How many sets and reps of the incline dumbbell pullover should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Three sets of 10 to 12 reps, adding weight in small jumps, works well here, since the incline moves the lat tension toward the stretch and leaves the top of the rep nearly unloaded.

What can I do instead of the incline dumbbell pullover with no incline bench?

The flat-bench dumbbell pullover trains nearly the same range, or you can prop your upper back on a stack of firm cushions to approximate the angle.

What is the incline dumbbell pullover good for and when should you pick something else?

The incline angle concentrates the lat load near full stretch, with the top of the rep nearly unloaded, which suits lifters who feel their arms take over during rows and want cleaner lat isolation. It's not the best pick if you want the longer bottom-range stretch of the flat-bench version, since sitting back on an incline shortens how far the dumbbell can travel behind the head.

Intermediate

Incline Dumbbell Pullover

Setting the bench to a moderate incline changes the resistance profile of the pullover, concentrating the lat load near full stretch, while the top of the rep, with the dumbbell over the chest, carries almost no lat tension. It is an excellent lat isolation piece for lifters who feel their arms take over on rows. Use controlled tempo and a full but pain-free overhead reach.

Equipment: Bench, Dumbbell
Body part: Chest, Lats
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Latissimus Dorsi
Browse by movement: Vertical Pull

How to do it

1
Set an adjustable bench to about a 30 to 45 degree incline and sit back against it.
2
Cup one dumbbell with both hands under the top plate and hold it over your upper chest.
3
Keep a fixed slight bend in the elbows and brace your torso against the pad.
4
Lower the dumbbell back and overhead until the lats reach a strong stretch.
5
Pull the dumbbell back to over your chest by contracting the lats, exhaling as you finish.
6
Keep the movement slow and avoid letting the shoulders shrug toward your ears.

Tips

Keep your ribs down so the lats, not the lower back, absorb the stretch.
Grip the dumbbell securely with stacked hands to protect the wrists.
Pause briefly at the stretch to build control before pulling back.

Variations

Common mistakes

The hips slide forward on the bench as the set goes on, dropping the torso angle and turning the incline back into something closer to flat.
As the stretch gets deeper, the shoulders creep up toward the ears, a sign the delts are absorbing load that belongs to the lats.
The dumbbell drifts back toward a flatter arc that matches the flat-bench version, canceling out the resistance curve the incline is set up to create.
Bouncing at the bottom of the stretch to rebound the weight back up skips the pause that actually builds control at end range.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the incline dumbbell pullover should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Three sets of 10 to 12 reps, adding weight in small jumps, works well here, since the incline moves the lat tension toward the stretch and leaves the top of the rep nearly unloaded.
What can I do instead of the incline dumbbell pullover with no incline bench?: The flat-bench dumbbell pullover trains nearly the same range, or you can prop your upper back on a stack of firm cushions to approximate the angle.
What is the incline dumbbell pullover good for and when should you pick something else?: The incline angle concentrates the lat load near full stretch, with the top of the rep nearly unloaded, which suits lifters who feel their arms take over during rows and want cleaner lat isolation. It's not the best pick if you want the longer bottom-range stretch of the flat-bench version, since sitting back on an incline shortens how far the dumbbell can travel behind the head.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Chest exercises