Dumbbell Pullover
The Dumbbell Pullover is an upper-body accessory exercise performed on a bench that targets the lats and long head of the triceps. It involves lowering a dumbbell in a controlled arc behind the head to stretch the lats before returning it to the starting position over the chest.
Iridium attributes volume from this exercise to your weekly landmarks for both the Latissimus Dorsi and the long head of the triceps. Since this movement places significant tension on the triceps in a stretched position, the AI accounts for sub-muscle fatigue from recent pushing workouts to ensure specific local recovery is sufficient before assigning it.
Form Cues
- Lie flat on the bench with your feet planted securely
- Hold the dumbbell with a diamond grip and maintain a fixed, slight elbow bend
- Lower the weight in a smooth arc until biceps are near your ears
- Drive the elbows forward toward your hips to return to the start
- Keep your ribs down and core braced throughout the movement
- Don't change the angle of your elbows during the rep
- Don't let your lower back arch excessively as the weight lowers
- Don't lower the weight beyond your comfortable range of shoulder mobility
- Don't use momentum or hip drive to swing the weight up
Common Mistakes
- Turning the movement into a skull crusher by bending elbows
- Flaring the ribs and arching the lower back
- Lowering the weight too fast without control
- Stopping the movement too early and missing the stretch
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily strengthens the latissimus dorsi by taking the muscle through a deep, loaded stretch, which is excellent for hypertrophy. It also heavily recruits the long head of the triceps and the serratus anterior, while engaging the chest and core stabilizers to control the arc of movement.
Primary
Secondary
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