Thread: Pullovers

Originally Posted by BigDyl

How do people regard pullovers as a muscle building exersize? Do they really expand the size of your rib cage? Is that not how Arnold was able to expand his rib cage so much?

Also what is the proper form, arms completely staright and lower below your head, or slight bend and parellel, etc?

#1. I use pullovers as a stretch-muscle movement for the lats.

#2. NO ! they do not expand the rib cage that is an old bb myth.

* there are variations to the exercise depending on wether you are doing it for the chest or lats

I feel that a slight bend in the arms makes the movement more comfortable. It seems to reduce the strain on my shoulders and allows me to achieve a greater range of motion while maintaining a level of comfort which I deem acceptable.

Pullover feel awkward and don't really seem to hit the lat directly enough. What would be a good barbell (or dumbbell) substitute?

Thanks

try using the lat pulldown machine, cept stand away from it

seriously though, aronld told me pullovers expand the rib cage and give density to the chest

There's the rub, I only have access to free weights. Any free weight alternatives?

I like them for the serratus, but it hurts my biceps. You can use a barbell also if you wish.

Pullover is primarily a lat exercise, but i also like to do them on chest day (usually at the end), It stretches your "armpit muscle" and muscle near your rib cage, I do it the traditional way, lie across a flat bench with my head hanging down, and hip dropped low so my body is hyperextented.
Some people feel this a lot in their lats while others don't, there are also other different ways of doing them to target different muscle groups(triceps, chest, lats).

I can never get comfortable with free-weight pullovers. My gym has a machine, but it's only got an 80k stack, which is quite piss easy and a waste of time.

Well as long as it hits the armpit muscle and the upper inner chest muscle, thats all i want.

They're the only two that count.