Dumbbell Around Pullover

Setup

1. 01Lie back on a flat bench with a light dumbbell in each hand.
2. 02Start with the dumbbells pressed over the chest, palms facing each other.
3. 03Plant the feet and keep the ribs down against the bench.
4. 04Choose a load light enough to control through the full arc.

Execution

1. 01Lower the dumbbells overhead with slightly bent elbows until you feel a stretch.
2. 02Sweep the dumbbells out and around in a wide arc back toward the hips.
3. 03Reverse the arc, carrying the weights back overhead under control.
4. 04Return to the start position over the chest to finish the rep.

Checkpoints

• -Elbows keep the same slight bend through the whole arc.
• -Ribs stay down; the low back does not arch off the bench.
• -The stretch overhead is felt in the chest and lats, not the shoulder joint.
• -The arc is smooth and continuous, not segmented.

Common mistakes

• -Going too heavy and cutting the arc short.
• -Overarching the low back to reach further overhead.
• -Bending and straightening the elbows, turning it into a triceps extension.
• -Rushing the circular portion and losing tension.