Have you been doing your pullovers latley?

[drmarkp]

This..

[GettingBig]

I dont do them much if any this days.

I used to do pullover a lot more 2 years ago and my chest exploded.

its tricky a little to keep muscles and mind connection since a small change in movement or hand position can work the lats more than chest.

I will introduce pullover again this week though.

[jpm101]

It's the cartledge between the ribs/breast bone and not the bones themselves that can stretch and expand the rib box. Both width and depth.

 The cartledge is still in a state of flux (plastic) between the ages of 25 to 26 (mean average.....exceptions of course). After that period the cartledge becomes more ridget and harden in nature and expansive usually shows nil results. Doing pullovers (straight or bent arm versions) will tend to expand the distance between the ribs, increasing the rib box/chest size. Taking advantage of pullovers, while at a younger age, can only benefit chest size.

If you don't give a damn about rib box size, than that's your view. Having a muscular chest of 46" is OK. But perhaps you could be having a 48"to 49"chest measurement if serious pullover work had been done at a younger age. With, or without, a breathing squating type program, many reports of an average of a 2 1/2 to a 3" gain for the rib box. Vacuum seem easier to preform and are really much more impressive with a huge rib box.

One of my favorite exercises are pullovers. I favor doing them with DB's because of the more natural grip  (less strain on the wrist/elbows, which some men find discomfort with).  If I remember correctly, the record for a BB pullover is something aroun 400lbs +. In any event, doing pullovers with serious intent can be a pure mass builder for the upper body. Including the pullover and press even more so. Good Luck.

[Big Chiro Flex]

It's the cartledge between the ribs/breast bone and not the bones themselves that can stretch and expand the rib box. Both width and depth.

 The cartledge is still in a state of flux (plastic) between the ages of 25 to 26 (mean average.....exceptions of course). After that period the cartledge becomes more ridget and harden in nature and expansive usually shows nil results. Doing pullovers (straight or bent arm versions) will tend to expand the distance between the ribs, increasing the rib box/chest size. Taking advantage of pullovers, while at a younger age, can only benefit chest size.

If you don't give a damn about rib box size, than that's your view. Having a muscular chest of 46" is OK. But perhaps you could be having a 48"to 49"chest measurement if serious pullover work had been done at a younger age. With, or without, a breathing squating type program, many reports of an average of a 2 1/2 to a 3" gain for the rib box. Vacuum seem easier to preform and are really much more impressive with a huge rib box.

One of my favorite exercises are pullovers. I favor doing them with DB's because of the more natural grip  (less strain on the wrist/elbows, which some men find discomfort with).  If I remember correctly, the record for a BB pullover is something aroun 400lbs +. In any event, doing pullovers with serious intent can be a pure mass builder for the upper body. Including the pullover and press even more so. Good Luck.

Do you have any peer reviewed literature to substantiate this claim?

[mr.turbo]

To develop my ribcage I used the basic deep breathing squat combined or super setted with light straight arm pullovers. These two exercises have been used together for over 40 years to build ribcages and nothing and nothing else has ever proved as effective for doing so. It’s especially good if you are young as the bones and cartilage are still soft enough to expand and be pulled out. If you are over 25 it’s much harder to develop your ribcage but it can still be done – it’s just a lot more work.

When doing the deep breathing squat take a weight about equal to your body weight for 15-20 reps, but between each rep take 5 or 6 huge, deep breaths. By the time you are finished the squats you should be gasping for breath so immediately go and lie on a flat bench and take a light barbell (no more than 25-30 lbs.) and do 20 reps of straight arms pullovers, taking a huge breath as you lower the bar behind your neck as far as you can go and expanding you ribcage as much as you can. Start with one super set and work up to three. This should really expand your ribcage and provide a good foundation on which to build your pecs.

 

[ProudVirgin69]

Do you have any peer reviewed literature to substantiate this claim?

Even though I don't believe the "ribcage expansion" factor myself, lack of research for anything bodybuilding-related isnt particularly damning.

PJR pullovers are great exercise for triceps, especially those with elbow problems.  The long head of the triceps attaches to the scapula, so incorporating a bit of adduction of the arm is a good idea for maximal contraction

[jpm101]

This is pretty much common knowledge, not common myth, among many, many weight men over the years. I have no researched White Papers, or any thing like that, to booster up the results of Rib Box expansion during the plastic phase on the younger lifter. Sorry.

Person experiment , investigating the results (or none) would be best served if perhaps yourself or a study subject, in lifting, would wish to plan a serious training pullover protocol; duration a 2 month period. And then measure the results of such a undertaking.  For the sake of research and the common interest of the average BBér/lifter.

Just to say, 20 rep breathing squats, with pullovers, have proven to give minor miracles in rapid muscular weight gains and impressive increases in total chest/rib box size.  As Mr. Turbo had suggested.  Made by best gains, by far, on this type of serious training program. Good Luck.

[Big Chiro Flex]

Even though I don't believe the "ribcage expansion" factor myself, lack of research for anything bodybuilding-related isnt particularly damning.

