Pull overs

**UFC rocks** · 02-12-2009, 02:27 AM

Hi guys, just wanted to know what you think about dumbell pullovers as a back exercise.

i'm a bit confused because some use it for a chest workout, while others for a lat workout. from my understanding as long as you dont bring it too far towards your abs it hits the lats quite well, once you start bringing it really forwards towards the abs it starts to hit your chest.

Do you think if i go nice and low on the way down to get a nice strench in the lats and only bring it up to overhead, keeping the chest out of the exercise (trying to keep my arms as staright as possible, so not to get the triceps involed), then will it be any good for the lats.

i only have free weights and a pull up bar, so pull/chin ups and bb/db rows are all i have to work the back, (oh that and deadlifts, which i do on my leg days). so i wanted to add something new in there.

Dont worry i am not going to drop the heavy compounds, i will still do all the pull/chin up and rows first, i was just thinking finishing the back workout with 2 or 3 sets of dumbell pullover.

So what do you guys think is the exercises any good, or is it a waste of time?

thanks in advance.

**Skib** · 02-12-2009, 05:30 AM

I don't do pull overs... they just don't look like they do much but I could be wrong...

**ALBOB** · 02-12-2009, 08:14 AM

They are primarily a lat movement, but they are by no means a lat isolation movement. The best description I've ever heard was from Nasser El Sonbatty who called them the upper body squat. I do them right after deadlifts and right before and type of rowing movement. Really helps get the mind/muscle connection dialed in.

**PainandGain** · 02-12-2009, 08:50 AM

I love pull-overs.

I added them to my routine(s) about a year ago and fell in love with them.
I swear to God I see a difference in my back just underneath my arms from doing them.

**min0 lee** · 02-12-2009, 09:04 AM

I swear this helped me swing a sledge hammer harder.

**Hoglander** · 02-12-2009, 11:34 PM

Do a hard set of them, then right away go straight to pull ups. Then decide for yourself.

**Perdido** · 02-13-2009, 03:58 AM

Originally Posted by Hoglander

Do a hard set of them, then right away go straight to pull ups. Then decide for yourself.

This is what I do.

**MeatheadSam** · 02-13-2009, 05:27 AM

I do a variation of pullovers with a rope and overhead cable. You lose the resistance on dumbells once you are over your forehead and the cable allows me resistance all the way to the end of the ROM

**dumbbell** · 02-18-2009, 08:26 AM

I was unaware that some saw this as a chest exercise. Like MeatheadSam said there's no resistance going past straight up, so there's no benefit to going any further forward. Since it is a pull that would make it a lat exercise. The chest reference might come from the notion that it is believed by some to cause the ribcage to expand. I don't know if this is true or not.

I do perform them for the same reasons you listed. I'm limited to barbells, dumbbells and pull ups for lat exercises.

I would like to know what the benefit of performing them crosswise on a bench is. Everyone seems to do them this way. I've been doing them laying on a bench in the normal direction.

**ALBOB** · 02-18-2009, 12:44 PM

Doing them across the bench allows you to get your butt even lower than the bench which gives you a much greater stretch at the bottom of the movement.

**gnarly28** · 02-18-2009, 06:33 PM

pull overs are my favorite

**dumbbell** · 02-19-2009, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by ALBOB

Doing them across the bench allows you to get your butt even lower than the bench which gives you a much greater stretch at the bottom of the movement.

Cool. I'll try them this way next time they're in my rotation. Thanks.

**blueboy75** · 02-19-2009, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by UFC rocks

Hi guys, just wanted to know what you think about dumbell pullovers as a back exercise.

i'm a bit confused because some use it for a chest workout, while others for a lat workout. from my understanding as long as you dont bring it too far towards your abs it hits the lats quite well, once you start bringing it really forwards towards the abs it starts to hit your chest.

Do you think if i go nice and low on the way down to get a nice strench in the lats and only bring it up to overhead, keeping the chest out of the exercise (trying to keep my arms as staright as possible, so not to get the triceps involed), then will it be any good for the lats.

i only have free weights and a pull up bar, so pull/chin ups and bb/db rows are all i have to work the back, (oh that and deadlifts, which i do on my leg days). so i wanted to add something new in there.

Dont worry i am not going to drop the heavy compounds, i will still do all the pull/chin up and rows first, i was just thinking finishing the back workout with 2 or 3 sets of dumbell pullover.

So what do you guys think is the exercises any good, or is it a waste of time?

thanks in advance.

Arnold is quoted as stating this exercise can expand the rib cage - im not convinced of that myself.

I dont like the stress this exercise places on my shoulders and I stay away from pullovers like the plague

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