I hope you have a cable machine at your gym so you can try adding cable crossovers to your list of chest exercises. Not only do they help to build muscle mass, they also help to define your chest muscles by creating separation between your pectorals. The chiseled look that bodybuilders have in their chest is in large part due to chest stretching exercises such as the cable crossover. The first time I did these I instantly noticed the difference in the way my chest felt, giving it a great pump and stretching it like no other exercise I’d done before.
A couple of things to note when performing cable crossovers:
- Go slow. Feel the stretch in your chest as your arms are extended and hold the squeeze for 2 seconds when your arms are in front of you.
- Keep your elbows bent. Straightening your elbows will not work your chest as well and can injure your joints.
- Concentrate on your chest. By focusing on your chest muscles, you can help target them better and stimulate more growth.
Note: the video says to perform 2 sets of 12 reps, but I prefer 3 sets. This really depends on what other chest exercises you are performing, and how many sets and reps total. You want to get the best exercise possible without being in the gym forever.
June 5th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Great blog man! I didn’t know how to get that look of separation between the pecks but now I do.. thanks!
June 5th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
You’re welcome! Cable crossovers are definitely the answer for creating some separation in your chest. Put on mass with the compound exercises like bench press, pushups and dips, and get ripped with crossovers and bench flys.
June 7th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Great post. I never really do cable crossovers because the cable rack seems to be occupied 24/7 in my gym. The only chest stretching exercise I do is dumbell flys. I still do a lot of other pressing exercises for the chest but do you think this is enough on the stretching side of things?
P.S. Have you ever considered the subscribe to comments plugin (available at http://txfx.net/code/wordpress/subscribe-to-comments/)? I would love to be able to subscribe to comments on your blog so that I can follow any responses.
June 7th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
I know what you mean about the cable crossover machine always being tied up, it’s tough to work it in sometimes.
I like dumbbell flys also but I usually feel like I get a better workout with the cables because there is constant resistance pulling on your chest. With dumbbell flys, when you get to the top you aren’t contracting with your chest anymore, you are just stabilizing the weight above your body.
I’m going to look getting that plugin, thanks for the tip!
June 10th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
[…] Any time you are doing upper body exercises that involve moving your arms without flexing at the elbows (as in biceps curls or triceps extensions), you want to keep a slight bend at the elbows anyways. In other words, do not lock your arms straight out. Doing so places unnecessary strain on your joints and can cause injury as well as unwanted pain. By having a slight flex in your elbow joints, you spread out the stress of the weight throughout your arm and will be able to perform the exercise properly. This advice applies to several exercises, including: lateral dumbbell raises, front dumbbell raises, bench flys, and cable crossovers. […]
June 15th, 2008 at 9:59 am
[…] on your individual strengths and weaknesses. Of course, the exercises listed above are not the only chest exercises you should do, they are only meant to serve as […]