Barbell Pullover to Skullcrusher

HOW TO DO IT

1. 1Lie flat on a bench with feet planted and head near the end, holding a barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width.
2. 2Press the bar to a start position over your chest with arms extended and a slight elbow bend.
3. 3Keeping the elbows mostly straight, lower the bar in an arc behind your head until you feel a stretch in the lats and shoulders, elbows pointing up.
4. 4From that overhead position, bend the elbows to lower the bar toward your forehead or just behind your head.
5. 5Extend the elbows to press the bar back to the overhead position.
6. 6Reverse the arc to bring the bar back over your chest to the start.
7. 7Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

COMMON MISTAKES

• Lifting the hips off the bench to gain range, which shifts the work away from the target muscles and stresses the lower back.
• Flaring the elbows wide during the skullcrusher phase instead of keeping them tucked and pointing up.
• Letting the bar drift too far toward the face or neck on the skullcrusher, risking contact.
• Using momentum to swing the bar from behind the head back over the chest.
• Locking the elbows out hard at the top, which removes tension and stresses the joint.
• Gripping too narrow, which reduces control of the longer barbell arc.

TIPS

• Use a lighter load than you would with a dumbbell; the fixed grip and longer lever make the same weight feel heavier.
• Keep the hips and lower back glued to the bench and drive through the feet for stability.
• Maintain a slight, constant elbow bend during the pullover so the bar clears your head smoothly.
• Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the bottom of the pullover to engage the rhomboids and serratus.
• Track the bar in a controlled arc rather than a straight line, and keep the wrists stacked over the forearms.
• Consider a cambered or EZ bar if straight-bar wrist position is uncomfortable.

SAFETY

• The barbell passes close to the head and face, so use a spotter or a rack with safeties and never train to failure without one.
• Avoid this exercise if you have shoulder impingement, a history of shoulder dislocation, or elbow tendonitis.
• Ensure the bench is stable and that the plates clear the floor and bench frame through the full arc.

DETAILS

Muscles

LatsTricepsBack

Equipment

BarbellBench

Type

Strength Training

Difficulty

Intermediate

Tracked as

Weight & Reps

TECHNIQUE

Hand orientation

Pronated (palms down / away)

Body position

Lying on the back