Barbell Pullover
An overhead arc on a bench that stretches and loads the lats — an old-school accessory for the back, chest, and ribcage.
How to do it
- Lie on a flat bench with your head supported and your feet flat on the floor.
- Hold the barbell over your chest with a shoulder-width grip and a slight bend in your elbows.
- Brace your core and pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench.
- Slowly lower the bar in an arc behind your head until you feel a deep stretch in your lats.
- Pause briefly at the bottom with your elbow angle locked, then pull the bar back over your chest.
- Stop the bar over your chest line and reset before the next controlled rep.
Key technique cue
Lock the elbow angle, ribs down, lower only to the stretch.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Bending and straightening the elbows mid-rep, which turns it into a triceps extension.
- ✕ Lowering the bar too fast, which strains the front delts without loading the lats.
- ✕ Arching the lower back off the bench, which takes tension off the lats and loads the spine.
- ✕ Going too heavy, which makes the elbows collapse and breaks the overhead arc.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds the lats through a deep loaded stretch that most rows miss.
- ✓ Adds chest and serratus involvement as a secondary benefit.
- ✓ Reinforces overhead shoulder mobility under controlled load.
Progression: from easier to harder
-
Step 1 You are here - Barbell Pullover
- Dumbbell Pullover
About the exercise
The Barbell Pullover is a classic accessory that loads the lats through a long overhead arc. Lying on a bench, the athlete holds the bar with straight or slightly bent arms and lowers it behind the head, then pulls it back over the chest. It stretches the lats deeply, brings in the chest as a secondary mover, and was a golden-era bodybuilding staple for expanding the ribcage. The pullover is a smart choice for hypertrophy, rehab-adjacent training and mobility-focused programs. Use it as an accessory on back day, as a superset partner for pulldowns, or as a loaded-stretch option in shoulder-friendly upper-body programs.
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