Band Crossover
Trains the Pecs.
- Equipment
- A resistance band
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Anchor a band at about shoulder height on each side of you, or one band behind you at that height.
- Take an end in each hand and step forward until the bands are under tension with your arms out to the sides.
- Set a split stance and lean forward slightly from the hips.
- Keep a small fixed bend at the elbows.
- Draw both hands forward and inward until they cross in front of your chest.
- Let the bands draw your arms back out under control.
Common mistakes
- Standing level with the anchors. Without stepping forward there is no tension at the start of the arc and the first third does nothing.
- Straightening the elbows to push the hands together. The elbows keep their bend; locking them makes it a press with the triceps involved.
- Expecting the band's curve to match a cable's. A band is lightest where the arms are open and hardest where they cross, which is the opposite of where the chest is strongest — it is a different loading, not a portable crossover.
- Anchoring at a height that cannot hold. A band leaving an anchor with the arms open sends the handle past your face.