How many reps of the single-arm dumbbell pullover should you do per side when you are new to the exercise?

Ten to twelve reps per arm for three sets is a good starting point; keep the set and rep count identical on both sides even when one arm clearly has more left in the tank.

What can I do instead of the single-arm dumbbell pullover with no dumbbells?

A single kettlebell held by the horns works the same one-arm pattern, or a resistance band anchored overhead pulled down one arm at a time.

What is the single-arm dumbbell pullover good for and when is it a poor fit?

Working one side at a time exposes and helps fix left-right differences in lat length and strength, and the offset load doubles as light anti-rotation core work. It's a poor choice as your only pullover variation if you're short on training time, since doing each arm separately roughly doubles how long the same set volume takes.

Intermediate

Single-Arm Dumbbell Pullover

Working one arm at a time lets you chase a longer, cleaner stretch on the target side and expose side-to-side differences that a bilateral pullover hides. The offset load also forces the obliques to resist rotation, so it doubles as light trunk work. Great as a finisher when you want to hammer the lats with minimal spinal loading.

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

How to do it

1
Lie flat on a bench holding one dumbbell over your chest with a neutral grip.
2
Set a fixed slight bend in the working elbow and brace your abs hard.
3
Lower the dumbbell in an arc back over your head, feeling the lat on that side lengthen.
4
Keep your hips and shoulders square to the bench as the weight travels.
5
Pull the dumbbell back over your chest with the lat, exhaling at the top.
6
Finish all reps on one side, then switch hands.

Tips

Do not let the loaded side dip or twist toward the floor.
Match your weaker side's range and reps on the stronger side.
Keep the wrist neutral and the dumbbell balanced through the arc.

Variations

Common mistakes

The free hand grabs the bench edge to brace against the twist, papering over rotation that should be controlled by the trunk instead of a hand hold.
Once the working arm fatigues, the rep count on that side quietly drops below what the other arm just did, undoing the point of training each side evenly.
The dumbbell drifts toward the centerline of the body instead of staying stacked over the shoulder socket, turning the pull into a diagonal instead of a straight overhead arc.
Rushing through the working side to get to the other arm turns a controlled stretch into a fast, momentum-driven swing.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the single-arm dumbbell pullover should you do per side when you are new to the exercise?: Ten to twelve reps per arm for three sets is a good starting point; keep the set and rep count identical on both sides even when one arm clearly has more left in the tank.
What can I do instead of the single-arm dumbbell pullover with no dumbbells?: A single kettlebell held by the horns works the same one-arm pattern, or a resistance band anchored overhead pulled down one arm at a time.
What is the single-arm dumbbell pullover good for and when is it a poor fit?: Working one side at a time exposes and helps fix left-right differences in lat length and strength, and the offset load doubles as light anti-rotation core work. It's a poor choice as your only pullover variation if you're short on training time, since doing each arm separately roughly doubles how long the same set volume takes.

Related exercises

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

All Chest exercises