barbell pullover to press: technique and muscles worked

Animated demonstration of barbell pullover to press

How to do this exercise

Step:1 Lie flat on a bench with your head at one end and your feet on the ground.
Step:2 Hold the barbell with a pronated grip (palms facing away from you) and extend your arms straight above your chest.
Step:3 Keeping your arms straight, lower the barbell behind your head in an arc-like motion until you feel a stretch in your lats.
Step:4 Pause for a moment, then reverse the motion and press the barbell back to the starting position above your chest.
Step:5 Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Equipment: Barbell
Body part: Arms Chest Back
Target muscle: Triceps Latissimus dorsi Costal pectoralis (lower chest)
Secondary muscle: Rhomboids Anterior deltoid

Hypertrophy grade

Good7 / 10

Nemeo’s take

This combined exercise is a hybrid movement that works the pectorals, latissimus dorsi and triceps. It’s the functional “big brother” of the classic pullover. The first phase (the pullover) intensely stretches the fibers of the chest and back, while the transition to the press (press) finishes congesting the pectorals and triceps. It is a great tool for improving shoulder mobility and strengthening the connection between upper body muscles. However, for pure hypertrophy, this combination may be less effective than working each movement separately, because the load you can use on the pullover will often limit your strength for the press portion.

This catalog score reflects Nemeo’s assessment of the exercise’s muscle-building potential. It is not a standardized scientific rating or a personalized recommendation.

Turn this exercise into progress.

Track your sets, reps and weights with Nemeo and get recommendations for your next workout.

All exercises

barbell pullover to press

How to do this exercise

Turn this exercise into progress.

More exercises to explore

gentle style cable pulldown (pro lat bar)

cable incline pushdown

barbell lying triceps extension double