Cable Rope Pullover

How to do it

1. Attach a rope to a high cable pulley and select a moderate load.
2. Take one rope end in each hand with a neutral grip and step back until the cable is taut.
3. Hinge slightly at the hips, brace your abdominals, and set your arms overhead with elbows nearly straight.
4. Depress your shoulder blades, then pull the rope down in an arc toward your thighs.
5. Finish with the hands beside your hips and hold the lat contraction for a beat.
6. Let the rope travel back overhead under control until you feel the lats lengthen, then repeat.

Common mistakes

• Bending the elbows turns the pullover into a triceps pushdown and removes the lats from the movement.
• Letting the lower back arch as the arms go overhead shifts the load onto the spine instead of the lats.
• Standing too close to the stack cuts the overhead range short, so the lats never reach a stretched position.
• Gripping the rope hard and leading with the arms lets the biceps dominate a movement meant for the back.