How to do the standing chest cable crossover exercise. You can also do it leaning slightly forwards:
Attach a couple of handles to the opposite sides of the cable pulley machines. There are many different types of cable pulley machines or workstations that you can use for this exercise. I prefer the workstation with the pulleys directly opposite to me and further away as the one in the video using the LifeFitness workstation.
Adjust the height for the handles, should be a notch or two above your shoulders depending how you want to perform this exercise.
Grab the handles with the palms facing inwards towards each other.
Decide upon the position you are going to assume. For the standing position or slightly leaning forward position, bring the handles inwards towards each other. Stand with knees bent over your feet and about shoulder width apart. This is your starting position.
From this starting position release back the handles by moving your arms backwards as far as they can comfortably go approximately where your upper arms are horizontal with your shoulders while the time maintaining a bed in the elbows as you do this.
Bring the handles inwards maintaining the bend in the elbows until the two handles are together and repeat.
Do about 12 repetitions of 4 to 5 sets.
In this exercise, the bend in the elbows acts as a lever, it will allow you use more weight without putting undue stress on your arms because the arms are not doing all the work. The bend in the elbows transfers the energy required to do this movement to this “lever in the arms” and consequently works the chest more effectively. When you are doing this exercise properly, you do not need to clasp your hand fully around the handle, just wrapping your palms around the handles is enough to do the movement as I have shown in the second set of this video to demonstrate this point.
Remember to breathe. Exhale as you bring the handles inwards and Inhale as you bring the handles out or release.
Varition: Bent Over Chest Crossover Exercise
