Pullovers

[Donny]

Who rates pullovers as a lat exercise? I mean lying normal on a bench not across it and with bent arms and an EZ Bar. Who here does them straight Arm with a Barbell or a Dumbbell?  What do you find is the best variation for Lats?

[vic86]

That can be a subject of debate to as pullovers can be regarded as chest or back excercise.If you extend your arm straight without getting your elbows bent it will work for the lats as well as the ribcage (expand the thorax).Having elbows bent and extending all the away down and stopping few inches away from lockout at top will keep the majority of the tension on the chest.Either ways it can be considered as 2 in 1 excercise because the joint action of scapulae emphasizes on both muscles.Also involuntarily involves triceps too.

[local hero]

personaly i think there shite,,,, both for lats or for chest


pullover machine is a different kettle of fish, you can realy hammer your lats with zero bicep involvement, if you body type is suited to your gyms particular machine

[jpm101]

Bent arm Pullovers are one of the better upper body mass builders by themselves.. Adding the press with it (pullover & press) it becomes one of the ultimate movements for the upper body. Hitting the lats, chest, delts, triceps and even the abs. Can use either the BB or DB. But DB's seem to be easier on the wrist for some and can give a better fuller stretch & position for the press off the chest. Believe the record one rep is a little above 400lbs.

Straight arm Pullover are also a great exercise. Want a closer grip when doing them with a BB. Too wide puts excess presser on the shoulder joints. I usually prefer a DB, or swing bell, with the fingers almost touching. The straight arm version also gets the lats, triceps, pecs and abs. Have the knees drawn up a bit, for a better stretch on the lats, reducing the influence of the abs a bit. Have to do this version to fully understand the stretch part. Have a slight break/bend in the elbows, which reduces any stress felt in the elbows.

Have done GVT (10X10's)with the Pullover & Press. Making some of the best muscular gains in my life. Have also SS'ed the P&P with Upright rows with very impressive results. And at times BB Hack squats SS'ed with the P&P, as a full body workout.. Good luck.

[trapz101]

barbell pullover and press - the first workout i learned in the gym...yes it will work your lats and chest..

[jpm101]

Some have a little confusion about the bent arm pullover & press. They will do the pullover part first and than the press off the chest right after. The idea is to alternate the two exercises during any one set. Like; pullover, press, pullover, press, pullover, press, etc. . Until the full reps are completed for a given set, 8 or 10 or whatever they might be.

The bent arm pullover & press is also an excellent pull/push movement in one compound exercise. It affects the lats strongly because of the stretch and than pulling the BB/DB pass the head and unto the chest. This stretch also affects the triceps strongly, and to a lesser degree, the pec's. 

The straight arm version hit's a hard stretch for the lats and again the triceps and pec's. With the added press off the chest, with the bent arm version, you are working the triceps/pec's/ and anterior delts with even more focus. Good luck.

[tonymctones]

I just started doing chest and bis together and back and tris together and was looking for an exercise I could do for my back and tri work out towards they end.

I think ill try the bent arm pullover/press next workout.

Ive always dont semi straight arm with a DB pull overs or bent over with a rope on a cable tower(if i was feeling lazy)

[funk51]

the old school way on the moon bench. not many of these benches around anymore.

[tonymctones]

the old school way on the moon bench. not many of these benches around anymore.

LOL WTF???

I generally feel like I know my way around a gym really well but if I walked up on that thing I would have no clue what to do with it LMAO

[BB]

the old school way on the moon bench. not many of these benches around anymore.

I'd buy one of those if I had the space. Very neat for a very few exercises. I'd love one of the old standing incline boards too.

[jpm101]

Probably could use one of those large blowup exercise balls for a stretch. Or an over sized medicine ball.  Have to have someone hold the feet down though. Heard a moon bench could be used for curls, something like a Scott bench.

Never seen a moon bench in person but have used the old standing incline bench. Though we would sit at the bottom of them and have someone hand us a BB, to that low position. Good luck.

[funk51]

here you go. don't send this is probably an old ad.

[wes]

I swear by heavy dumbell pullovers for lats...in fact awesome total upperbody exercise.

Bent-Arms with deep breath,get a good stretch in the lats,exhale while pulling to just over the face/chest area, and repeat.

I do them every week,at times as heavy as 5 reps and at others up to 20 reps.........standard is 8-12 for me pyramiding up in weight as I decrease reps.

[Woldzilla]

I swear by heavy dumbell pullovers for lats...in fact awesome total upperbody exercise.

Bent-Arms with deep breath,get a good stretch in the lats,exhale while pulling to just over the face/chest area, and repeat.

I do them every week,at times as heavy as 5 reps and at others up to 20 reps.........standard is 8-12 for me pyramiding up in weight as I decrease reps.

Yates recommended them if you dont have a pullover machine in the gym, my gym does not have one so I use a heavy dumbell.
I try to use strict form but still it does not feel right to me.
I tend to feel my triceps a lot even though i do not bend my arms during the rep.
I tried straight arms and arm bent a bit but still tripceps pump up...
any tips since I appearantly need this excercise for back due to absence of pullover machine?

[funk51]

most people do it this way now.

[WillGrant]

Dumbbell pullovers lying along a bench like you are going to do a bench press are actualy a great upper pec exercise - also awsome serratus builder with secondry stress on lats..

