#Cable crossover with dumbbells how to

Pause for a 1-count, and exhale as you push up once more.

Inhale as you lower (slowly, and controlling the straps) back down to your starting position, with your hands beside your armpits.

Push your body upwards and bring your hands close together in front of your chest.

Exhale as you push against the TRX strap handles.

Start with your hands placed directly by your armpits, simulating the bottom of the push-up.

Plant your feet together and lean forward until you’re supporting the weight of your body against the handles at the desired angle.

Grip the handles of TRX straps, and face away from the bands’ anchor point.

Plus, you can increase or decrease the difficulty of the exercise simply by changing the angle at which you do the push-ups. One excellent bonus of TRX push-ups: they’re amazing for building core strength.īecause you’re supporting your weight on the bands (which can swing and move, thus forming a very unstable platform), your core muscles (abs, lower back, obliques, and even your glutes) have to engage to maintain stability. It will also work your muscles in almost exactly the same way cable crossovers do. It’s a slight variation that can help you to develop more functional strength. Instead of pushing against handles directly in front of you to lift the weight secured to the handles, you’re pushing against handles directly in front of you to lift the weight of your body in a push-up. TRX Strap push-ups are basically cable crossovers in reverse.

Stop when your arms are fully spread out, pause for a 1-count, then inhale as you push inward once more.

Focus on moving slowly through the eccentric phase of the fly.

Control the movement of the machine as you allow it to swing outward once more.

Push until your fingers just touch, which increases focus on the inner chest.

Exhale as you push the handles toward each other in front of your chest.Allow for a slight bend in your elbows, and lift your elbows in line with your arm to maximize engagement of the chest and shoulders. Grip the handles with your arms nearly straight.Set the handles to your desired height, and adjust the weight as desired. You’ve got options that let you specifically target certain aspects of your chest muscles and engage your shoulders and triceps most effectively and safely. The beauty of the machine pec fly is that you can do it with the exact same form as cable crossovers (arms fully extended), or you can bend your elbows to focus more on the inner chest. They require a specific pec fly machine (which is typically available in most gyms) and allow you to focus on your inner chest muscles (particularly at the end of the movement, when you squeeze your arms together). Machine pec flys are virtually identical to cable crossovers in all the ways that matter. Pause at the top for a 1-count, and inhale as you lower.Push until your arms are almost fully extended-stop before locking out your elbows. Lower until your nose nearly touches the floor.Keep your body in a tight, straight line. Resist the urge to dip your head or let your hips droop. Bend your elbows to lower your entire body toward the floor.Extend your legs out behind you into “Plank” position, with your body parallel to the ground, butt tucked in, and core tight. They also recruit the most amount of muscle, making them the best for building real mass and strength. Push ups – no cable machine or gym membership required.

Read the entire page to the end for some useful answers to commonly asked questions that will give you greater insight into how you can maximize the effectiveness of your workout even if you can’t do cable crossovers.

#Cable crossover with dumbbells how to

In this article, I’ll talk about cable crossover alternatives, explaining what to look for in suitable replacement exercises and how to nail each one for a truly kickass chest workout. That’s what we’re going to find out below! They’re incredibly beginner-friendly, too, and they’re an easy exercise to master.īut what if you don’t have a cable machine in your home gym, or the cable machine at your gym is occupied (which, let’s be honest, it often is)? How can you get a proper chest workout without being able to do cable crossovers? Not only do they increase time under tension for your chest muscles, but they allow you to target your inner pectoral muscles more effectively while still allowing for greater freedom of movement in your shoulder and elbow joints.

Cable crossovers are one of the all-time BEST exercises you can incorporate into your cable chest workout.