Barbell Bent Arm Pullover
What Barbell Bent Arm Pullover really gives you is strength you can feel outside the gym, driven by heavy bilateral barbell loading.
How to do Barbell Bent Arm Pullover
- Lie flat on a bench with your head at one end and your feet on the floor.
- Hold a barbell with a shoulder-width grip and extend your arms straight above your chest.
- Lower the barbell behind your head while keeping your arms slightly bent.
- Pause for a moment, then raise the barbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Bent Arm Pullover Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets.
Endurance
3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing.
Common Barbell Bent Arm Pullover Mistakes
Bouncing the bar to get through the hardest inch
Pause briefly so the muscle, not the rebound, does the work.
Feeling the movement everywhere except the muscle it trains
Lighten the load and rebuild the position until the target muscle burns.
Easier and Harder Than Barbell Bent Arm Pullover
Swap Barbell Bent Arm Pullover For
Barbell Bent Arm Pullover — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Barbell Bent Arm Pullover?
Lie flat on a bench with your head at one end and your feet on the floor. Hold a barbell with a shoulder-width grip and extend your arms straight above your chest. Lower the barbell behind your head while keeping your arms slightly bent. Use a barbell and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Barbell Bent Arm Pullover work?
The Barbell Bent Arm Pullover primarily targets the lats. It is classified as a back exercise and is performed with a barbell.
How many sets and reps of the Barbell Bent Arm Pullover should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Barbell Bent Arm Pullover good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic back patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Barbell Bent Arm Pullover?
Try the Cable Thibaudeau Kayak Row, Pull Up (neutral Grip) or the Weighted One Hand Pull Up. Each trains the lats with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
