# Dumbbell pullovers



## BeingReborn (Aug 27, 2015)

Anyone do these? Have you seen changes as a result?


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## Heavyassweights (Jan 18, 2014)

In


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

> Anyone do these? Have you seen changes as a result?


Thought you only cared about getting a pump?

I've never done a dumbbell pullover, and as a beginner I'd suggest you don't spend time on exercises like this either.


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## BeingReborn (Aug 27, 2015)

Ultrasonic said:


> Thought you only cared about getting a pump?
> 
> I've never done a dumbbell pullover, and as a beginner I'd suggest you don't spend time on exercises like this either.


The pump's where it's at!

Why do you suggest I don't spend time doing pullovers?


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

> The pump's where it's at!
> 
> Why do you suggest I don't spend time doing pullovers?


Because there are much more basic exercises that are far more productive.

You would probably benefit from starting a thread in the Getting Started section stating what your goals are and discussig your current routine, rather than jumping in here and asking about a specific exercise out of context. Oh, and IIRC you're female, right? It would be worth making this clear in your new thread if you are, as the suggestions may be different. Or even post in the Female Bodybuilding section I guess.


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## BeingReborn (Aug 27, 2015)

What's out of context about my question? It is a simple question, does anyone do pullovers and have they seen results from them?

What basic exercises are far more productive than pullovers?


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

BeingReborn said:


> What's out of context about my question? It is a simple question, does anyone do pullovers and have they seen results from them?
> 
> What basic exercises are far more productive than pullovers?


I meant out of the context of the rest of your routine.

By basic exercises, if we're talking lats I mean things like rows, chin ups and deadlifts.


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## Prince Adam (Mar 17, 2012)

BeingReborn said:


> What's out of context about my question? It is a simple question, does anyone do pullovers and have they seen results from them?
> 
> What basic exercises are far more productive than pullovers?


From what I understand they are a chest exercise. And a stretching one at that.

Flat, incline and decline presses as well as dips are all more basic and productive for building the chest.

Hell even flys would fall into that group.

Pullovers I'm sure are a finishing exercise to stretch the tissue out.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Prince Adam said:


> From what I understand they are a chest exercise. And a stretching one at that.
> 
> Flat, incline and decline presses as well as dips are all more basic and productive for building the chest.
> 
> ...


I think whether it's chest or lat focused depends quite how you do it, but I suspect a beginner is more likely to find it lat focused as they probably won't be used to focusing on chest contraction. Either way it's firmly at the supplementary end of the exercise spectrum!


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

A bit of a discussion here about whether they are chest or lat dominant:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=122527161


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## JohhnyC (Mar 16, 2015)

Ultrasonic said:


> A bit of a discussion here about whether they are chest or lat dominant:
> 
> http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=122527161


if I am ever confused about what muscle group gets hits, I just exercise it intensely, add in drop sets etc and the next day will confirm exactly what muscles got hit.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

JohhnyC said:


> if I am ever confused about what muscle group gets hits, I just exercise it intensely, add in drop sets etc and the next day will confirm exactly what muscles got hit.


If I'm confused about what muscle an exercise works I wouldn't put it in my routine to begin with! The fact we're discussing it sums this exercise up for me, particularly for a beginner.

I know what you mean though. I've just had a quick try, and it feels mostly lats to me, unless I deliberately focus on contracting my chest.


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## engllishboy (Nov 1, 2007)

I did them at one time, following i think it was The Rocks workout, as a 100 rep finisher for chest. The doms in my lats ****ed me up for back day so i dropped them lol.


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## BeingReborn (Aug 27, 2015)

Labels are bullshit. I choose to see myself as a machine, capable of anything I put my mind to. And I mean f*cking anything. I did sets of pullovers in my last chest training and I have beautiful DOMS. I think pullover are an amazing and under-rated exercise that hit multiple muscle groups.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

BeingReborn said:


> Labels are bullshit. I choose to see myself as a machine, capable of anything I put my mind to. And I mean f*cking anything. I did sets of pullovers in my last chest training and I have beautiful DOMS. I think pullover are an amazing and under-rated exercise that hit multiple muscle groups.


What label are you referring to?


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## BeingReborn (Aug 27, 2015)

All your fixed ideas about me and my abilities based on zero knowledge of me or my experience.


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## mal (Dec 31, 2009)

love them after a back sesh,light weight say 15-20 kg amazing stretch on lats,tris shoulders etc,

works so many muscles,just don't go too heavy!


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

BeingReborn said:


> All your fixed ideas about me and my abilities based on zero knowledge of me or my experience.


Sorry, you've misunderstood me. I didn't mean to suggest you weren't capable of doing the exercise, rather that you would be better off doing something else. The same would apply to most people, me included.

If you do any new exercise you will get DOMS, but getting DOMS doesn't mean a muscle will grow, and you don't need DOMS to get growth. Just as you don't need a pump come to that.

If you want to build muscle then right now you are best off focusing on the major compound lifts, which crucially allow you to lift more weight.

