How Iridium Programs This

Given the high stress this movement places on the shoulder capsule, Iridium analyzes your 7-day history and sub-muscle fatigue levels to ensure your anterior delts are sufficiently recovered before programming it.

Form Cues

Take a grip significantly wider than shoulder-width
Flare your elbows out to the sides at a 90-degree angle
Lower the bar slowly and directly toward your neck
Keep your feet flat on the ground for stability
Squeeze your chest muscles hard at the top of the movement

Don't

Don't bounce the bar off your neck
Don't tuck your elbows towards your torso
Don't arch your lower back excessively
Don't lift your head off the bench
Don't perform this exercise without safety pins or a spotter

Common Mistakes

Lowering the bar to the nipple line instead of the neck
Using a grip that is too narrow
Loading the bar with excessive weight
Flaring ribs too much
Losing control of the descent speed

Muscles Worked

This exercise is a highly specific isolation movement for the clavicular head of the pectoralis major (upper chest). By flaring the elbows and lowering the bar to the neck, the movement takes the anterior deltoids out of the equation and places a tremendous stretch on the outer and upper pectoral fibers.