The bench press is one of the most effective and popular chest exercises around. It is the one exercise most people immediately think of when they want to get a stronger chest. There is an equally good chest exercise though that used to be a staple of your average body builders' chest workout - the pullover.
With the pullover, you basically lie on a flat bench and hold a dumbbell, with two hands, over your chest. You then bend your elbows and slowly lower the weight towards your head; stopping when your elbows reach a 90 degree angle past your head. The rep is complete when you bring the dumbbells back over your chest.
While you may not have seen many, or even any, people do this before, it is a real classic. The problem with most guys who workout their chest is that they don't always workout their entire chest or, they might only workout some muscles in their chest a very small amount.
While the pectoralis muscles typically always get worked on, the serratus and subclavius, which are below the pecs, hardly get any attention. The reason they're important is that they give your arms and shoulders more maneuverability, ideal for pushing and punching.
The main benefits of pullovers are that they expand and stretch your entire rib cage and put resistance on the entire upper body. Therefore, pullovers will help you acquire a bigger and wider rib cage and chest.
Another benefit of pullovers is that you can do them at home with very little equipment. They don't require the bench and upright racks to hold the bar that your standard bench press needs. All that you need to have is a pair of adjustable weight dumbbells or a barbell.
Both are as good as each other, so no need to analyze which one is better than the other. Again, because you don't have a rack, it's important to use manageable weights so you don't hurt yourself.
Besides, the purpose of a pullover is to stretch your body and not be a heavy lifting exercise. Your best bet is to take your time doing it properly and safely. Just start off with a light weight and work your way up until you get to a weight that pushes you, but which you are still comfortable with.
With the pullover, you basically lie on a flat bench and hold a dumbbell, with two hands, over your chest. You then bend your elbows and slowly lower the weight towards your head; stopping when your elbows reach a 90 degree angle past your head. The rep is complete when you bring the dumbbells back over your chest.
While you may not have seen many, or even any, people do this before, it is a real classic. The problem with most guys who workout their chest is that they don't always workout their entire chest or, they might only workout some muscles in their chest a very small amount.
While the pectoralis muscles typically always get worked on, the serratus and subclavius, which are below the pecs, hardly get any attention. The reason they're important is that they give your arms and shoulders more maneuverability, ideal for pushing and punching.
The main benefits of pullovers are that they expand and stretch your entire rib cage and put resistance on the entire upper body. Therefore, pullovers will help you acquire a bigger and wider rib cage and chest.
Another benefit of pullovers is that you can do them at home with very little equipment. They don't require the bench and upright racks to hold the bar that your standard bench press needs. All that you need to have is a pair of adjustable weight dumbbells or a barbell.
Both are as good as each other, so no need to analyze which one is better than the other. Again, because you don't have a rack, it's important to use manageable weights so you don't hurt yourself.
Besides, the purpose of a pullover is to stretch your body and not be a heavy lifting exercise. Your best bet is to take your time doing it properly and safely. Just start off with a light weight and work your way up until you get to a weight that pushes you, but which you are still comfortable with.
About the Author:
http://IronChestWorkouts.com is a men's fitness blog dedicated to writing about the best chest workout information, tips, and exercises on the internet.
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