You want a pullover that is magic for your lats ? decline cable pullovers - this works entire length of the lats from top to bottom.

I use a straight bar but some use a rope - i find the bar better. - keep arms straight through out and this will keep tension on lats.. like i said top to bottom it works the lats - strong contraction of lower lats at the bottom of movement - superset with this movement first with reverse grip pulldowns doing nice and slow with a hard contraction at the bottom of the movement and your lats will never have been so pumped .

In this vid it says keep a slight bend of elbows or you use to much tricep - i actualy find the opposite to be true and keep arms straight - also this guy is only doing 1/2 movement - i bring the straight bar all the bay down to belt level - thats where i get the powerfull contract of lower lats - but try diff things that may work for you, thats what works for me

Vid is posted to give you an idea how to do it   like I say he is stopping short and only doing half IMO , my decline bench is a bit steeper to - so slightly diff range  

[wes]

I`m gonna` give those a shot Will,thanks bud!! 

[WillGrant]

I`m gonna` give those a shot Will,thanks bud!! 

Did you try them bro ? I find them a pure lat movement really like this execise 

[tonymctones]

Alright I tried the pull over/close grip press combo where one rep is a bent arm pull over followed by a close grip press, I do like it but 2 things:

1st thing...HOW THE SHIT DO YOU GET THE BAR IN PLACE??? I lay across the bench(not long ways) and I had a hell of a time getting the bar in place. I tried cleaning it and then squating down which was pretty awkward, pulling it across my chest after I was in place on the bench which was awkward again. The best way i found was to rest it on my knees curl it up and the flip my hands around after it was up. Any suggestions?

2nd thing...I definitely got a good tricep pump but I didnt seem to get much out of the pull over part. I think b/c I did 2 tricep exercises before hand may have had a hand in this but iono Ill keep it in my routine for a couple weeks and see how I like it.

[jpm101]

1) Better all around if you do these lengthwise on a bench. Can wrap the legs around the lower end of the bench when beginning to use heavier weights. It is also a much more stable and solid position.

2) Me (and most guy's) lay the bar on the floor, behind their head. This is much easier with an Olympic bar and a pair of 45 plates on the bar, because of the height of the bar being raised. Than arch the upper body up a bit and reach down behind you, grab the bar and pull up and over the head.  If you have a lower bench, than so much the better. You will get more flexible in the reach behind the head part and the full stretch will help you become even more flexible.  Most BB'ers aren't as flexible as they think they are, in most exercises.

3) When you begin using heavier weight, the lats will come into play stronger. Breaking into the exercise, with lighter weights, may involve the triceps more. There is a great full stretch on the lats when lowered behind the head. So try focusing on a full stretch when learning this movement. More serious weight really will focus on the lats very hard.

Probably better to work with a higher rep range, like 10 to 12 reps or even more. You will see the benefits after a while. Yes you can build muscle mass with higher reps, even with this compound upper body exercise. It can leave anyone breathing hard after one good set.

When I use a pair of DB's, with the bent arm pullovers, I can clean them from the bench, or the floor, and lay back flat in one motion. The DB's are on my chest, to begin the pushing off the chest to behind the head. All pretty simple once getting use to the exercise. Good luck

[Overload]

I think pullovers in general are one of the best movements that is very commonly overlooked.

Machine pullovers have been a staple in my routines for years and i use a DB if the gym i am training at doesn't have a machine.

I feel them in my Teres major/minor area and a little bit in my chest/tris. I think my lat spread didn't start to look decent until after i had been doing them directly for a few years. Most of the people who ask me for advice on lat development usually are told to superset these with chin ups. Almost every person i have ever trained got good results from adding them into their routine. Whether or not you want to superset them or just do them regularly is up to you.

If you decide to do them, at first do them slow and controlled; really focus on using "only" your elbows to drive the weight and squeeze your lats/teres.

Good luck.

[CalvinH]

superset these with chin ups.

Tried this last night.....kicked my ass.

[jpm101]

A basic way to SS pullovers is to do a set of straight arm pullovers and than followed by a set of bent arm pullovers & press. Something like a pre-exhaust (or an extended set) set of exercises. I will use a swing bell, or DB, for the straight version. A BB for the bent arm version.

This is a method that people will have to do to experience the full extent of this SS. For me, usually 10 to 12 reps of 2 to 3 sets tops. A lighter set of pullovers make an excellent warmup, more so when going for a full stretch. Good Luck.

[tonymctones]

A basic way to SS pullovers is to do a set of straight arm pullovers and than followed by a set of bent arm pullovers & press. Something like a pre-exhaust (or an extended set) set of exercises. I will use a swing bell, or DB, for the straight version. A BB for the bent arm version.

This is a method that people will have to do to experience the full extent of this SS. For me, usually 10 to 12 reps of 2 to 3 sets tops. A lighter set of pullovers make an excellent warmup, more so when going for a full stretch. Good Luck.

I might try this if I can keep up with the marathon superset...

[untamedsense]

the old school way on the moon bench. not many of these benches around anymore.

My gym is an old key club that started in the early '60s and we have one of these...it collects a lot of dust because unfortunately none of us have the flexability to use it!