Decline Barbell Pullover

Also known as: decline bench barbell pullover, barbell pullover decline bench, decline pullover

In SetGrip: Barbell Pullover (Decline)

Secondary muscles
Triceps, Delts
Body part
Chest
Position
Lying
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

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On a decline bench with your head below your hips, the pullover arc meets gravity at a different angle: the hardest point shifts and the chest picks up more of the load through the deep stretch. Anchor your feet firmly first, since the bar travels overhead while you lie head-down.

How to do the Decline Barbell Pullover

  1. Lie down on a decline bench with your head lower than your hips and your feet secured.
  2. Hold the barbell with a pronated grip (palms facing away from you) and your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Extend your arms above your chest, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
  4. Lower the barbell in an arc motion behind your head, feeling a stretch in your chest and shoulders.
  5. Pause for a moment, then return the barbell to the starting position by reversing the motion.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Breathe in deeply as you lower and let the ribcage expand before pulling back over.

Muscles worked

Primary

Pectorals · Chest

The pecs assist from the stretched position and do more of the work on straight arm variations with the arms wide.

Secondary

  • Triceps — The long head of the triceps stretches at the bottom and helps hold the elbow angle on bent arm pullovers.
  • Delts

Common mistakes

  • Elbows bending as you lower — set the elbow angle at the start and keep it fixed, otherwise the triceps take over.
  • Arching to get lower — let the shoulders open and the ribs stay down; the stretch should come from the lats and chest, not the spine.
  • Pulling too far over — stop when the arms are vertical over the chest, since past that the tension is gone.
  • Rushing the stretch — lower slowly over three seconds and pause at the bottom before pulling back.

Where it fits in a workout

Pullovers go late in a chest or back session as an isolation movement. Superset them with chest flies or a straight arm pulldown.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without barbell

When to talk to someone

  • Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
  • Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
  • Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

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More exercises

Sources

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.

Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.