Dumbbell Pullover

Muscles worked: Chest (assisted by back).

How to do it

1. Place a dumbbell standing up on a flat bench.
2. Ensuring that the dumbbell stays securely placed at the top of the bench, lie perpendicular to the bench (torso across it as in forming a cross) with only your shoulders lying on the surface.
3. Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and hold it straight over your chest with a bend in your arms.
4. While keeping your arms locked in the bent arm position, lower the weight slowly in an arc behind your head while breathing in until you feel a stretch on the chest.
5. At that point, bring the dumbbell back to the starting position using the arc through which the weight was lowered and exhale as you perform this movement.

Coaching cues

The two cues IronPack shows on this exercise's card mid-workout:

• One bell, arms slightly bent overhead
• Big stretch behind the head, pull back over the chest

Logging it

IronPack suggests working in the 10 to 15 rep range, progressing in 2 kg jumps when you own the top of the range. Records are tracked automatically at every rep count from 1 to 12. Check your estimated 1RM from any hard set.

Related exercises

• Barbell Bench Press - chest
• Dumbbell Bench Press - chest
• Incline Dumbbell Press - chest
• Incline Barbell Press - chest

Photos and steps: free-exercise-db (public domain). Cues, muscle weighting and logging guidance are IronPack's own app data. Last generated 2026-07-17.