Barbell Bent-Arm Pullover
The pullover with the elbows bent and the hands close, lying on a flat bench; the bent arms shorten the lever, so the lats can handle more weight than on straight arms.
How to do it
Setup
Lying along a flat bench, feet planted, a close overhand grip, the bar over the chest with the elbows bent.
Steps
- Lower the bar past the head toward the floor, holding the elbow bend.
- Pause when the upper arms reach the line of the body.
- Pull the bar back over the face to the chest line.
Common mistakes
Turning it into a triceps press: the elbows keep their bend all the way. Hips rising off the bench: keep them down and the feet planted. Bar drifting toward the face on the way up: pull it back along the same arc.
Breathing
Deep inhale lowering behind the head, exhale pulling over.
