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Get A Ripped Lower and Inner Chest with Decline Cable Crossovers |
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Written by Stephen E. Alway, PhD, FACSM
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Monday, 23 April 2007 |
Acquiring an award-winning physique demands a chest with depth, thickness and breadth set in rock-hard edges. Surprisingly, it's not all that difficult to add thickness to the lower and outer (lateral) aspects of the chest, and this can be achieved by hoisting some impressive tonnage in bench presses. However, indiscriminately adding slabs of meat to the chest can result in a heavy lower chest without a lot of detail. No one intentionally tries to obtain a droopy lower chest, but sometimes even good exercises like benches can contribute to such development, if they are not balanced with other "shaping" exercises. One of the best exercises that will carve a square inner and lower chest is the decline cable crossover.
Structure and Function
The pectoralis major muscle covers the upper (superior) part of the chest and its outside (lateral) border forms the front (anterior) wall of the armpit (axilla). The clavicular head of the pectoralis major muscle lives along the anterior lower surface of the clavicle (collarbone). The sternocostal head of the pectoralis major takes its origin from the manubrium (the top portion of the sternum), the upper six costal cartilages that attach the ribs to the sternum and from the superior part of the external oblique muscle of the lateral abdominal wall. Both heads converge near the head of the humerus (upper arm bone) near the shoulder joint.
Both sternocostal and clavicular heads of the pectoralis major adduct the humerus (draws the arm toward midline of the body). This is the primary function of the cable crossovers. Together, the heads flex the humerus by moving the upper arm anteriorly (toward the front of the body). However, the shoulder angle will determine the relative activation of the muscle, so the decline bench press will preferentially activate the fibers in the lower part of the sternocostal head of the pectoralis major muscle. Nevertheless, the clavicular head is far from silent during the decline bench press because it is not possible to totally isolate the recruitment of fibers of the upper and lower chest.
The serratus anterior muscle provides a significant framework for highlighting the upper body and the pectoralis muscles. This muscle overlies the lateral portion of the thorax (rib cage) and it has a saw-toothed or finger-like appearance near its attachment to the ribs (in Latin, serratus= saw). This muscle is most noticeable on the lower and the anterior and lateral portions of the rib cage. The serratus anterior has an attachment along the first eight ribs and then it runs posteriorly to the lateral side of the thorax. It attaches along the entire medial border of the scapula (shoulder blade) just adjacent to the spine. The serratus anterior muscle pulls the scapula forward during the upward phase of the decline cable crossovers. In addition, the inferior fibers of the serratus anterior help raise the shoulder joint above the head and therefore, it's active during the start and return of the hands in the decline cable crossover. The serratus anterior will become thicker and more pronounced as the result of decline cable crossovers and this will provide a premium look to your ripped chest.
Decline Cable Crossovers
This exercise is a little more intense than dumbbell flyes because there is constant tension throughout the exercise, and no opportunity for the pectoralis muscles to rest until the set is over. The muscle emphasis tends to be much more concentrated on the sternocostal portions and along the edges of the sternum. The range of motion can be greater with this exercise than with dumbbell flyes and much of the support throughout the exercise is provided by the rotator cuff. Thus, if you have weakened or injured rotator cuff muscles, you should carefully control the movement, or perhaps avoid doing the exercise altogether, or certainly avoid doing it with heavy resistances.
This exercise can be accomplished from several different positions. It can be done on a flat, incline or decline bench, in a kneeling position or a standing position. The decline position will be described here.
1. Place a decline bench between two high pulley cables. Lower the pulleys to eye level (when you are standing) so they are not in the highest position. If your pulley does not adjust, you can still do the exercise with the high pulley. Take a pulley handle in each hand and lie on the decline bench. The head of the bench should be about two feet in front of the pulley units. When you are lying on the bench, the pulleys will be slightly toward your feet and not just over your chest. If you have a partner, enlist his help to bring the handles of the pulley to your hands. (Get his help after you have positioned yourself on the bench).
2. Bend your elbows slightly to take any unnecessary stress off this joint and lock them in this position. The elbows should not flex or extend during the exercise, but they should be locked in this slightly bent position throughout the exercise.
3. At the start of the exercise, you should feel a good stretch across the entire pectoral girdle and into the attachments of the sternocostal head of the pectoralis major muscle at the arm/shoulder area.
