| Purpose: Develop the upper back and lats. This is an excellent exercise for isolating the lats and packing on slabs of quality muscle. It is nicknamed the upper body squat because it almost equals the squat in terms of overall effectiveness.
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| Equipment variations: Pullover machine, barbell or dumbbell.
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| Starting position: Position yourself on the pullover machine in a position that will allow your lats to feel a good stretch when your arms are in the overhead position. Your lower back should be slightly arched throughout the movement. Use the machine’s seatbelt to keep your body stabilized. Place your elbows against the pads. Grip the machine securely. Your feet should be placed against the footpads or bar. Slowly release the foot pedal, allowing the elbows to be drawn behind your head.
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| Performance: Focusing on feeling the movement in your lats. Bring your elbows down to your torso by pushing against the pads of the machine. Try not to use your hands to pull the bar down since this would allow you to pull with your biceps instead of your lats. When you have reached the bottom position (bar is touching your torso) hold this position for 1-2 seconds and focus on contracting your lats hard. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat. |
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