I'm trying to help you here. You can do whatever you want, but if you're posting looking for advice, then my advice would be to not spend time on exercises like dumbbell pullovers.

Edit: oh, and the only knowledge any of us can have of your experience is what you tell us...


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## BeingReborn (Aug 27, 2015)

mal said:


> love them after a back sesh,light weight say 15-20 kg amazing stretch on lats,tris shoulders etc,
> 
> works so many muscles,just don't go too heavy!


Love it. I did sets with 14kg. Amazing stretch. Done right and with focus, I think this is a great exercise!


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## BeingReborn (Aug 27, 2015)

Ultrasonic said:


> Sorry, you've misunderstood me. I didn't mean to suggest you weren't capable of doing the exercise, rather that you would be better off doing something else. The same would apply to most people, me included.
> 
> If you do any new exercise you will get DOMS, but getting DOMS doesn't mean a muscle will grow, and you don't need DOMS to get growth. Just as you don't need a pump come to that.
> 
> ...


Yeah but you have no legitimate argument against pullovers. I don't see what the issue is. You're not answering my question in the thread, just going off on a tangent. I wanted to hear other people's experiences with this exercise, then you waded in. What is the issue with pullovers in their own right?


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

BeingReborn said:


> Yeah but you have no legitimate argument against pullovers. I don't see what the issue is. You're not answering my question in the thread, just going off on a tangent. I wanted to hear other people's experiences with this exercise, then you waded in. What is the issue with pullovers in their own right?


As I said I was trying to help you. Particularly by my suggestion that you start a thread about your goals and training as a whole. How good and exercise is really does depend on how it fits in with everything else that you do. My major issue with the exercise is that by doing it you are using up time and effort that could be better spent doing something else. If you read my last post again you'll see I did try to explain why.


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## BeingReborn (Aug 27, 2015)

Yeah but I do other stuff on other training days. You just don't seem to see any value in pullovers but for no understandable reason. Forget about my time and whether I'm using it efficiently - imagine I have several hours to do what I want in the gym and pullovers are added on to my chest day - what's the issue with this? Either you see some value in this exercise or you don't, which is it and why?


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## The-Real-Deal (Dec 5, 2014)

Dumbbell pull overs are good for lats and the chest however you only get half the movement for lats. Your far better off using the nautilus pull over machine for the full range of motion. It is also not a good exercise if you have poor shoulder mobility. They are an old favourite of many of the great BB of yesteryear, Yates, Colman, Mentzer, Schwarzenegger, to mention but a few. They are a compound exercises that targets the chest and back/lats. If your getting DOMS in these areas then this shows you hitting the correct area with them with good form. :thumbup1:


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## BeingReborn (Aug 27, 2015)

Natty Steve'o said:


> Dumbbell pull overs are good for lats and the chest however you only get half the movement for lats. Your far better off using the nautilus pull over machine for the full range of motion. It is also not a good exercise if you have poor shoulder mobility. They are an old favourite of many of the great BB of yesteryear, Yates, Colman, Mentzer, Schwarzenegger, to mention but a few. They are a compound exercises that targets the chest and back/lats. If your getting DOMS in these areas then this shows you hitting the correct area with them with good form. :thumbup1:


Nice one. Exactly what I was looking for. Yes I thought they were a compound exercise, not an isolation exercise. I'm on day 2 now since doing them and this morning I could hardly lift my arms, proper aching in my chest/lats and arms. I can see why this exercise was a favourite of many of the greats. It seems so under-rated nowadays. I had to really concentrate on doing these pullovers to work the right areas. I train with a personal trainer currently which has proven to be a great investment. It's shown me how much your mind can influence training, i.e. I see a number on a weight and think no way can I do that, then I just ignore that crap and get on and do it.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

BeingReborn said:


> Yeah but I do other stuff on other training days. You just don't seem to see any value in pullovers but for no understandable reason. Forget about my time and whether I'm using it efficiently - imagine I have several hours to do what I want in the gym and pullovers are added on to my chest day - what's the issue with this? Either you see some value in this exercise or you don't, which is it and why?


You only have a limited amount of energy and effort you can put into training, and actually subsequent recovery. Any exercise can therefore only be looked at meaningfully in the context of a whole training programme. More time and effort on other exercises that allow you to use more weight and to progressively increase that weight over time are more likely to produce more growth in my opinion.

Quite what is best for you will depend on your goals and where you are at right now, which is why I suggested you start a new thread to discuss your training in general. I have no particular knowledge or experience of training for women BTW, and you would likely benefit from input from those that do, and a new thread would be a way to get this.

I apologise that I have clearly annoyed you in this thread, but please understand everything I have said to you has been to try to help you.


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## BeingReborn (Aug 27, 2015)

I can see that bud. I apologise if I was getting overheated. Truce! f**k it, life's too short.


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## AlexH96 (Jun 3, 2015)

I do pullovers sometimes on my chest workout as if you get the form right it is an amazing exercise for building a solid chest but get the form wrong which it is so easy to do you will end up pulling your shoulders and working your triceps not chest so if you are a beginner i wouldn't recommend it.


