Front Raise And Pullover
The front raise and pullover combines two motions into one continuous arc: a pullover that lowers a barbell behind your head, and a front raise that swings it forward and down toward your hips, done back to back without setting the bar down. It's a classic full-range shoulder and chest movement that also pulls the lats and triceps into the work, prized for the deep stretch it puts through the chest and rib cage. It suits lifters who already handle a barbell comfortably and want a light, full-range accessory move rather than a heavy pressing exercise.
Why it works
The pullover half of the arc takes your arms from overhead to behind your head, a motion that stretches the chest and lats hard at end range while the triceps keep the elbows from bending too much. The front raise half reverses that arc, swinging the bar from overhead forward and down toward your thighs, shifting more of the load onto the front deltoid as the arms come lower. Chaining the two together means your shoulders spend far more time under tension through a bigger range of motion than either move alone provides, which is exactly what makes it useful as an accessory for chest and shoulder development even at light loads.
Set up
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet planted on the floor for stability.
- Load a light barbell, this move rewards control far more than weight.
- Have a spotter hand you the bar, or carefully lift it from the floor once you're lying down.
How to do it
- Hold the barbell with a shoulder-width grip, arms straight above your chest.
- Keeping your arms straight, lower the bar in an arc back and down behind your head.
- Go only as far as feels comfortable at your shoulders, then reverse the arc.
- Bring the bar back overhead and continue the arc forward and down toward your thighs.
- Reverse again once the bar nears your thighs, swinging it back up overhead.
- Repeat the continuous arc for the full set, then rack the bar with control.
Form cues
- Move slowly, this is a range-of-motion exercise, not a fast one.
- Keep a slight, steady bend in the elbows the whole time.
- Let the shoulder blades slide naturally on the bench as the bar moves.
Breathing: Inhale as the bar lowers behind your head, exhale as it swings forward and down.
Common mistakes
Using a barbell heavy enough to shorten the range of motion.
Fix: Drop the weight until you can move through the full arc smoothly; a heavy bar that only travels a few inches defeats the point of the exercise.
Locking the elbows completely straight.
Fix: Keep a small, fixed bend in the elbows throughout; a stiff, locked arm puts unnecessary strain on the joint.
Lowering the bar behind the head past a comfortable shoulder range.
Fix: Stop the pullover portion where your shoulders start to feel tight, not where the bar can physically go.
Rushing the arc to get more reps in.
Fix: Slow the tempo down; the value of this move is the time spent under tension through a long range, not the number of reps.
How to program it
- Two to three sets of 8 to 12 reps at the end of a chest or shoulder session works well, once the joints are already warm.
- Because this trades load for a long, continuous range, it fits best as a finisher rather than a heavy strength exercise.
- Once a week is enough for most people; the value comes from the range of motion, and doing it more often rarely speeds that up.
Safety notes
- Always use a light bar and, ideally, a spotter the first few times you try this movement, since the arc moves the bar close to your head.
- Stop the pullover portion well short of any shoulder pain or pinching; this move should stretch, not strain, the joint.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the front raise and pullover work?
The chest and lats do most of the work through the arc, with the shoulders and triceps helping control the bar, especially in the front raise half of the movement.
How much weight should I use for this exercise?
Start very light, often just an empty bar or a few pounds on each side. The full range of motion is the point, not the load.
Is this the same as a regular pullover?
No, a straight-arm dumbbell pullover only covers the backward arc behind the head. This exercise adds a forward front raise phase too, doubling the range covered in each rep.
Why do my shoulders feel tight during this exercise?
The pullover portion asks for real shoulder mobility. Stop the arc a little earlier and build up the range gradually over several sessions rather than forcing it on day one.