Invictus Blog

Crossover Symmetry Drills
Written by Nichole DeHart

If you are a member of the CrossFit community, then I am sure you have heard about the Crossover Symmetry System. It was one of the hottest new CrossFit toys of 2014 and it’s popularity is still growing. Honestly, I think it is one of the best investments an athlete can make. The Crossover Symmetry System helps eliminate and manage shoulder pain by strengthening the rotator cuff, helping the shoulder to move more efficiently and provide more stability in the shoulder girdle. The activation and iron scap series each take 3-5 minutes to complete. That is a short amount of time to add to your training and you’ll see a huge improvement in your shoulder mobility, overhead strength and can even eliminate some nagging shoulder pain.

Here are a few of my favorite Crossover Symmetry drills; however, if you have access to the system, don’t just limit yourself to these drills. Follow the instructions on the handy, dandy wall mount they give you and enter shoulder utopia!

Pull-Down Drill

Grap a higher resistant band (red), cross over the bands and walk back until you have tension on the band. Face the Crossover Symmetry System, have a slight bend in your knees and push your hips back to drop your torso, set your shoulders back and down and pull the cords to your hips. Hold this position for 1 second, then add an additional squeeze to pinch your shoulder blades together (avoid shrugging) and return the cords back to the start position. Repeat for 6-8 repetitions.

90/90 Drill

Grab a lighter resistant band (purple or yellow), cross over the bands and walk back until you have tension on the band. Face the Crossover Symmetry System, have a slight bend in your knees and hold the cords at eye level. Set your shoulders back and down, pull the cords to your chest, then externally rotate the shoulders to finish with a “W” position. Reverse the movement to go back to the start position. Repeat for 6-8 repetitions.

Victory Drill

Grab a lighter resistant band (purple or yellow), cross over the bands and walk back until you have tension on the band. Face the Crossover Symmetry System, have a slight bend in your knees and hold the cords at eye level. Without bending the elbows, pull your shoulder blades down and raise your arms to an overhead position. Make sure to not shrug your traps and to keep your mid-line engaged (no over-extension in the ribcage). Keep the shoulders pinned back and down then descend the arms back to the start position. Repeat for 6-8 repetitions.

These drills are just give an introduction to the Crossover Symmetry System and are some of my favorites for a CrossFitter. If you are interested in purchasing a system for yourself, check out their website for more details.