#Pullover workout how to#

And don’t forget to concentrate on keeping your ribcage closed the entire set, which keeps the pullover not only a back move but an abs exercise as well. Also, think about pulling the weight to a top position of a 91-degree angle relative to torso. Avoid flaring your elbows and instead focus on allowing keeping control of a tight, externally rotated position. Don't bend your elbows-you'll take away the lever for your lats and offload the work to your triceps. There are few other points to be aware of while doing dumbbell pullovers. You want to drive your elbows up toward the ceiling as you’re going down as far as possible for the maximum safe range of motion. If this cannot be accomplished without holding any load, you may want to try another lat-friendly as an alternative, as adding any additional load to the pullover would yield negative results. Test your ability to do so by putting one hand on your ribcage while raising your other, with the goal of keeping your rib cage down while not allowing your back to arch.

#Pullover workout how to#

How to Do the Dumbbell PulloverĪ proper dumbbell pullover requires getting into a good overhead position without overarching your back, according to Samuel. First though, Samuel points out that successfully performing the dumbbell pullover actually requires an understanding of how your abs play a role in the pullover more than you probably thought, which goes along with the initial goal of finding a safer shoulder position to perform pullovers. It’s time to be reintroduced to this move, as Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., and fitness editor Brett Williams, N.A.S.M.-CPT, demonstrate in the latest Form Check. The dumbbell pullover targets a host of muscle groups, including your chest, shoulders, back, and (if you're keeping your posture solid) even your abs. This old-school bodybuilding exercise has fallen off the radar in recent years, but the pullover is possibly one of the most underrated exercises in your training arsenal-if you understand how to use it properly, of course. That may be the last time most people have seen this move performed anywhere. Many hardcore gym rats recall seeing bodybuilding icon Arnold Schwarzenegger pumping out sets of dumbbell pullovers back in the day.