Pullover Exercises

Pullover Exercises

The inclusion of the pullover movements at the conclusion of our report on the muscles of the chest
might be considered an example of “putting the cart before the horse”. The pull-over movements are
often considered the fundamental basis of chest muscle construction as they provide the foundation
for the development of the chest. The pull-over movements provide activation of the serratus anterior,
pectoralis minor, and the intercostals muscles of the rib cage and are also instrumental in stretching
(an possibly expanding) the rib cage. The specific benefits attributed to the pull-over exercise
dictates that they should be considered an essential component of any chest program. The pull-over
movements are presented last in effort to leave a lasting impression upon the reader as to the importance
these highly-specialized movements can play in the growth and development of the chest region.

Movement Analysis Considerations
Several variations Possible
There are a number of variations of the pull-over movement that are possible
- barbell or dumbbell;
- long-bench or cross-bench;
- bent-arm or stiff-arm.
For purposes of facilitation, the barbell long-bench (stiff-arm and bent-arm) movements will be
outlined as will the dumbbell cross-bench bent-arm movement.

Correct Breathing Patterns Crucial
No matter the type of pu1l-over exercise applied, the considerations for correct breathing patterns
are of crucial importance. For example exhaling during the eccentric or concentric phases of
the movement will hamper the activation of the intercostals muscles. Exhaling during the movement
(either eccentrically or concentrically will also serve to de-stabilize the rib cage and subsequently reduce
the activation of the surrounding muscle. Exhaling too early will leave little air in the chest cavity
resulting in a loss of intrathoracic pressure making lifting extremely difficult.

It should be clearly stated however that holding one’s breath could be extremely risky particularly
to those individuals who have suffered from heart ailments (notably high blood pressure) and as such
they should be encouraged to not use the pullover
exercise. Remember, the breathing actions
(inhalation and exhalation) should occur at the
finish position of both the eccentric and concentric
phases of the movement application.

Long-bench Stiff-arm
Barbell Pullover
The long-bench stiff-arm pull-over exercise
is one of the most beneficial movements that an
aspiring weight-resistance trainee can apply in
effort of attaining a high-level of chest development.
The pull-over movements receive little
credit or attention and as such, the omission of
this very effective exercise must be considered
one of the great oversights in all of weightresistance
training. The stiff-arm movement is
considered a basic approach to pull-over training
and is thus presented first.

Movement Analysis

Proper Form and Application Essential
The stiff-arm pull-over movement places
significant exertion upon the shoulders and
specifically upon the rotator-cuff due to the
long lever arm of the stiff-arm application.
Slight elbow-flexion is not only permitted but recommended in order to reduce the risk of injury to
the shoulders. It is advisable to work with very light weight and to apply slow speed-of contraction
movement applications in this one in order to provide for the safe, efficient utilization of this highlybeneficial
exercise.

Summary of Correct Exercise Execution
- Sit upon the end of a bench and grasp a barbell in a closed grip (6-9 inches; depending upon desired
effect). The closer the grip, the more the accentuation will be on the mid-line of the chest.
Bring the barbell up onto your lap. Utilizing a pronated grip draw the barbell up onto the chest
area while leaning back until reaching the prone position on the bench.
- The head can be on the bench or suspended slightly off the end of the bench. Beginning trainees
attempting this movement for the first few times would be best advised to keep the head upon
the bench for added stability. Also the head off the bench posture encourages an arching-of-theback
response.
- The barbell should be at the mid-point of the chest. Utilizing the standard pressing movement
extend the arms and press the barbell upward until the arms are in the fully- extended position.
- Initiate the eccentric contraction phase of the movement by slowly lowering the arn1S downward
and back. You will want to use a natural full-range arcing motion to gain the most effect
from the exercise. You will need to concentrate fully on resisting the forces of gravity which are
substantially magnified with the extended lever arm.
- Complete the concentric contraction phase of the movement by slowly bringing the weight to a
halt at shoulder level. Some trainees who have highly-flexible shoulder structures may want to
bring the weight a little beyond parallel height but they would want to approach this added ROM
application with caution. You will want to resist the natural tendency to raise the hips off the
bench in manner of offering a cushioning effect in response to the burden of the weight.
- You will want to avoid the tendency to bounce the weight at the conclusion of the eccentric contraction
in effort to provide a springing action into the subsequent concentric phase of the
movement.
- Slowly begin the concentric contraction phase of the movement by raising the arms upward in a
natural fully-extended arcing motion. You will want to resist the urge to bend the arms in effort
to ease the burden of the load as such action will severely reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.
- Complete the concentric contraction by drawing the weight to a halt when the barbell is fullyextended
over the mid-point of the chest. Some trainees advocate bringing the weight farther
through the ROM but the effects of the exercise are not increased with such approach thus,
bringing the weight to the suggested mid-point of the chest will provide sufficient stimulation.

