Cable Crossover

So-called fly exercises are popular exercises for isolating the chest muscles as much as possible. The main function during this exercise is pulling the upper arms forward using the pectoralis major. Because the arms maintain the same curvature throughout the movement, the triceps are required much less than during the bench press. The biceps do need to remain continuously under tension to keep the arms in a slightly bent position.

Flyes can be performed with dumbbells, machines, or cables.

An advantage of the cable and machine variations is the constant tension that is maintained at the end of the exercise as well. In the lying dumbbell variation, you lose this tension at the end of the movement.

Cables also allow you to make the exercise slightly larger. The hands can also cross in front. This variation is called the cable crossover flyes.

Besides the standing variation, the exercise can also be performed seated or lying on a bench. The seated and lying variations have the advantage that you need to work less from your core to maintain your position.

Opinions differ regarding the correct height of the hands in the end position. The cables can be brought to a point at chest height or lower. The starting position of the pulley can also vary. For example, it can be attached at the highest point or at shoulder height, which naturally affects the angle of the cable. Maintaining a higher end point often means greater involvement of the shoulders. This may also relatively increase the involvement of the (smaller) upper part of the chest muscles. Varying the angles can ensure that you alternately engage these different parts of the muscle and continue to provide sufficient stimulus for growth.

Cable Crossover Fly execution

Place the pulleys of the cable rack at the correct height (shoulder height or higher). Make sure that the same weight is set on both sides.

Stand directly in the middle.

Place one foot well forward and at hip or shoulder width. Your upper body is tilted slightly forward.

Bring your hands with your thumbs up outward until your arms are almost horizontal. The elbows remain slightly below shoulder height (starting position). Keep your arms slightly bent and maintain this curvature throughout the movement.

Bring your hands toward each other as if embracing a tree.

Cross your hands over each other at the end of the movement to increase the range of motion. Pull your hands through until your wrists or forearms cross each other.

Return your hands to the starting position in a controlled manner.

Cable Crossover Fly

Active muscles:

Pectoralis major (large chest muscle)
Anterior deltoid (front fibers of the shoulder muscle)
Serratus anterior
Coracobrachialis (coracoid arm muscle)

Stabilizing muscles:

Rotator cuff (stabilizing shoulder muscles, supraspinatus, subscapularis, teres major, teres minor)
Biceps brachii
Serratus
Trapezius
Triceps brachii
Latissimus dorsi
Core muscles

Cable Crossover Fly technique

One of the most common mistakes in this exercise is bending and extending the arms. Do not extend the arms when bringing the hands backward; keep them under tension. This prevents you from having to bend them again on the way forward and therefore prevents excessive involvement of the biceps.

Another common mistake is intending to perform a cable (crossover) fly but turning it into a cable chest press. The hands then start with the palms facing down instead of facing inward. The movement itself is then more of a forward push, as in the bench press, rather than an embracing movement.

As mentioned, you can turn a cable fly into a cable crossover fly by letting the hands cross each other. This can make the balance of the exercise more difficult. Because of the width of the hands and handles, one arm will have to pass underneath or over the other. This should therefore be alternated. Crossing the hands consequently makes the exercise technically more difficult and can distract from proper execution.

Keep the elbows below shoulder level in the starting and end positions. This is to prevent excessive involvement and an injury-prone shoulder position.

Keep your upper body stable and do not let it move forward and downward when the arms come forward (and upward again on the way back). Keep it slightly tilted forward throughout the exercise. If necessary, reduce the resistance so you can perform the exercise without using this form of cheating.

Do not bring the elbows too far backward at the beginning and end of the movement. They should not come far beyond the torso. A safe starting point is up to the torso. Depending on shoulder mobility, you can move slightly farther back for a greater range of motion.

At a glance