Barbell Pullover

How to Perform the Barbell Pullover

Lie flat on a bench with your head at the end, feet firmly planted on the floor, and grip a barbell with both hands slightly narrower than shoulder width.
Press the barbell up so it is directly above your chest with arms extended but elbows slightly bent.
Keeping the slight bend in your elbows, slowly lower the barbell behind your head in an arc motion.
Continue lowering until you feel a deep stretch through your lats and chest, ideally until your upper arms are in line with your torso or slightly below.
Reverse the motion by engaging your lats and chest to pull the barbell back over your chest in the same arc.
Squeeze at the top and repeat, maintaining the same elbow angle throughout the entire movement.

Bending the elbows excessively during the movement

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

Lowering the weight too far and straining the shoulders

Only go as low as your shoulder mobility allows; stop if you feel any sharp pain or discomfort in the shoulder joint.

Lifting the hips off the bench

Keep your glutes and upper back firmly pressed into the bench to maintain proper form and maximise muscle engagement.

✓Simultaneously targets the lats and chest in a unique stretch-and-contract pattern.
✓Improves shoulder mobility and thoracic extension.
✓Expands the ribcage over time, contributing to a wider upper body appearance.

●Start with a lighter weight to master the movement pattern and build shoulder flexibility.
●Focus on feeling the stretch in the lats at the bottom of the movement.
●Breathe in as you lower the bar behind your head to expand the ribcage.

Strength

4-5 sets of 5-8 reps at 75-85% 1RM

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 8-12 reps at 65-75% 1RM

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-20 reps at 50-60% 1RM

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