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Barbell Front Raise And Pullover animation

How to do the Barbell Front Raise And Pullover

ChestBarbellIntermediate

The barbell front raise and pullover is a rare combination move that challenges the chest and anterior shoulder through a sweeping arc of motion, demanding both strength and body control. Master this exercise and you will build a fuller chest while developing the kind of shoulder stability that carries over to every pressing movement you do.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Pectorals (chest)
Secondary
Front deltsTriceps

Step-by-step

  1. Lie flat on a bench holding a barbell with a shoulder-width overhand grip, arms extended above your chest.
  2. Lower the bar in a controlled arc overhead toward the floor, keeping a slight elbow bend and feeling the chest and lats stretch fully.
  3. Reverse the arc and pull the bar back over your chest, squeezing the pecs at the top.
  4. Without pausing, lower the bar toward your thighs in a front raise arc, then return to start for one complete rep.

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows too much on the pullover phase, which shifts load off the chest onto the triceps — maintain a fixed slight bend throughout the entire arc.
  • Rushing the transition between the pullover and front raise, losing tension and control — treat each phase as a deliberate movement with no momentum cheating.
  • Using a load that is too heavy, causing the lower back to arch off the bench during the overhead stretch — choose a weight that allows full range without spinal compensation.

Pro tip — Focus on keeping the bar path perfectly smooth and circular as if tracing the inside of a wheel — any deviation signals that your stabilizers are failing and your prime movers are compensating, which is exactly where growth and injury diverge.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 10–15 reps
Get stronger3–4 sets × 6–8 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 12–20 reps

Rest: 60–90 sec between sets.

More Chest exercises

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