Pullover Exercise:
Tips for Excellent Pullover Form

Discover pullover exercise advice on this page to maximize the benefits of pullovers. Discover tips and tricks for improved form.

Pullover Exercise Tips. The Dumbbell pullover may take a bit of getting used to. At first, it may feel awkward and seem like your only using your arm muscles. But once you've perfected form, you will really be able to feel this exercise hitting your chest muscles. Keep the following tips in mind the next time you do a set.

• Control. Because you'll be lifting a rather heavy dumbbell over your head, it's pretty critical that you remain in control of its movement! Just another reason to start light and work heavy.
• Don't Over-Arch Your Back. Having a slight, controlled arch in your back will help you to lift more. But, going too far and losing control puts your back at risk. Even if you don't injure yourself, your form is garbage and your workout is less effective. So how do you prevent arching too much? Don't lower the weight too far past your head, as this will raise your butt off the bench. Squeeze your glutes throughout the movement and tighten your abdominals. This also helps ensure you're not cheating by letting your torso do the work.
• What About Elbows? This is another often-viewed error that begs for problems. At no time during this exercise should your elbows be locked out. Instead, keep a very slight bend. And speaking of elbows, don't flare them out! They should remain in-line with your head.
• The Stretch. Remember, actual range of motion is very individual, so don't over-do the stretch! Don't worry if you seem to be tight; just take it slow and in no time at all you'll see an improvement to your shoulder flexibility and thus your range of motion.
• Select the Appropriate Weight. I can't say this enough. I almost always see guys using dumbbell that they have no business with. How do I know? They only way they can get weight back to the start position is by staging a seizure and convulsing until the rep is complete. :D Use a lighter weight for your first set and give your chest a chance to stretch and warm up. You'll be able to lift more weight in subsequent sets as a result.
• Pectoral Focus. Focus on using your pecs to both control the dumbbell's descent, and its return to the start position. Be mentally aware of the muscle contraction, and remember -- The pullover exercise works your chest during both the concentric (the upward movement of the dumbbell) and eccentric (when you lower the dumbbell) movement. So focus on your pectorals not only as you raise the weight to the start position, but as you lower it too for full advantage of the exercise. Don't worry about the lats, as these back muscles tend to get worked without concerted effort on this exercise.
• Wrist Check. Resist the tendency to bend your wrists excessively as you lower the dumbbell. Try to keep them in a neutral position.
• Form Check. Using the aid of a mirror or spotter is a good idea when you're first learning proper technique of the dumbbell pullover. This will help ensure your mid section remains neutral. If the weight you use is a very heavy one, ask a spotter to hand you the weight and take it always when you complete your set- whatever you do, don't release the weight behind your head!

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