Muscle outlines from Body Muscles by Ivan Vulović, Apache 2.0 — regrouped and recoloured for Muscle Train.
Lower the barbell in a controlled arc behind your head, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows. Feel a stretch in your lats and chest as the bar reaches parallel to the floor. Exhale and pull the barbell back up, contracting your lats and chest at the top without locking your elbows. Keep your torso stable.
To protect your shoulders, keep your arms mostly straight throughout the movement, allowing the stretch to occur in your lats and chest. Visualize a smooth, consistent arc path for the barbell, ensuring it travels directly behind your head and back up without deviation. Actively engage your lat muscles to initiate and power the pulling phase, focusing on squeezing them at the top of the movement. Avoid excessive arching of your lower back by maintaining a neutral spine and bracing your core throughout the exercise, which will help stabilize your torso. Breathe steadily and deeply, inhaling during the lowering phase and exhaling as you pull the barbell back up, to maintain rhythm and control.
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