EZ-Bar Pull Over
The EZ-Bar Pull Over is an upper-body accessory exercise that targets the latissimus dorsi and chest by moving a weighted bar in an arc from behind the head to over the torso. It builds muscle size and improves shoulder mobility by creating a deep stretch under load.
Because the EZ-Bar Pull Over places high mechanical stress on the shoulder joint in a stretched position, our AI leverages your recovery data (HRV and sleep) to optimize training volume and prevent overuse injuries. If your readiness is low or you report specific shoulder sensitivity, the system can instantly substitute this for a more stable variation like a straight-arm pulldown. Additionally, by analyzing your RPE and performance consistency, the app ensures you are maintaining constant tension on the lats rather than compensating with triceps dominance.
Form Cues
- Lie flat on a bench with your head supported and feet planted firmly.
- Maintain a slight, fixed bend in your elbows (20-30 degrees) throughout the entire rep.
- Lower the bar slowly behind your head until you feel a deep stretch in your armpits.
- Initiate the return by driving your elbows toward your hips.
- Keep your ribs tucked down and core engaged to prevent arching.
- Don't bend and extend your elbows like a tricep extension.
- Don't let your hips rise off the bench as the weight goes back.
- Don't lower the bar so far that you feel pain in the shoulder joint.
- Don't pull the bar all the way to your stomach; stop over your chest.
- Don't flare your ribs excessively at the bottom of the movement.
Common Mistakes
- Turning the movement into a skull crusher (triceps extension)
- Excessive lumbar arching or rib flare
- Using momentum to swing the weight up
- Shortening the range of motion and missing the stretch
- Gripping the bar too narrowly
Muscles Worked
This exercise is unique because it engages the latissimus dorsi through a large range of motion while also recruiting the pectoralis major (chest) and serratus anterior. While the lats drive the movement, the long head of the triceps acts as a dynamic stabilizer to keep the arms in position without extending the elbow.
Primary
Secondary
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