Cable Fly Cross
The cable fly cross exercise is a great option for working your pectoral muscles. This exercise is just as effective for beginners as it is for those who have already been working out for awhile but want to add more definition to their body.
The Proper Way to Do a Cable Fly Cross
This exercise is performed on a crossover machine. One of the keys to getting the best results from this exercise is to ensure you select the right amount of weight. A common mistake people make is choosing too much weight. This limits the effectiveness of the cable crosses they do because they are unable to maintain good form. If you have no idea how much weight you should use, just start light. Once you get a feel for the exercise, the general rule of thumb is to pick a weight that allows you to fully complete two sets of eight reps but only ~75% of the last set's reps. After you pick the amount of weight you want to use, take your stance in the middle of the machine. As you do your cable cross reps, you will want to stand with one foot slightly in front of the other. This will keep you from losing your balance.
Once you grab each handle and have your arms fully extended, start bringing them down. As you pull the cables down, you want to focus on two keys. First, use a controlled motion. If you're simply jerking the cables down, you're not going to fully work your chest. Second, you want to keep your arms as straight as possible. This will keep the cables' tension on your chest so that you're able to fully work it. When you bring the handles together in front of your body, you want to pause for just a second before allowing them to go back up. The reason is this will prevent you from decreasing the exercise's effectiveness by allowing the cable's momentum to move the weight for you.
How Often Should You Do Sets of Cable Fly Crosses?
Since working out your chest is good, isn't it best to work it as often as possible? When it comes to building or toning muscle, that's actually not the case. The reason is the muscles you work need time to recover. If you break them down by working out but don't give them time to recover, you're not going to see any benefits from the time you spend working out. To get the best results without overtraining, you should limit your chest workouts to no more than two a week. This actually applies to all of the muscle groups you work out. If you're going to work out four days a week, you will want your chest workouts to be on two days like Tuesday and Friday. You can work out a few other muscle groups on these days, and then do the others on Mondays and Thursdays.
