Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pullover

Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pullover trains 4 of the 18 muscle groups Full Coverage tracks: Lats 70%, Chest 40%, Triceps 30%, Abs 20%.

Accessory Level: Beginner Dumbbells Bench Pull Easy on the lower backEasy on the kneesNo load on the spineEasy on the shoulders

Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pullover - Start position — Start position

Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pullover - Finish position — Finish position

How to do it

Lie back on a bench with one dumbbell held over your chest in both hands, cupping the top head.
Keep your arms almost straight, elbows barely bent.
Lower the dumbbell back over your head until you feel a stretch across your lats.
Pull it back over your chest without bending your elbows.
Almost-straight arms keep this on the lats. Bend them and your triceps take over.

Muscles it trains

Percent of one session's target for that muscle. Anything at 100% finishes that muscle on its own.

Light Main

Lats 70%
Chest 40%
Triceps 30%
Abs 20%

How it compares

Compared with the Barbell Pullover, it loads Triceps 10 points lower, Abs 5 points lower, Chest 5 points lower. It needs Dumbbells + Bench where the other uses Barbell + Bench. Compared with the Dumbbell Row, it loads Mid-back / traps 90 points lower, Rear delts 55 points lower, Biceps 45 points lower. It needs Dumbbells + Bench where the other uses Dumbbells.

Other ways to train this

Other exercises for the Lats

Related guides

Exercise illustrations and data by RepDB (repdb.co), used under licence.

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