Dumbbell Pullovers
To perform dumbbell pullovers, lie flat on the bench with your feet firmly on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in the palms of your hands with your thumbs wrapped around the handle. Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head while keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
Lower the dumbbell until your hands are below your head, then raise the weight back up while exhaling. The dumbbell should be above your chest at the end of the movement.
Tips
* This movement has been a staple chest exercise for many bodybuilders in previous years. The exercise was believed to allow a person to expand his rib cage and thus increase the total size of his upper body. Oftentimes, this exercise was performed immediately after a set of about 20 reps of squats. The idea was to get as much air into the lungs as possible while performing the movement in order to facilitate the expansion of the rib cage. Performing the movement immediately following a high-rep set of squats (which, as you should know, are one of the most intense strength training exercises) would ensure that the trainee was gasping for air as he completed the exercise. Whether or not this exercise is able to actually expand the rib cage is a matter of some debate; some people swear by it while others question whether this can be accomplished. Nevertheless, this remains a valuable movement for developing the pectoralis major. The triceps, latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior, as well as the pectoralis minor are all worked as well.
* If you use this movement to attempt to open up the rib cage, the best way to perform it is by lying perpendicular to the bench. Your shoulders and upper back should be resting on the bench while your feet are flat on the floor, with the rest of your body suspended in the air. Take a very deep breath as you lower the weight over your head, then release the air only once you have lifted the weight back up above your chest.
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