Exercises / Cable Crossover

Cable Crossover

Also known as: Cable fly, Cable crossover fly, High-to-low cable fly

A high-to-low cable fly. The arms sweep in so the handles meet in front of the lower chest.

Primary muscles
Chest (pectoralis major)
Secondary muscles
Shoulders (anterior deltoid)
Equipment
Cable (dual high pulleys, two handles)
Pattern
Isolation
Difficulty
Intermediate
Line diagram of a Cable Crossover.
Diagram: Fytniz. License: original-placeholder (Fytniz).

Stills

Peak-contraction still of a high-to-low cable crossover.
Chest flies with cable machine - cable crossover flies.jpg by Nenad Stojkovic, CC BY 2.0. Via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY. Source.

Cues

  1. Set the pulleys high and take a split or even stance with a slight forward lean from the hips.
  2. Start with the arms open and a soft elbow; the first move is the upper arm coming in, not a triceps pushdown.
  3. Bring the handles together in front of the lower chest or upper abdomen and pause briefly.
  4. Return under control until the chest is stretched, without letting the stack slam.
  5. Keep the shoulder blades set; do not shrug as the arms open.

Common mistakes

  • Turning the fly into a triceps extension by straightening the elbows through the sweep.
  • Using so much lean or step that the hips, not the chest, move the stack.
  • Letting the handles pull the shoulders forward at the stretch.

Safety

  • Pick a stack you can return slowly; a slammed stack is a sign the load is too high.
  • Keep a soft elbow so the shoulder is not yanked into end range.