A shoulder-extension exercise performed with a barbell while lying lengthwise on a flat bench. Its overhead arc loads the chest and latissimus dorsi while the elbows maintain a small bend.
Lie lengthwise on a stable flat bench with your head, back and pelvis supported and both feet on the floor.
Hold the bar above your chest with both hands in an overhand grip and a small bend in your elbows.
Lower the bar in an arc behind your head, stopping before your shoulder range or trunk position changes.
Bring the bar back over your chest along the same arc without turning the movement into an elbow extension.
Choose a load you can control throughout the overhead arc.
Keep your ribs from lifting and maintain the same small elbow bend.
Count one complete lowering-and-return arc as one repetition.
Arching the lower back to move the bar farther behind the head.
Repeatedly bending and straightening the elbows instead of moving mainly at the shoulders.
Dropping the bar into the bottom position or using momentum to return it.
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