Pullovers can specifically target your chest or your back, and do activate muscles in both body parts. You can change your arm, grip, and body position to better isolate your chest or your back. Rotating your elbows in and tucking them closer as you perform the exercise can better target your back. Flaring elbows out will isolate your chest.

To do a dumbbell pullover, lie flat on a bench, hold a dumbbell with both hands above your chest, then lower it back over your head and return to the starting position, keeping your arms slightly bent throughout the movement. A dumbbell pullover mostly works the back and chest muscles.

Dumbbell pullovers are a great exercise for the upper body with variations to target the chest, predominantly, and also the back muscles. The muscular focus of the exercise is somewhat dependent on the orientation of the upper arm bone within the shoulder joint, and which direction the elbows are pointed.

One of the biggest debates with the dumbbell pullover is what muscles it works, the chest or back? The latissimus dorsi and pectoralis major are the two primary muscle groups worked with the dumbbell pullover. A study in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics tested which muscle group benefited more from the barbell pullover.

To target your back muscles, keep your arms bent more and flare your elbows out. This bent arm position puts more load on the lats and less on the chest. Think about keeping the dumbbell close to your head as you perform the exercise. It’s okay to feel your chest but focus on the stretch through your lats. Bend your arms more Flare your elbows out