Pullover: how to do it
Main muscles: Latissimus dorsi (lats), Serratus anterior. Helpers: Upper chest, Triceps long head. Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Dumbbells
Reps
6–10
Rest
150 s
Muscle group
Back
How to do it
- Lie along the bench and hold the dumbbell with both hands by the top plate.
- Lower it behind your head on slightly bent arms until the lats stretch, then return along the same arc.
- Keep the ribs down and do not arch the lower back.
Common mistakes
Arching the lower back, moving at the elbows only.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Latissimus dorsi (lats), Serratus anterior
- Secondary
- Upper chest, Triceps long head
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Alternatives: similar exercises
Straight-arm pulldown
Cable · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major
One-arm dumbbell row
Dumbbells · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major, Rhomboids
Pull-ups
Bodyweight · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major
Barbell row
Barbell · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Rhomboids, Middle traps
Lat pulldown
Cable · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major
T-bar row
Barbell · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Rhomboids, Middle traps
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
GymAssist tracks the load on each of 40 muscles, paints it on a body map and uses double progression to tell you when to add weight.
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