4. With the palms of your hands supinated (turned toward the ceiling), pull the handles from the pulley station toward your neck and head. Completely cross the right hand over the left and both arms should cross your neck as if you where hugging someone else's neck at the same time.
5. If you have done a lot of bench presses, the lateral parts of your pectoralis will likely be thick, while the center parts of the pectoralis near the sternum will be much flatter. If you really want to activate the most medial parts of the pectoralis fibers that attach to the sternum, hold the handles in the full crossover position for a count of two at the end of each repetition. This is a very severe form of cable crossovers, and you will feel a burn like no other exercise along the inner part of your chest next to the sternum. This is also an excellent exercise to add to your routine the last two months before a bodybuilding competition. As your body fat levels decrease, and you faithfully do these contractions at the top of each repetition, you will begin to notice the fibers jumping like a pit of snakes lying just below your skin.
6. Slowly lower your hands toward the floor in a large arc and return to the starting (stretched) position. Inhale deeply as you are lowering the handles.
7. On the next repetition, cross the left arm over the right arm, then alternate on each subsequent repetition.
Important Tips
The decline bench produces a shoulder angle that results in a mechanically advantaged position for activating the lower fibers of the sternocostal head of the pectoralis major. The greatest activation of the fibers attached to the sternum will come at or near the end of each repetition when each arm is crossed over the other as far as possible. The serratus anterior will be activated strongly during the positions with your arms abducted above shoulder level. Other muscles that will be active to stabilize the humerus include the latissimus dorsi and teres major muscles. In addition, the anterior deltoid will be contracted during flexion and adduction of the humerus at the shoulder.
If you need some intensive attention to the lower and inner chest, you can try adding partial repetitions between full repetitions during the last set or two of the exercise. Begin the partial repetitions from the fully contracted position with your hands over the opposite shoulder. Start back toward the top stretched position, but stop half way, then return to the full contacted position (including the squeeze). Finally, abduct the arms and extend the pulleys back to their beginning (stretched) position, and then repeat this sequence.
The partial repetitions are not to "count" in your set; they are extra half contractions and they are not meant to replace your full repetitions. Only count the full reps in these sets. These partial reps will be effective, but you will also need to be mentally prepared for some intensive muscle pain, not unlike a blowtorch being applied to your inner chest. Data have shown that contractions from these shortened positions are most likely to activate the larger fast-twitch fibers, so this may add even more mass than you might otherwise expect.
Before beginning, carefully evaluate your pectoral development and determine where you need to spend the extra attention. While this exercise may not build overall chest mass as rapidly as exercises like benching, the cable crossover will more completely activate and selectively recruit the sternocostal attachments of the pectoralis than almost any other exercise. The decline cable crossover can add striated granite-like thickness along the inner (medial) edge of the pectoralis muscle, on the regions just next to the sternum. This will give you a more balanced, rock-hard, chiseled development than you have ever had before. Your "most muscular" or "crab" poses will look like a new beast has evolved from within you. Your chest will explode with new life, and striations will spread across it as if a new sunrise has awakened the cliffs along the Colorado Rockies.
References
Basmajian, J.V., and C.E. Slonecker. Grant's Method of Anatomy. A clinical problem-solving approach. Eleventh Edition. Williams & Willkins, Baltimore, 1989 354-397.
Haupt HA. Upper extremity injuries associated with strength training. Clin Sports Med 20: 481-490, 2001.
Meholic AJ, Hodge RG and Hartshorne MF. The bench press mark revisited. Clin Nucl Med 23: 325-326, 1998.
Moore, K.L. and A.F. Dalley. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Fourth edition. Baltimore, Lippincott Williams & Williams, 685-720, 1999.
Kuechle DK, Newman SR, Itoi E, Niebur GL, Morrey BF and An KN. The relevance of the moment arm of shoulder muscles with respect to axial rotation of the glenohumeral joint in four positions. Clin Biomech (Bristol , Avon ) 15: 322-329, 2000.
Newton RU, Murphy AJ, Humphries BJ, Wilson GJ, Kraemer WJ and Hakkinen K. Influence of load and stretch shortening cycle on the kinematics, kinetics and muscle activation that occurs during explosive upper-body movements. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 75: 333-342, 1997.
Rijnberg WJ and van Linge B. Rupture of the pectoralis major muscle in body-builders. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 112: 104-105, 1993.
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