Thread: dumbell pullovers

they are probably the best stretch-muscle movement for the back, the serratus is mainly slow twitch so you need to hit them with high reps

Why do you feel that they are worthless? I think they are an excellent exercise.

The dumbell pull over can be classified aas a single joint movement. The joint is the shoulder joint and the movement is shoulder extension. The muscles that do shoulder joint extension are latisimus dorsi, teres major and your posterior deltoid. I always put this exercise on my back day. However some put it on their chet day. Why? Because, the eccetric portion of this exercise, the part of the exercise where you are bringing the weight over your head, is shoulder joint flexion you are utilizing pec major, anterior deltoid, biceps brachii, and your coaco brachiallis to stabalize the weight before the conncentric portion, moving the weight from over your head back to start postion.

The muscle fingers that run along your rib cage are reffered to as serratus anterior. They originate at your rib cage and run around your body and attach to the anteriot surface on the medial border of the scapula. Because of the way they atach they help to pull your scapula into external rotation and/or scapula abduction. External rotation of the scapula occurs during exercises which utilize shoulder abduction (think millitary press or lateral raises). Abdution of the scapula occurs during exercises when shpulder extension or shoulder horizontal extension are happening (think bench press, front raises or dumbell pull overs).

In my opinion this is a great exercises. I hope this anatomy breakdown of the exercise helps.

I'm also a big fan of this exercise and always try to incorporate it into my workouts. I thought it was really uncomfortable at first. With time, you'll get the form down and probably think it's useful.

a good alteranative to this exercise is to do standing straight arm cable press downs. It is the same motion, shoulder joint extension, the only difference is that instead of the conncentroc portion beging at 180 degrees of extension (hands over head) it is starting at 90 degrees of extension (hands out in front, parallel to the floor). This may be a little more comnfortable for your shoulder.

P-funk

I have done the standing straight arm press downs for quite some time. I have never known whether I should be starting the motion at 90 degrees or at about 150 or 160 degrees. What are your thoughts on this? If you start the movement at greater than 90 degrees are you working more of the lower lat? Do you do this exercise with reps or heavier weight?

Thanks P-funk

all4diving

I love doing dumbbell pullovers....it not only developes the serratus muscles but it also helps to expand your ribcage when you are breathe in on the downward motion of the exercise.

I have done dumbbell pullovers with 120 pounds for reps.

I always start off with the heaviest weight possible then decrease the weight by ten pounds on each set as I try to do as many reps per set as possible.


I love this exercise.

I have done the standing straight arm press downs for quite some time. I have never known whether I should be starting the motion at 90 degrees or at about 150 or 160 degrees. What are your thoughts on this? If you start the movement at greater than 90 degrees are you working more of the lower lat? Do you do this exercise with reps or heavier weight?

I like to start mine at or slightly above 90 degrees (90 degrees being arms parallel to the floor) because it is hard to get that far over your head since you are standing back from the machine. Going above 90 degrees will however increase the amount of depression happening at the shoulder girdle which will work trap 4 a little bit more.

Originally posted by beta1770
What do y'all think about dumbell pullovers? Ive done them a few times and feel that they are useless, but I see many others actually implementing them into their workouts.

What muscle(s) does it work, and if helpful, should you do it w/ chest or back workouts? Heavy/few reps - light/more reps?

I heard it helps develop the "muscle fingers" that run along your rib cage.........True???

thanx,

beta1770

True indeed, I added a few inches on my chest and i'm almost certain it was the pullovers.

I found the best way was to use a light barbell. I got a better stretch. gulp in as much air as possible on EVERY single rep.

The absolutely best method in my opinion is to superset heavy squats with barbell or dumbell pullovers. the reason this works best is because the heavy squats give you no choice but to breathe like a hurricane. so strait after that the rib cage is ready to expand.

squatting does not cause the ribcage to expand and neither do pullovers. that is one of many bb myths

I could have sworn the Great Arnold said that this exercise as well as squats expanded the ribcage.......

Hmmmm?

Is it just like the myth that scientist were saying years ago that steroids dont work in building muscle?

Originally posted by JerrymeMorales
I could have sworn the Great Arnold said that this exercise as well as squats expanded the ribcage.......

you won't find one single medical study that supports that.

Originally posted by JerrymeMorales
I could have sworn the Great Arnold said that this exercise as well as squats expanded the ribcage.......

he probably did, that does not mean it's true.

I have always liked the pullovers as a good exercise for the back. I never got a good feel for it as a chest movement. I use a db lying perpendicular on the bench with my arms kept in a diamond shape throughout the movement <> like this which seems to keep the stress on the lats instead of the chest or tris. my 2 cents