Pullovers

[Jim Leon]

Hello,
I would like to know any opinions on flat bench pullovers.
I concentrate primarily on the OHP as my pressing exercise and I occasionally will do a couple of sets of pullovers to work the rib cage.

Thanks.

Jim Leon
60yo
6’-3”
196 lb.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Because the rib cage doesn't get enough work while pressing, benching, squatting, and deadlifting.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Heh. It appears you have to be a certain age to even know such a thing exists to even ask the question.

[Will Morris]

Dumbbell pullovers can be pretty useful for improving reduced shoulder flexion range of motion after surgery. That’s the extent of what I have found them to be useful for.

[Kansan]

Jim,

I am no expert, nor even a SSC, but I have found pullovers to be a very useful exercise. However, you will probably find very little support for using it here for a couple of reasons...

First, it's not a strength lift and you can easily train for strength by simply doing the program and not complicating things.

Also, to obtain the maximum benefits of the pullover you really need a pullover machine, which is becoming hard to find in commercial gyms and not really feasible for most garage gyms.

A good compromise, which fits with the program, is to incorporate the fourth powerlift, the lying tricep extension, as taught by Rip. The first part of the lift is essentially a pullover but ends with an arm extension to fully train the tricep. There is a great video on this website.

FYI, I am a big believer in the pullover and tried all variations (barbell, dumbbell, cable, and even a resistance band technique described by Andy Baker) and I can tell you that none of them come close to an actual pullover machine. If you are determined to incorporate pullovers you should seek out a machine and give it a try.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Jim,

I am no expert, nor even a SSC, but I have found pullovers to be a very useful exercise. However, you will probably find very little support for using it here for a couple of reasons...

First, it's not a strength lift and you can easily train for strength by simply doing the program and not complicating things.

Also, to obtain the maximum benefits of the pullover you really need a pullover machine, which is becoming hard to find in commercial gyms and not really feasible for most garage gyms.

A good compromise, which fits with the program, is to incorporate the fourth powerlift, the lying tricep extension, as taught by Rip. The first part of the lift is essentially a pullover but ends with an arm extension to fully train the tricep. There is a great video on this website.

FYI, I am a big believer in the pullover and tried all variations (barbell, dumbbell, cable, and even a resistance band technique described by Andy Baker) and I can tell you that none of them come close to an actual pullover machine. If you are determined to incorporate pullovers you should seek out a machine and give it a try.

This! Quoted for truth. The Nautilus pullover was without doubt the best machine Arthur Jones fertile imagination came up with. Hammer Strength made one as well. Very hard to find in gyms though.

[Szymon]

What is the reason to do pullovers ? It is not like you can use a big wheight doing them.

I used to do them when I was 15. I saw Arnold do them in Pumping Iron. If Arnold is doing them it must be good for everyone ! Did not see any improvment to my chest, lats or rib cage. My chest improved when I benched 225 for 5x5. I started to feel my lats under my arms when I pulled 405 for 5 and my rib cage was geting stronger when I tried to catch some air while doing 5x5 with 375 on my back.

[tomskarda]

They do a good job of loosening up my shoulders and ribcage. A crappy part of hitting my late 40s has been a tendency to get stiff in my thoracics and shoulder girdle no matter how much I try to stretch things out.

A good set, or two, of pullovers with 70 to 80 pounds sorts things out quickly. They don't take very long and can be done after the primary lifts. They don't hurt recovery at all either. I really just look at them as a resistance assisted stretch.

[Kansan]

With a barbell, dumbbell, cable, or band they really are just a resistance assisted stretch.
With a pullover machine you can use enough weight to make it a very effective lift for developing nearly every muscle attached to the ribcage.
As an example, my last bench working set was 295lbs for 5 reps, and on the pullover machine I do 250-275lbs for 8-10 reps.
The humerus is taken through a full range of motion and all of the associated muscles are used (lats, pecs, triceps, serratus, traps etc).
If you can find a machine it is worth your time to do a few sets.

[Mark Rippetoe]

With a pullover machine you can use enough weight to make it a very effective lift for developing nearly every muscle attached to the ribcage.
As an example, my last bench working set was 295lbs for 5 reps, and on the pullover machine I do 250-275lbs for 8-10 reps.

Please explain how these two numbers are related. It doesn't seem surprising that a 320 bench press would enable you to do the stack on your Nautilus machine.