doing only basic exercises. For the full formation of the pectorals, it is necessary to carry out the reduction of the hands in the crossover.

Crossover Exercise - Benefits

Many people neglect this exercise. The advantages of this method:

Bench missing

The main advantage is the lack of back support. Performing the reduction of the hands in the crossover, the shoulder blades are not pressed against the bench and move freely in a natural way, which significantly unloads the back.

good stretch

“Finishing off” and stretching muscles contributes to a greater supply of blood / oxygen, and with them nutrients - this is very important for muscle development.

Continuous chest tension

Due to the special design, the crossover provides continuous resistance for the entire duration of the exercise. In short, the load on the muscles goes in any position of the hands and the stabilizing muscles additionally work, which is not the case in exercises with free weights.

Aesthetics

The pectoral muscles become more pronounced and take on a defined shape.

Less stress on the shoulders

Unlike the bench press, the crossover puts less of a strain on the shoulders, allowing them to be spared.

Variations

Different positions of the body and movements of the hands allow you to diversify the training of the muscles of the chest.

Reduction of hands in a crossover - execution technique

It would seem that pull yourself and pull, but the correct execution plays a very important role. Technique:

Set the same weight on both sides of the double block. Take the handles and take a stable position in the middle of the machine. Take a step and tilt your body forward, keeping your back straight. Spread the handles to the sides until a slight stretch in the muscles of the chest. The elbows are slightly bent and located behind. Take a breath. This is the starting position;
By contracting the chest, bring the handles of the crossover to the center in a wide arc as you exhale;
At the end point, bring your hands together and take a short pause, contracting your muscles as much as possible;
Slowly and under control in the same trajectory, return to the starting position;
Movement should only be shoulder joints, keep the body and elbows motionless;
Perform hand reduction in a crossover required amount once.

Consider the option of pumping the lower region of the pectoral muscles.

Common Crossover Exercise Mistakes

The most common errors you see when executing details in a block are:

Round back.
Elbows pressed to the body.
Right angle at the elbows.

The main nuances of mixing hands in a crossover

We focus on the most important factors:

Follow correct technique performance - this will provide good stretching and muscle contraction.
Choose an appropriate weight that will not interfere with proper technique.
At the end point, additionally squeeze your chest, holding the state of muscle contraction for 1-2 seconds.
Do everything under control and slowly, do not use impulse movements.
The main work should be done only by the chest, for this, move your shoulders back / chest forward.
Move your arms at the same time and in the same plane.

Crossover Exercise Variations

Hand information is good because you can change the position of the hands and the load will go to other areas of the pectoral muscles. Implementation options:

Reduction of hands in a crossover while standing

Emphasis on the middle region of the chest

Reduction of hands in a crossover while standing for the top of the pectoral muscles

Reduction of hands in a crossover lying

It is rare to find people who perform the exercise in this way. But it is this variation that works on muscle mass. You just need to install horizontal bench in the middle of the simulator and lie down. The movement will be similar to breeding dumbbells, but more effective due to the continuous load on the chest.

Reduction of hands in a crossover while sitting

This position excludes the stabilization work of the body and legs. Sitting on a bench, the exercise acquires a maximum focus on the pectoral muscles.

Who, when and how much

To whom

When

The exercise is shaping and is performed at the end of the chest training. It will not be superfluous in front of him.

How many

10-15 times, 3 sets. Always do the last reps of the last set to failure.

Crossover arms will help you develop the perfect chest shape, but first you need to gain mass to form them.

Masses to you and relief!

Crossover exercise through the upper blocks, pumps lower part, middle and inner edges of the chest. "Cuts" the bottom of the pectoral muscles, giving them a relief. isolation exercise.

In bodybuilding information in the crossover used to “cut” (highlight) the bottom of the pectoralis major muscle, giving it sharp shapes; for a distinct separation of the chest muscles in the center of the body and the "manifestation" of the muscular relief of the chest.

The muscles involved in the crossover play the first fiddle in the performance of various grips, punches and holds in wrestling, boxing and karate; working out the compulsory program on the rings in gymnastics; passing the ball from the side with one hand in basketball; receiving the ball and hitting with an open racket in tennis and squash.

Information in the crossover through the upper blocks - an exercise for the pectoral muscles

1. Attach the D-Handles to the crossover cables through the top pulleys and grasp them with an overhand grip. Stand exactly in the middle between the legs of the crossover and take a small step forward with one foot. This will give the body a more stable position.

2. Keeping the natural curve of the spine (the buttocks are slightly laid back, the chest is “wheeled”), slightly, by 15-30 °, tilt the torso forward.

3. Extend your arms to the sides as much as possible and lower them slightly down so that the weights come off the stops, and the elbows are almost flush with the shoulders. Slightly bend your elbows and turn your palms to the floor. The elbow joint and wrist are fixed in this position until the end of the set. All movement occurs only in the shoulder joint.

4. Take a deep breath and, holding your breath, bring the handles in front of your torso until they touch each other or even more (crossing your arms).

5. As you bring the handles together, exhale and try to tighten your chest as much as possible. Your task is to keep the peak muscle contraction for at least a second. Then slowly return to the starting position (elbows at shoulder level).

Information in the crossover through the upper blocks - muscles

Tips: Information in the crossover through the upper blocks

1. Performing the exercise on straight arms, you risk injuring elbow joints. If, returning to the starting position, you straighten your arms, the chest muscles are actively included in the work and decreases. This indicates that the selected weight is too heavy.

2. Keep your torso stationary throughout the exercise. By leaning forward to help your whole body close the handles, you take the pressure off your chest.

3. Bring the handles in a wide arc at chest level. Imagine you are hugging a big tree. In this case, the focus of the load is aimed exactly at the middle of the chest. If you bring your hands high (at head level), then the point of attack is shifted to the top of the chest and front deltas. The lower you bring your arms together (below your chest) or the less you tilt your torso, the more the bottom of the pectoralis major muscle contracts.

4. Holding your breath during the positive phase of the exercise (pushing your arms in front of your chest) makes it easier to keep your body still and increases your strength.

5. Do not strain your back and keep your shoulders back. Thus, you exclude the serratus anterior muscle from work, which pulls the lower edge of the scapula forward and outward, which is possible only with pronation of the shoulder (turning it inward, towards the chest around the vertical axis). Hence the conclusion: bringing the handles in front of the chest, round (pierce) the shoulders.