February 01, 2019

Health & Wellbeing

By Ben Leach

Training advice delivered to you from Personal Trainer, Ben Leach

The DB Pullover is a fine example of a multi-muscle exercise that helps with all the postural issues that most of us face during the day, namely being slumped at the desk!

Exercise description:

Place a dumbbell standing up on a flat bench.

Ensuring that the dumbbell stays securely placed at the top of the bench, lie perpendicular to the bench (torso across it as in forming a cross) with only your shoulders lying on the surface. Hips should be below the bench and legs bent with feet firmly on the floor. The head will be off the bench as well.

Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and hold it straight over your chest at arms length. Both palms should be pressing against the underside one of the sides of the dumbbell. This will be your starting position.

Caution: Always ensure that the dumbbell used for this exercise is secure. Using a dumbbell with loose plates can result in the dumbbell falling apart and falling on your face.

While keeping your arms straight, lower the weight slowly in an arc behind your head while breathing in until you feel a stretch on the chest.

At that point, bring the dumbbell back to the starting position using the arc through which the weight was lowered and exhale as you perform this movement.

Hold the weight on the initial position for a second and repeat the motion for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Its help with spinal extension, scapular mobility and  shoulder ROM and capsular fluidity.  You also get chest, lats, triceps and core muscles all combining through various phases of this movement- a great exercise.

Add it in to your weights regime x 2 per week and aim for maximum Range of Movement (ROM) rather than heavy weight and concentrate on good form.

Enjoy your training!