Close Grip Straight Arm Barbell Pullover Across Bench
Page (book)
p. 332
Exercise order on page
1
Hypertrophy score
73 / 100 — Grade A
Body part: Back/Chest · Muscle group: Lats, serratus, pecs · Equipment: barbell, flat bench · Time: 7–9 min
Why this exercise
Loads the lats at maximum shoulder flexion stretch. The cross-bench position increases range of motion by allowing the hips to drop below bench level, deepening the lat stretch. Stretch-under-load scores 11/15.
Maximum lat stretch — the straight-arm position at full shoulder flexion is the longest achievable lat fiber length under load.
Cross-bench = deeper ROM — hips dropping below the bench level increases the arc and deepens the stretch beyond what lying flat provides.
Stretch-under-load 11/15 — the primary hypertrophy signal: muscles under tension at their longest length.
Placed third to finish the back block with stretch-biased stimulus after the tension-biased pullover and pulldown.