Dumbbell Bent Arm Pullover

Setup

1. 01Lie back on a flat bench with feet planted and hold one dumbbell over the chest.
2. 02Cup the inner plate with both palms, thumbs around the handle.
3. 03Bend the elbows to roughly 90 degrees and keep them tucked toward each other.

Execution

1. 01Lower the dumbbell back over your head in an arc, keeping the elbow bend fixed.
2. 02Descend until you feel a strong stretch through the lats and chest.
3. 03Pull the dumbbell back over the chest along the same arc.
4. 04Keep the ribs down and the lower back close to the bench throughout.

Checkpoints

• -Elbow angle stays constant — the arc comes from the shoulders.
• -Ribcage stays down instead of flaring as the weight goes back.
• -The stretch is felt in the lats and chest, not the shoulder joint.
• -Hips stay on the bench for every rep.

Common mistakes

• -Straightening the arms and turning it into a triceps extension.
• -Overarching the lower back to fake extra range.
• -Lowering beyond a pain-free shoulder range.
• -Bouncing out of the bottom stretch.