Barbell Decline Pullover

Setup

1. 01Set a decline bench and hook your legs under the pads.
2. 02Have a partner hand you the barbell or set it behind your head within reach.
3. 03Grip the bar at about shoulder width with a pronated grip.
4. 04Start with the bar held over the chest, elbows slightly bent.

Execution

1. 01Keep the slight elbow bend fixed and lower the bar back over your head.
2. 02Descend until you feel a strong stretch through the chest and lats.
3. 03Pause briefly without letting the ribs flare.
4. 04Pull the bar back over the chest along the same arc.

Checkpoints

• -Elbow angle stays constant; the movement happens at the shoulders.
• -Ribs stay down instead of arching to fake range.
• -The bar moves in a smooth arc, not a drop behind the head.
• -Legs stay locked under the pads for stability.

Common mistakes

• -Bending and extending the elbows, turning it into a triceps extension.
• -Loading too heavy for the overhead stretch position.
• -Rushing the lowering phase where the stretch stimulus lives.
• -Losing the grip width and letting wrists collapse.