Keys to the Lift
- Utilize light weight and apply slow speed-of-contraction movement applications.
- Maintain contact with the bed with the hips throughout both the eccentric and concentric contraction
phases of the movement. No arching the back is permitted.
- Concentrate fully on utilizing strong neuralimpulsing
of the chest in effort to alleviate
the activation of the shoulders during the
eccentric and concentric contraction phases
of the movement.
- Be careful not to apply any bouncing action
at the conclusion of the eccentric contraction
phase of the movement.

Long-bench Bent-arm
Barbell Pullover
The bent-arm variation of the long-bench
stiff-arm pull-over allows for the opportunity to
utilize a heavier weight in a pull-over movement
application. The significance of the heavier
weight is that increased stimulation of the serratus
anterior is provided. It is imperative however
that the trainee utilize a sense of reality in the
selection of the resistance to be used. If too
much weight is used there will be a resulting
arching-of-the back action which can cause
damage to the lower lumbar region.

Movement Analysis
In addition, the shoulders become vulnerable
to injury due to the added strain imposed
upon them by overly-optimistic assessments of
proper weight selection. The purpose of the
bent-arm variation is to provide a measure of
safety in allowing for heavier resistance to be
used. However, injuries can readily occur if caution
is not applied in both weight selection and
proper exercise execution.

Importance of Elbow Position
The elbows should be kept tucked close to
the body and not permitted to flare out during
the performance of the movement. Flaring the
elbows reduces the emphasis upon the chest
and instead increases the accentuation of the
involvement of the shoulders. The smaller muscles of the rotator-cuff as well as the ligaments and
tendons of the shoulders can easily be stretched pulled or even torn in response to the stresses put
on them as a result of flaring the elbows during the movement application.

Summary of Correct Exercise Execution
- The rudiments of establishing the correct preparatory posture are essentially the same as is evidenced
in the stiff-arm pull-over exercise. The contrast in the stiff-arm and bent-arm applications
is first discovered with the position of the elbows. Instead of the fully-extended position,
the elbows are now placed in a bent 90° angle position.
- The grip remains consistent but instead of bringing the weight high overhead for the preparation
of the movement, the elbows are brought to a position that is about mid-way up the rib cage.
The barbell will be held just behind the forehead. It is never a good idea to hold a weight over
the face in preparation of a lift.
- Initiate the eccentric contraction phase by slowly bringing the arms back of the head and down
toward the floor. The elbows must be maintained in the bent 90° angle position throughout the
entire movement application. The arms and shoulders are moved as a solid unit in pendulum fashion
as opposed to being extended at the elbow. The elbows must also be kept close to the
body and not permitted to flare put during the execution of the movement.
- Bring the arms as far down as the natural movement will allow. If you are higher above the floor
than you had anticipated at the conclusion of the lift do not attempt to go down further as this
will create strain upon the rotator-cuff As well, stretching down past the natural movement range
of the shoulders will only induce the trainee to resort to arching the back in effort to achieve increased
range.
- Slowly lower the weight to the finish position of the eccentric contraction and pause for a count
or two before raising the weight.
- Slowly begin the concentric phase by raising the arms upward over the face. You will want to
raise the arms only high enough to provide clearance for the face.
- Draw the elbows all the way down to the no cage so that the weight is resting over the midpoint
of the chest. There is no need to bring the weights all the way down to the rib cage as is
sometimes suggested as this does not provide for additional effect.

Keys to the Lift
- Utilize caution when selecting the resistance to be used for the exercise. Remember, regardless of
the fact that heavier weight can be applied in this movement there is a requirement for sensible
weight selection for the performance of these potentially damaging exercises.
- Do not be in a hurry. Slow, highly-concentrated movement applications are essential.
- Do not attempt to stretch too far during the eccentric contraction phase of the lift.
- Maintain contact with the bench with the hips throughout the entire movement application. Remember,
no arching the back.

Cross-bench Bent-arm Dumbbell Pullover
The utilization of the dumbbell application provides opportunity to work with even greater resistance
and the change from a pronated-grip to an overlapping-grip provides a different stimulation
upon the serratus anterior as well as the stretching aspects to the intercostals and the pectoralis minor.
The cross-bench variation allows for a more favourable posture for the creation of even greater
stretching and expanding of the chest which provides for additional depth to the chest.

