We all know that in order to grow a muscle, we should choose the exercise that offers a deeper stretch. In fact, studies have shown that training your muscles in a more stretched position can lead to greater overall muscle growth compared to training them in a more contracted short range of motion. So, when it comes to growing a bigger back, the pullover is one of the most underrated exercises. And you’ll know why in just a second. Benefits of pullover.
The pullover is a great exercise that targets the chest and back muscles while focusing more on the lats.
Incorporating this exercise into your program is a smart approach because this exercise allows for a deep stretch at the bottom of the movement, thus putting more stress on the lats, which will actually force them to grow. This exercise also offers a variety of progressions which we’ll talk about in a while. The pullover exercise is known to give you a wider look as it targets the lower lat muscle, making you achieve the V-shaped look, thus making your physique more aesthetic. If you look at old era bodybuilders, you realize that they all prioritize the pullover machine.
Even Arnold said that it was one of his favorite. In fact, Dorian Yates, who’s known for his gigantic lats, shed light on how important this movement is for isolating the lats and growing them effectively. However, as with most exercises, if you don’t prioritize progressive overload, then you’re not going to see much progress. That’s why I’m going to talk about great progression methods you can use to ensure that you don’t lose progress over time and see the most amount of gains.
Variations and progression.
The pullover movement can be done using a machine, dumbbell, or cable. However, doing this movement using a Nautilus machine leads to better muscle development because unlike dumbbells, it allows you to go to failure, particularly in your lats instead of just stopping when your forearms get tired. However, since the pullover machine is rarely available, then doing them with a cable or dumbbell version can be a good alternative. And I’m going to tell you exactly how to do it in the next step. But first, let’s talk about progressions.
To ensure progressive overload in this exercise, you can either add weight, reps, or sets in each workout. You can do that by increasing the weight by 2.5 to 5 kg when you reach 10 to 12 reps. Progressive overload can also be done by slowing down the eccentric phase, focusing on the negative part and the stretch, or by doing drop sets or supersets. Now, this is not really a progression, but doing high reps explosive pullovers once in a while can also be effective for overall strength development.
How to perform the exercise? To perform the dumbbell pullover, lie on a bench with your upper back supported and your feet flat on the ground.
Hold a dumbbell with both hands above your chest, arms slightly bent. Lower the dumbbell back over your head in a controlled motion, feeling a stretch in your lats. Then pull it back to the starting position, focusing on contracting the lats as you go up.
For the cable pullover, set the incline bench to a 45° angle facing the cable machine, but in the opposite direction. Attach either a rope or straight bar to the cable.
Pull the cable down while contracting your muscles. Then return to the starting position for a complete stretch. Don’t hesitate to use heavier weights as the stretch becomes more intense with added resistance.
Just ensure you have someone to help you adjust the cable safely afterward. Now, before I talk about how you can add it into your routine, make sure to like this video and share your opinion on this exercise in the comments. Adding it into your program to maximize muscle growth using the pullover exercise. Knowing how and when to add it into your routine is essential.
Although this exercise also targets the chest muscles, its main target is the lat.
So consider adding it to your pull or back day. Since the pullover only targets the lats and not the full back, adding another back exercise is necessary, preferably a rowing movement. Because as we are getting a wider back from pullover, we should also consider the thickness of the back which well achieved by doing rows whether body weight, barbell or machine. Adding a compound movement like lat pull down or pull-ups can be great as well. Consider doing two sets of pullovers for failure, but not more than 10 to 12 reps.
Like other exercises, doing the pullover twice a week or at a higher frequency can increase lat growth as long as you’re not overtraining and adding too many exercises.
Conclusion: Pullovers are one of the best exercises for isolating the lats muscle. It allows for deep stretch at the bottom of the movement, thus leading to better gains. Different variations include dumbbell cable or even pullover machine. To ensure progressive overload using this exercise, you can add more weight, rep, or sets each workout.
Consider adding this with a compound movement like pull-ups and with any form of rows for a balanced approach. To build thickness in your back, body weight rows are very underrated. That’s why I made a detailed video in which I’ve talked about the form variations and progressions as well as progress tips. So, make sure to check it out and build a thicker, detailed back.
Read More: 10 Essential Bodybuilding Tips | Dorian Yates’ Blood & Guts
