10 Best Barbell Decline Pullover Alternatives for Shoulder Pain
The Barbell Decline Pullover is done lying on your back with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: Isometric Wipers, the Chest Dip On Straight Bar and the Push And Pull Bodyweight.
Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works
Original Exercise: Barbell Decline Pullover
- Primary muscle
- Pectorals
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Type
- Compound
Secondary muscles: Triceps, Shoulders
How to perform Barbell Decline Pullover
- Lie down on a decline bench with your head lower than your hips and your feet secured.
- Hold the barbell with a pronated grip (palms facing away from you) and your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Extend your arms above your chest, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
- Lower the barbell in an arc motion behind your head, feeling a stretch in your chest and shoulders.
- Pause for a moment, then return the barbell to the starting position by reversing the motion.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Ranked Barbell Decline Pullover Alternatives
10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Barbell Decline Pullover on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.
Best match 1. Isometric Wipers
76% match- Pectorals
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
Use this when you have nothing to train with, because it works the pectorals with bodyweight alone.
How to perform this exercise
- Start by lying flat on your back on a mat or bench.
- Extend your arms straight out to the sides, perpendicular to your body.
- Engage your core and lift both legs off the ground, keeping them together and straight.
- Slowly lower your legs to one side, aiming to touch the ground with your feet while maintaining control.
- Pause for a moment, then use your core to lift your legs back to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement, this time lowering your legs to the opposite side.
- Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Decline Pullover
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: lying face down, not lying on your back
2. Chest Dip On Straight Bar
71% match- Pectorals
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Grab the parallel bars with your palms facing down and your arms fully extended.
- Bend your knees and cross your ankles.
- Lower your body by bending your arms until your shoulders are below your elbows.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Decline Pullover
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: hanging, not lying on your back
3. Push And Pull Bodyweight
71% match- Pectorals
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Start in a push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line.
- Lower your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping your body straight.
- Push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.
- From the push-up position, pull your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping your body straight.
- Push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Decline Pullover
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: lying face down, not lying on your back
4. Push-up
71% match- Pectorals
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet together.
- Engage your core and lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping your body in a straight line.
- Pause for a moment when your chest is just above the ground, then push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Decline Pullover
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: lying face down, not lying on your back
5. Drop Push Up
71% match- Pectorals
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your chest towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Once your chest is just above the ground, quickly drop your knees to the ground.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position by extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Decline Pullover
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: lying face down, not lying on your back
6. Modified Hindu Push-up
71% match- Pectorals
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Start in a push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet hip-width apart.
- Lower your body towards the ground, bending your elbows and keeping your core engaged.
- As you lower your body, shift your weight back and lift your hips up towards the ceiling, creating an inverted V shape with your body.
- Continue to lower your body until your chest is just above the ground, then reverse the movement, pushing your hips back down and extending your arms to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Decline Pullover
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: standing, not lying on your back
7. Pike-to-cobra Push-up
71% match- Pectorals
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Start in a push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet together.
- Engage your core and lift your hips up towards the ceiling, forming an inverted V shape with your body.
- Lower your upper body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your body.
- As you lower down, shift your weight forward and transition into a cobra pose by straightening your arms and lifting your chest up.
- Reverse the movement by bending your elbows and lowering your chest back down towards the ground.
- Push through your hands to return to the inverted V position.
- Continue the movement by lowering your hips back down towards the ground, returning to the starting push-up position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Decline Pullover
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: lying face down, not lying on your back
8. Push-ups With Feet Elevated
71% match- Pectorals
- Bodyweight
- Intermediate
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Lie on the floor face down and place your hands about 36 inches apart from each other holding your torso up at arms length.
- Place your toes on top of a flat bench. This will allow your body to be elevated. Note: The higher the elevation of the flat bench, the higher the resistance of the exercise is.
- Lower yourself until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.
- Using your pectoral muscles, press your upper body back up to the starting position and squeeze your chest. Breathe out as you perform this step.
- After a second pause at the contracted position, repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Decline Pullover
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: lying face down, not lying on your back
9. Kneeling Push-up
70% match- Pectorals
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Start by kneeling on the ground with your hands shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing forward.
- Extend your legs behind you, resting on the balls of your feet, so that your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- Engage your core and lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
- Continue lowering until your chest is just above the ground, then push back up to the starting position by straightening your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Decline Pullover
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: kneeling, not lying on your back
10. Pushups
70% match- Pectorals
- Bodyweight
- Beginner
- Compound
How to perform this exercise
- Lie on the floor face down and place your hands about 36 inches apart while holding your torso up at arms length.
- Next, lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.
- Now breathe out and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest.
- After a brief pause at the top contracted position, you can begin to lower yourself downward again for as many repetitions as needed.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.
Why this matches
- Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Decline Pullover
- Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
- Body position: lying face down, not lying on your back
Why You Might Need a Barbell Decline Pullover Alternative
You might substitute the Barbell Decline Pullover because of shoulder irritation from a long lever, lack of a decline bench, or weak scapular control that increases impingement risk. The barbell can force a fixed grip and limit scapular motion, increasing stress on the anterior shoulder. Alternatives let you control elbow angle, vary load paths (cable vs free weight) and attack the lower pecs or serratus with safer mechanics. Cue: maintain scapular retraction on the descent and a controlled eccentric to protect the rotator cuff while still biasing pectoral fibers.
Barbell Decline Pullover FAQ
What muscles does Barbell Decline Pullover work?
The Barbell Decline Pullover primarily loads the pectoralis major (lower fibers) while also engaging the latissimus dorsi and serratus anterior. It uses shoulder extension and a long-lever eccentric, so the triceps long head and scapular stabilizers assist during the movement.
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