Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The Cross Bench Pullover (Part II)

Last summer, I said that the cross bench pullover was one of those exercises that should have never fallen out of fashion. Apparently, no one at G's G reads Squat Rx, because I've only seen one dude doing them there - me. That's fine, I don't expect 20 years olds to be flocking to that round middle-aged guy doing weird exercises in the "SKWAT!" t-shirt for training pointers exactly, but it is a great exercise.

My guess is you don't see a lot of guys doing these in the gym...


Here are a few exercise pointers I'd like to pass along:

*If possible, find a well-padded, narrow bench that isn't going to lock your scapulae into a frozen position.

*Resist the temptation to shrug while doing the exercise, as this will shift stress from the scapulae and lats and potentially crank the shoulders.

*Sink the hips as you lower the weight, being mindful of range of motion. Lower to a gentle stretch and gradually, slowly, and progressively increase range of motion. When I say "gradually", "slowly", and "progressively", I don't mean in a single set or session...

*Do not be overzealous about load or range of motion - for strong people 30-40lbs is more than enough to be an effective range of motion drill, and most people will get as much benefit with weights as little as 5-20 pounds.

2 comments:

Mark Reifkind said...

this is one of my all time favorite upper body exercises and I did it religiously for years.if you have someone hold your knees you can go very very heavy.

it works everything! lats, triceps pecs, delts, serratus and intercostals. love it.

as you write though you do have to do it slowly and carefull as it does put the shoulders in a delicate position.

Boris said...

It is a great exercise - thanks Rif!