Self Assisted Inverted Pullover
Master the Self Assisted Inverted Pullover, a bodyweight exercise. Pull your upper body up and over a bar while your legs remain anchored.
Description
A modification of the inverted pullover, this bodyweight exercise involves pulling the upper body up and over a bar while the legs remain anchored on the ground.
How to Do Self Assisted Inverted Pullover
- 1Setup
Position yourself on your back directly underneath a low horizontal bar, such as a Smith machine bar or sturdy railing.
- 2Setup
Grip the bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip, ensuring your feet are firmly planted on the ground with knees bent at about 90 degrees.
- 3
Initiate the pull by engaging your lats and core, driving your elbows down towards your hips to lift your chest up towards and slightly over the bar.
- 4
Maintain a rigid body, keeping a straight line from your knees to your shoulders, and exhale as you complete the upward movement.
- 5
Slowly and with control, lower your body back to the starting position, allowing your arms to fully extend while inhaling.
Tips
- To maximize lat activation, initiate the pull by thinking about driving your elbows downwards towards your hips, rather than just pulling with your biceps.
- Control the eccentric (lowering) phase for 2-3 seconds; this builds strength and improves muscle control more effectively than simply dropping back down.
- Adjust the amount of leg assistance by moving your feet closer to or further away from the bar: closer makes it easier, further makes it harder.
- Keep your core actively braced throughout the entire movement to maintain a stable, straight body line and prevent your hips from sagging.
Common Mistakes
- ×Allowing your hips to drop towards the floor indicates a weak core, so actively brace your abs and glutes to maintain a straight body line from knees to shoulders.
- ×If you feel the exercise mostly in your arms, you are not engaging your lats effectively; focus on driving your elbows down and back to initiate the pull with your back muscles.
- ×Dropping quickly on the way down negates the strength-building benefits of the eccentric phase, so control your lowering for 2-3 seconds to maximize muscle engagement.
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