Barbell Triceps Pullover
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Description
Lie on a bench holding a barbell with a narrow grip above your chest. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, slowly lower the barbell backward over your head in a controlled arc until you feel a stretch in your triceps and chest. Engage your triceps to pull the barbell back to the starting position. This exercise targets the triceps, chest, and shoulders, improving upper body strength and flexibility. Maintain a stable core and avoid excessive elbow movement to prevent strain.
How to Perform
- Begin by lying flat on a bench with your feet firmly planted on the ground for stability.
- Grasp a barbell with a narrow overhand grip, hands positioned about shoulder-width apart.
- Extend your arms straight above your chest, holding the barbell securely.
- Slowly lower the barbell in an arc behind your head by bending at the elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary.
- Lower the barbell until you feel a stretch in your triceps and chest muscles, ensuring not to overstretch or strain your shoulders.
- Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement to maximize muscle engagement.
- Raise the barbell back to the starting position by extending your elbows, focusing on contracting the triceps muscles.
- Maintain controlled movement throughout the exercise to avoid using momentum.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions while maintaining proper form.
What Muscles Work
Primary Muscle:
Secondary Muscles:
Tips
- Start by lying flat on a bench with your feet firmly planted on the ground for stability.
- Hold the barbell with a close grip, keeping your hands shoulder-width apart to target the triceps effectively.
- Keep your elbows close to your head and pointed upward throughout the movement to maintain tension on the triceps.
- Slowly lower the barbell behind your head in a controlled manner, feeling the stretch in your triceps and chest.
- Avoid locking your elbows at the top of the movement to prevent joint strain and maintain muscle engagement.
- Exhale as you press the barbell back to the starting position, focusing on contracting your triceps.
- Maintain a neutral spine and avoid arching your back excessively to protect your lower back.
- Use a weight that allows you to perform the exercise with proper form and control, avoiding momentum.
- Incorporate this exercise into your routine 1-2 times per week for balanced triceps development.
- Warm up your shoulders and triceps before performing this exercise to reduce the risk of injury.
Common Mistakes
- Allowing the elbows to flare out excessively, reducing triceps engagement
- Using a range of motion that is too wide, placing undue stress on the shoulder joints
- Dropping the barbell too far behind the head, compromising shoulder stability
- Failing to keep the core engaged, leading to poor spinal alignment
- Performing the movement too quickly, sacrificing control and muscle activation
- Not maintaining a slight bend in the elbows, causing joint strain
- Using excessive weight that forces momentum rather than controlled muscle contraction
- Neglecting to stabilize the scapulae, reducing effectiveness and increasing shoulder strain
Recommended Exercises
Explore exercises related to Barbell Triceps Pullover for triceps training and similar movement patterns.
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