BUILD BIGGER PECS WITH THE PULLOVER

Last Updated on January 7, 2021

The chest is no different. You gotta hit it from multiple angles. Your chest muscles control the movement of your upper arm at the shoulder joint. In other words, if your upper arm is moving in toward the front of your body, in some way, you will involve the chest. Presses and flyes are great but they don’t give you the whole picture. Pullovers round out the developmental picture and should be part of any chest routine – yes, even in the 21^st century.

PULLOVER 101

Use the following steps to perform this forgotten move correctly

Lie perpendicular to the bench press, with only your shoulders supported
Your feet should be flat on the floor, shoulder width apart
Your head and neck should hang over the bench
Your hips should ideally be at a slightly lower angle than your shoulders
Grasp the dumbbells with your hands crossed in a diamond shape using your thumbs and pointer fingers (palms should be facing the ceiling)
The movement starts with the dumbbell over your chest, elbows bent 10–15 degrees (do not let this angle change throughout the entire movement)
Take in a deep breath, hold and slowly lower the weight backward over your head until the upper arms are in line with the torso, parallel to the floor
The weight travels in an arc-like motion toward the floor
Exhale and pull the dumbbell back over your chest, purposely squeezing the chest
Hold for a second, and then repeat the exercise

Do this movement with great purpose, focusing on the stretch and feel of the movement, keeping reps in the 12-plus range. If you have a history of shoulder problems, take great care when introducing this exercise. Unless you are injury-free and have a respectable amount of shoulder flexibility, you may need to start with very light weight or avoid it altogether.