Hey, Hey! Welcome to another Training Tip Tuesday! Today we are talking about a dumbbell overhead pullover!
Who doesn’t love an exercise that works two different muscle groups at the same time?!?!?
The dumbbell overhead pullover causes a ruckus in the fitness world with much debate over whether it’s a back or chest exercise!
The truth? It can be both!
During a dumbbell overhead pullover, the front of the chest is controlling the pushing movements, while the back powers the pulling movements.
Your Lats assist in moving the muscles, while releasing the DB overhead requires more help from your chest.
That’s why this is one of my favorite chest exercises– because you feel it in your chest, back, shoulders, and core!
Why is this a good thing? Other than a providing a great workout, this compound exercise helps improve your full body stability – an excellent mode of training for any dancer.
So let’s get into it shall we?!
How To Perform The Dumbbell Overhead Pullover
This exercise can be done on a bench or laying on a weight bench.
While doing this exercise we want to make sure we are emphasizing the engagement in our pecs through the whole exercise and not overextending the low back at any point in this exercise.
The Set Up:
You can perform this exercise on a mat or on a bench.
If sitting on a bench, place your feet comfortably on the floor, straddling the bench. Hold the dumbbell with two hands, holding the weight by the one of the bulbous ends rather than the handle. Your hands should create a triangle shape to cradle the weight.
Next, lie back so that your back, neck, and head are fully supported on the bench.
If using the floor, lay on a flat surface with your knees bent and feet planted on the ground for stability. Everything else about the set up remains the same
The How To:
Extend your arms above your chest, holding the weight with your hands. Your arms should form a sort of triangle with your chest as the base. Keep your elbows soft while maintaining a nice straight line. This helps us not overextended our joints and control the weight a little bit better.
Next, keeping your shoulders down, reach the weight back over your head so your elbows are by your ears. Inhale keeping a strong back and core- you don’t want to let your ribs hyperextend! This keeps your lower back supported!
Take your time (about 3 to 4 seconds) to reach a fully extended position where the weights are behind but not below your head.
Finally, exhale slowly and return your arms to the starting position, bringing the weight right back over your chest. Hold the starting position for a second before beginning again.
Having a hard time visualizing it? Check out this video from Coach Melody to get the full visual breakdown!
Wrap it up
And just like that you’ve learned how to do a dumbbell overhead pullover. Unlike skull-crushers, these target a large group of muscles and work your shoulder joint through a large range of motion. If you have cranky shoulders, it might be wise to warm up well before performing this exercise!
Want more Training Tips? Check out these quick reads for more gym hacks, nutrition tips, and game-changers for dancers: Snacks on Deck: Everything You Need to Know about Eating Before A Workout, Training Tip Tuesday: Smith Machine Hip Thrust, A Dancer’s Guide to Managing and Preventing Knee and Ankle Pain