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PJR Pullover

By combining a pullover path with elbow extension, the PJR pullover keeps constant tension on the long head as it lengthens over the shoulder, which is exactly where it grows best. The bar travels back over the top of your head rather than down to your face, sparing the elbows the point-blank stress of a skull crusher. It rewards strict control, so treat it as a specialized long-head builder rather than an ego lift.

Equipment
Barbell, Bench
Body part
Triceps
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Elbow Extension
Muscles worked
Target
Triceps Brachii Long Head
Secondary
Triceps Brachii Lateral Head, Triceps Brachii Medial Head
Tertiary
Latissimus Dorsi

How to do it

  1. 1

    Lie on a flat bench and hold an EZ bar over your chest with a close overhand grip.

  2. 2

    Bend your elbows and let the bar travel back over the top of your head toward the bench.

  3. 3

    Keep your elbows tracking in line with your shoulders as they open.

  4. 4

    Feel a strong stretch across the back of the upper arms at the bottom.

  5. 5

    Extend the elbows and pull the bar back up and over to the start in one smooth arc.

  6. 6

    Squeeze the triceps at the top, then repeat under control.

Tips

  • Keep the bar close to the top of your skull as it passes back, not out in front.
  • Let the elbows open and close together; don't let them flare wide.
  • Start light, the stretched overhead position is demanding on the shoulders and elbows.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Elbows stay locked and the bar swings back in a long arc from the shoulders alone, which is a lat pullover. The elbows have to bend and straighten or the long head never does the work.
  • The upper arms travel back past the line of the shoulders at the bottom, so the stretch lands in the front of the shoulder joint instead of the back of the arm.
  • Lying too far up the bench leaves nowhere for the bar to go and it meets the pad before the triceps reach any stretch. Set up so the top of your head sits an inch or two from the end.
  • Dropping into the bottom at speed, which is the one place this movement deserves respect, since elbows and shoulders are both loaded at full stretch there. Lower on a three count and turn the bar around under control.
  • A straight bar locks the hands into one line, so the elbows have to splay for the wrists to be comfortable. The angled grips of an EZ bar let them stay in.

Frequently asked

What load and rep range should I start the PJR pullover with?
Three sets of 10 to 12 with an EZ bar loaded lighter than you expect, since strength drops off sharply in the stretched position. Before running it, be comfortable holding a bar overhead and pain-free on skull crushers; if either bothers your shoulders or elbows, this will find that out quickly. Add weight in the smallest increments the gym has, and only once the last rep travels the same arc as the first. One or two sets a week alongside your pressing is enough.
What can I do instead of the PJR pullover if I have no EZ bar?
A pair of light dumbbells run through the same arc, one in each hand, lets the wrists rotate and is the closest match at home. A rope on a low pulley, lying on a bench with your head toward the stack, gives constant tension and is easier on the elbows. An overhead cable extension with a rope, standing or half-kneeling, loads the long head in a similar stretched position without a bar traveling over your head.
What does the PJR pullover do that a skull crusher does not?
It keeps the shoulder flexed while the elbow extends, so the triceps long head is loaded while it is long, and the bar passes over the top of your head instead of down toward your face, which spares the elbows the point-blank stress of a skull crusher. That makes it a specialist long-head builder for lifters whose triceps basics are already in place. It is a poor pick if your shoulders dislike overhead positions, and it is not a movement to load heavily: the stretch is the stimulus, and chasing weight costs you the position.

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