Back · Barbell
Barbell Bent Arm Pullover
How to do the barbell bent arm pullover, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- VerticalPull
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Lie on a flat bench holding a barbell over your chest with elbows slightly bent. Keeping that bend fixed, lower the bar back over your head in an arc until you feel a stretch through your lats and chest. Pull the bar back over your chest along the same arc, driving with your lats.
- 1A deep stretch through your lats and ribs at the bottom
- 2Your lats pulling the bar back over your chest
- 3Elbows staying at a fixed bend the whole arc
Common mistakes
- Letting your lower back arch up off the bench
- Straightening or flaring your elbows as you lower
- Going so far overhead that your shoulders feel strained
Muscles worked
The barbell bent arm pullover mainly works the lats, with the triceps, mid chest, forearms, upper chest, lower chest, lower traps, upper abs, and lower abs assisting.
- LatsPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Mid ChestSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Lower TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- BicepsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the barbell bent arm pullover for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More back exercises
- How to do the archer pull-up
- How to do the resistance band assisted pull-up
- How to do the machine assisted pull-up
- How to do the back extension bench back extension
- How to do the machine back extension
- How to do the back lever
Last reviewed June 2026.