Fair point. But from someone who has paid a lot of money to be schooled by some of the most credible anatomists in the world, this concept seems crazy to me. I think it's still good to question crazy claims "like you can permanently expand a rib cage several inches."

Pullovers are a great exercise but I think this concept of ribcage expansion is false. I'll be the first to retract my statement should anyone find any literature on the matter that proves me otherwise. This topic has been very interesting and i spent some time In the past researching it. I've spoken with other colleagues in all fields of healthcare who are into bodybuilding, ranging from fellow DCs to PTs to GPs to Ortho's....all unanimously have said this idea has no merit.

Anecdotal data is a good thing, it holds real value, but I just can't connect the dots on this one.

[ESFitness]

Well, if you do it right, it will work, but you need to be under 30 years of age. After that you are done, your bones doesn't grow anymore. When you look competition swimmers, it is obious that exercise can change your structure. Have you seen many top swimmers with narrow shoulders and small ribgage? Most of them has wide shoulders and big chest. They may look small in he pictures, but in real life they are tall and wide.

i'd argue that those guys/gals are competition swimmers BECAUSE of their structure, 1000's of other swimmers who didn't have the frame never become/became "competition" swimmers.


i'm a big fan of pullovers, although not for "widening the ribcage", but for back and serratus work.

i'll use a straight bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulders and superset with reverse-wide-grip pulldowns (pulldowns first, pullovers second).

and, i'll end my back day with straight-arm pulldowns with "FST-7" style sets.


chest day i'll use a db for pullovers on occasion... although the range of motion is a lot shorter (I don't go anywhere near a stretch position in that movement, and move the db only about 5" and keep tention on my chest as best I can... minimize serratus, lat and tricep involvement).

[Wolfox]

I hate my wide ribcage. It will require a lot of muscle to fill out and look proper. I dont know why anyone would want a wider ribcage.

[Montague]

Look closer at that mother fucking ribcage neegar!!! that's a mother fucking human face pushing underneath the skin 

Almost to Kuato level:

[stavios]

i never understood how you could feel this in your chest

[ProudVirgin69]

i never understood how you could feel this in your chest

Use a dumbbell, squeeze your hands together as you bring the dumbbell toward your feet

[The Ugly]

Look closer at that mother fucking ribcage neegar!!! that's a mother fucking human face pushing underneath the skin 

Why would anyone want to expand their ribcage? How does this improve your physique?

[Papper]

ok serious reply

I have done them on and off in my youth.

It works both the chest and lats. The chest proves the push part of getting it infront of your body, i.e. the way up, while the lats pull all the way. (Elbows moving towards waist is back.)

I always felt the lats the most

There is also a machine for this which i have used extensively.

Today i do a similar motion, a standing pulldown with rope. I get a better feel this way and don't need to use excessive weights. The pullover requires a very heavy dumbell and the position is awkward.

[Big Chiro Flex]

i never understood how you could feel this in your chest

It's kind of like a static contraction type movement. I still feel more lats than chest but my chest gets a good pump too

[Roger Bacon]

Do you have any peer reviewed literature to substantiate this claim?

Peer reviewed by anabolichalo, Professor Johnny Falcon, and "Big" Roger F. Neegars.

[Big Chiro Flex]

Peer reviewed by anabolichalo, Professor Johnny Falcon, and "Big" Roger F. Neegars.

The world has not seen such a distinguished group of gentlemen since the writers of the Constitution.

[BDsauce]

Seriously though, only felt that exercise on my lats...

I suppose it does hit the inner pecs....

Haven't done that excercise in ages

[BDsauce]

Excessive pullovers

[NordicNerd]

Seriously though, only felt that exercise on my lats...

I suppose it does hit the inner pecs....

Haven't done that excercise in ages

Chest, lats, triceps, serratus....

NN

[Primemuscle]

I use the Nautilus pullover on chest day towards the end of the workout. Don't know if it's expanded my ribcage, but feels good doing them.

[Mr Nobody]

I use the Nautilus pullover on chest day towards the end of the workout. Don't know if it's expanded my ribcage, but feels good doing them.

Nautilus Pullover machine is a great machine isolates the lats well without bicep involvement the weak link in back exercises.

[Necrosis]

Well, if you do it right, it will work, but you need to be under 30 years of age. After that you are done, your bones doesn't grow anymore. When you look competition swimmers, it is obious that exercise can change your structure. Have you seen many top swimmers with narrow shoulders and small ribgage? Most of them has wide shoulders and big chest. They may look small in he pictures, but in real life they are tall and wide.

LOLOLOL. bones stop growing long before that genius.

If you stretch the intercostals etc you can "expand" your ribcage, ie... greater rom for those muscles

[Big Chiro Flex]

All the most aesthetic physiques had normal sized rib cages eg Kevin Levrone, Flex Wheeler, Bob Paris, etc

Big rib cages make for a blocky look.

Are there any examples of large rib cages that look aesthetic?

Couldn't you argue that Arnold had a large ribcage?