Movement Analysis

Cross-Bench Dumbbell Application Can
Invoke Risks
The cross bench application of the pullover
movement exposes the trainee to increased
injury risk due to the lack of provision
of a base of support. The lower back is
placed in a precarious position as the frame of
support is provided by the legs with no direct
support provided for the spinal region. There
is also increased external injury risk associated
with the dumbbell application due to the fact
that the applied overlapping grip is less safe
than the pronated grip used in barbell pullover
movements. The dumbbell can easily
slip if close attention is not paid to maintaining
a secure grasp. As the weight is passed
over the facial area during the movement application,
any loss of control of the weight
could result in life-threatening injury.

Correct Hand Placement Essential
The hands should be snug against the
plates on the far end of the dumbbell. When
raised, the lower portion of the dumbbell
should be able to swing freely. If the dumbbell
appears to be too rigid in your hands
lower the weight back down and re-apply the
grip. If the grip is applied to far down the bar
of the dumbbell and not secured against the
plates, slippage could occur during the
movement application resulting in serious
head and facial injuries.

Proper Posture Vital To Safety
You must be certain to apply the correct position: the feet flat on the floor, not with the heels
raised and the toes providing the base-of-support; the upper body in the proper prone position. If
the torso is allowed to hang off the bench at an angle, there is a strong tendency to apply a “springing”
action of the body as the weight is passed over the head during the eccentric contraction phase
of the movement which results in an accompanying raising-of-the-hips action. Any raising action of
the hips during the cross-bench application exposes the trainee to even greater risk of lower back
injury than is experienced in the long-bench application due to the lack of support of the spine. As
well, springing actions significantly reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.

Summary of Correct Exercise Execution
- Assume the correct preparatory position by placing the upper torso across a flat bench. The upper
back and shoulders should be supported by the bench and the knees should be bent with the
feet flat on the floor in effort to provide for maximum support. The body should be positioned
as flat as possible and not angled across the bench.
- A dumbbell should be secured in an overlapping grip and placed on the chest for support.
- Prepare for the eccentric contraction phase of the movement by pressing the dumbbell upward
far enough to clear the face and at the same time bring it back behind the head.
- Making certain to keep the elbows tucked in to the body, as flaring the elbows alters the movement
action from shoulder-joint extension to medial shoulder-joint rotation which incorporates
the involvement of the rotator-cuff. As the rotator muscles are highly- susceptible to injury, and
as heavier weights are used in the bent-arm version of the pull- over, the trainee becomes highly
exposed to injury if the elbows are permitted to flare out during the execution of the movement.
- Lower the weight until the upper arms are in line with the body. Lower finish positions are possible
for those with highly-flexible shoulder joints but extreme caution must be taken here not to
lower the weight past the normal range-of-motion of the shoulder joint or serious injury could
result.
- You will need to concentrate fully in order to resist the natural tendency to raise the hips up off
the bench during the completion of the eccentric phase. Pause for a count before attempting the
concentric contraction phase.
- Initiate the concentric contraction phase of the movement by slowly raising the arms upward.
The bent-arm (flexed) position is maintained with a pendulum action used throughout the
movement. There is a common error of execution that is applied during the concentric contraction
that sees the elbows undergo an action of extension as the movement is being performed.
Elbow-joint extension eliminates the all-important shoulder-joint extension action which results
in a severe reduction in the range-of-motion of the shoulder-joint which severely educes the effectiveness
of the exercise. Remember, this is the bent-arm pull-over application and as such the
arms must be maintained in the flexed position throughout the entire movement application. .
- Slowly complete the concentric phase by drawing the weight over the top of the face until it is
aligned with the mid-point of the chest. Frequently trainees abort the movement too early thus
reducing the effectiveness of the exercise or they draw the weight too far forward which does
not further stimulate the chest but induces the activation of the shoulder joint which is forced to
bear the brunt of the load if the weight is lowered too far. As well, the subsequent concentric
contraction invokes tremendous stress on the shoulder-joint flexors.
- The dumbbell should be facing downward throughout the entire movement application.
It is recommended that the long-bench variations of the pull-over movement be practiced before
the cross-bench exercise is used in order to provide for proper acclimation of the required rudiments
of correct movement methodology in effort to provide for the safe, efficient application of this highly-
beneficial but potentially hazardous exercise.

Keys to the Lift
- Apply correct posture throughout the movement application with feet flat on the floor, body
positioned in a parallel posture, and the back and shoulders supported by the bench.
- Make certain to apply a snugly-fitting overlapping grip in order to prevent the chance of having
the dumbbell slip during the movement.
- Avoid “springing” actions during the completion of the eccentric contraction phase of the
movement.
- Keep the elbows tucked in close to the body and avoid any flaring actions which could induce
injury to the rotator-cuff.