How many reps of the band crossover should a beginner do?

Work to a hard squeeze rather than to a number on a stack: 15 to 20 reps, three sets. Bands give you no weight to log, so progress by taking a step further from the anchors, moving to a thicker band, or holding the crossed position for a second or two on every rep.

What can I do if I have no anchor point for the band crossover?

Run the band across your upper back and under your arms, then hold an end in each hand; your own body becomes the anchor and the pattern does not change. A door anchor or a band looped around a sturdy post at chest height works as well, and both keep the tension behind you where it belongs.

What is the band crossover good for, and when should I use something else?

It is a joint-friendly finisher that takes the chest through more adduction than a standard fly, and it sets up anywhere, which makes it good for travel and for the end of a session. Use something else when you are building size or strength from scratch: band tension is lightest at the stretch, where the chest is longest and could handle the most load.

Beginner

Band Crossover

Letting one hand travel past the other at the finish takes the pec through more adduction than a standard fly, so the contraction is fuller and the peak tension higher. It is joint-friendly, easy to set up anywhere, and ideal for chasing a pump. Use it as a finisher, alternating which hand crosses on top each rep or each set.

Equipment: Band
Body part: Chest
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Pectoralis Major Sternocostal
Browse by movement: Horizontal Adduction

How to do it

1
Anchor a band at roughly shoulder height on each side and hold an end in each hand.
2
Step forward to the center so both bands are taut, arms open wide with a soft elbow bend.
3
Brace your abs and set the shoulders down and back.
4
Sweep both hands forward and in, crossing one wrist over the other past the midline.
5
Squeeze the chest hard where the hands overlap.
6
Open the arms back out under control and repeat, alternating the top hand.

Tips

Cross the hands a little more each set to feel the added contraction.
Keep the elbow angle locked so the chest, not the arms, does the closing.
Resist the pull back; do not let the bands snap your arms open.
Stay square and tall to keep the tension on the pecs.

Variations

Common mistakes

The anchors sit too low, so the bands pull down on your hands and the movement becomes a low-to-high sweep rather than a crossover.
Standing too close to the anchors leaves the bands slack for the first half of the rep; step forward until there is tension before your hands begin to move.
The same hand crosses on top every rep, so one arm gets the longer reach in every set you do.
A band with a nick in it is the one that lets go mid-rep, while it is stretched across your face; look the band over each session and retire it at the first tear.
Once the hands cross, the elbows bend to reach further, which makes the crossover look bigger without adding any chest work.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the band crossover should a beginner do?: Work to a hard squeeze rather than to a number on a stack: 15 to 20 reps, three sets. Bands give you no weight to log, so progress by taking a step further from the anchors, moving to a thicker band, or holding the crossed position for a second or two on every rep.
What can I do if I have no anchor point for the band crossover?: Run the band across your upper back and under your arms, then hold an end in each hand; your own body becomes the anchor and the pattern does not change. A door anchor or a band looped around a sturdy post at chest height works as well, and both keep the tension behind you where it belongs.
What is the band crossover good for, and when should I use something else?: It is a joint-friendly finisher that takes the chest through more adduction than a standard fly, and it sets up anywhere, which makes it good for travel and for the end of a session. Use something else when you are building size or strength from scratch: band tension is lightest at the stretch, where the chest is longest and could handle the most load.

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