Back Exercise: Dumbbell Pullover

The dumbbell pullover is an excellent move to build your back and chest. It works the latissimus dorsi, the large fan shaped muscle that runs across your middle and lower back, the pectoralis major, another large fan shaped muscle that runs across your chest as well as the long head of your triceps brachii muscle (back of arms).

To perform this exercise:

• Start by resting your shoulders and upper back on a flat bench or a Swiss ball.
  
• Make sure your feet are planted firmly on the ground.
  
• Grab hold of a suitable dumbbell with both hands (see the photo below for the correct way of holding the dumbbell).
  
• DOWNWARD: As you inhale, bring the dumbbell behind your head as you bend your elbows and squeeze your chest.
  
• UPWARD: Exhale as your bring your arms back up to the starting position.

Tip: Do not lift your feet off the ground during the movement. Use your feet as an anchor and only move your arms upward using your chest muscles.

If you are performing this exercise on a Swiss ball do not let the ball roll too far down your back whilst doing the exercise. The focus should be placed on using your back and chest muscles to control the dumbbell.

The starting position of the dumbbell pullover exercise

The ending position of the dumbbell pullover exercise

Author: Dimi Ingle.
Copyright 2009: Remedium. This article may not be copied, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Remedium.