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## Plate (May 14, 2015)

They sound heavy I will stick to cotton..


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## ausmaz (Jul 14, 2014)

Just my 2 cents ok, but here's a simple analogy re: pullovers (in fact any supementary/isolation exercises) 1. They work a VERY SMALL proportion of muscle 2. You cannot use mush weight as they put the body in a disadvantageous position mechanically 3. You CANNOT PROGRESS them for extended periods of time. Think of it this way, they are literally the icing on the cake....... if you have no cake..... why make icing?


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## Jamieson (Jul 11, 2014)

Pullovers are arguably the best and most effective Lat exercise there is, if you happen to have a Nautilus Pullover Machine, preferably an old first gen one, on hand, as the movement is effectively a pulldown and low row in one with NO biceps or forearm fatigue to limit the effect it has on your Lats.

If you don't have a pullover machine, ab sling pulldowns are a great substitute and the best second choice and are much more effective than DB Pullovers. If you've only got DBs and have to do your pullovers that way then make sure you only bring your arms up so the DB is over your forehead, do not pull the DB all the way over the face or towards your chest as this will take all the tension off your lats.

And for what it's worth, do them first, not last, on back day.


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## BeingReborn (Aug 27, 2015)

Nice one Jameison. I can't like it as I've run out of my quota of likes.


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Pullovers are awesome in all varieties IMO.

To maximize the lats lie crosswise over a bench with hips off the bench and lower than the bench, dumbbell grasped in both hands, elbows kept as bent as possible and not drifting too far outward for as much of the movement as possible and really going back with the db to maximize stretch in the lats. Good for going medium-heavy-ish once you know the form and doing sets of 6-10 reps.

To hit the pecs and serratus more lie normally along a bench and use a bar rather than db's and hold it wider than shoulder width apart and keep arms straight. You can use far less weight this way and best only as a pumping movement at 10-15 reps.

You can also do hybrid pullovers with a medium grip and with slight degrees of elbow bend to spread the load more evenly between muscles.


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

And in answer to the original uestion, yep I noticed these helped my lats a lot. Just a warning, they can give crazy DOMS in the lats when you first do them.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

> Pullovers are awesome in all varieties IMO.
> 
> To maximize the lats lie crosswise over a bench with hips off the bench and lower than the bench, dumbbell grasped in both hands, elbows kept as bent as possible and not drifting too far outward for as much of the movement as possible and really going back with the db to maximize stretch in the lats. Good for going medium-heavy-ish once you know the form and doing sets of 6-10 reps.


Perhaps I should reconsider dumbbell pullovers...

I must confess I really didn't think doing them as low as 6 reps was likely to be practical, in terms of both getting the weight into position, and I'd thought this would end up putting a lot of strain on the shoulders?

For someone fairly new to lifting my gut feeling is still that chin-ups would be a better exercise to be focusing on, but I guess I'm partly swayed by my preference for whole body training where I think chin-ups are great due to the large range of muscles used (assuming decent form).


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## monkeybiker (Jul 21, 2010)

Jamieson said:


> Pullovers are arguably the best and most effective Lat exercise there is, if you happen to have a Nautilus Pullover Machine, preferably an old first gen one, on hand, as the movement is effectively a pulldown and low row in one with NO biceps or forearm fatigue to limit the effect it has on your Lats.
> 
> If you don't have a pullover machine, ab sling pulldowns are a great substitute and the best second choice and are much more effective than DB Pullovers. If you've only got DBs and have to do your pullovers that way then make sure you only bring your arms up so the DB is over your forehead, do not pull the DB all the way over the face or towards your chest as this will take all the tension off your lats.
> 
> And for what it's worth, do them first, not last, on back day.


I'll have to give that a try.


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## nWo (Mar 25, 2014)

Dumbbell pullovers are a lat exercise. You have to consider the functions of both the pecs and the lats - the function of the lats is to pull the elbows in/down towards the body and back. With a pullover of full range, let's say on a pullover machine, the elbows would start overhead, come out in front, and then be pulled in towards the body - the lats control this movement, it's just with a dumbbell you're only performing a part of the ROM. The pecs bring the elbows from the sides to out in front of you, far from what a pullover is based on, so the pecs aren't working to any significant degree. You can "feel" the pecs stretching for sure, but then you can feel them stretching on a wide grip pullup if done correctly as well. They're not contracting against resistance on the way up - if they are, you're pressing the weight up, you're not pulling it up. Dumbbell flyes would be a much more efficient use of your time and energy if you're looking to get a deep stretch on the chest and then force the pecs to fire out of it against resistance.


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## vetran (Oct 17, 2009)

in the flex weider and muscle mags in the 90s they used to reckon this was a good way to stretch your rib cage dont no whether they still say this but i very much doubt it lol


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## Mingster (Mar 25, 2011)

vetran said:


> in the flex weider and muscle mags in the 90s they used to reckon this was a good way to stretch your rib cage dont no whether they still say this but i very much doubt it lol


Combined with 20 rep breathing squats. Totally doesn't happen.


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