Bar Pullover

How to Perform the Bar Pullover

Lie flat on a bench with your head near the end, feet flat on the floor, and grip a barbell with a narrow overhand grip (hands about shoulder-width apart).
Press the barbell to arm's length above your chest with a slight bend in your elbows.
Keeping the slight elbow bend fixed, slowly lower the barbell in an arc behind your head.
Lower until you feel a deep stretch in your lats and chest, with the bar roughly level with the bench or slightly below.
Reverse the motion by engaging your lats and chest to pull the bar back over your head in the same arc.
Return the bar to the starting position above your chest and squeeze your lats at the top.
Repeat for the prescribed number of reps, maintaining the same elbow angle throughout.

Bending the elbows excessively during the movement

Maintain a slight, fixed bend in the elbows throughout to keep the emphasis on the lats and chest rather than turning it into a tricep exercise.

Lowering the bar too far and straining the shoulders

Only lower the bar until you feel a good stretch; do not force the range of motion beyond your current flexibility.

Arching the lower back off the bench

Keep your lower back pressed into the bench and engage your core to prevent hyperextension.

✓One of the few exercises that stretches and loads the lats through a large range of motion.
✓Targets the chest and lats simultaneously, making it efficient for upper body development.
✓Improves shoulder flexibility and thoracic extension over time.

●Focus on the stretch at the bottom and the squeeze at the top for maximum muscle activation.
●Use a moderate weight that allows you to control the movement through the full range of motion.
●Breathe in as you lower the bar behind your head and exhale as you pull it back over your chest.

Strength

4 sets of 6-8 reps

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 10-12 reps

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-20 reps

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