Dumbbell Pullover
Overview
This exercise focuses on your chest and lats. Your pecs are your chest muscles, extending from your sternum across to your shoulder, from your collarbone down to the bottom of your rib cage. Lats, or latissimi dorsi, are the muscles that allow you to bend your upper back, which wrap around from your underarm to your hips.
Instructions
To begin, lie flat on the bench, making sure to have a firm base with your feet on the ground. Lift your weight over your head, your arms fully extended.
Keep your glutes and core tight throughout the movement. Allow the weight to drift down behind your head, as close to the floor as possible. This is your starting position.
Exhale as you lift the dumbbell up in the air, then inhale as you slowly lower it back down. Keep a slight bend in your elbows.
Tips
A common mistake is using too much weight. This exercise is great for your lats, but if your weight is too heavy, you lose control in your shoulders.
Warm up with a set of 15 reps using a light weight. Then switch to a heavier weight and do 2 or 3 more sets of 15.
This is a simple exercise, and you need is a dumbbell and a bench, but it’s incredibly effective.
