Flat bench dumbell pullovers

[paddy155]

I tend to find that it doesnt really hit my lats. Should my arms be bent or straight ?

[t-gunz]

i find this too paddy. i dunno what i was doing wrong never felt the stretch no matter what i tried

[lonelifter]

I would say to keep a slight bend in the arms to avoid hyper-extension...

I've always felt a stretch in the lats but included it as a chest exercise as I feel like I'm recruiting the pecs more. My $.02

[paddy155]

Bump for Nark.

[Narkissos]

I do manage to get lat recruitment from this lift whether I'm using a straight arm, or a bent arm... but, then again, I've trained for years with the emphasis on making a connection with my muscles... so getting that contraction is a given. That being said, I find that using a decline (as opposed to a flat bench) forces my lats to contract automatically. Also, I find it useful to keep the arms slightly bent tru-out (instead of bending and straightening them like so many do... which turns it into a tricep extension, instead of a pullover).

Also, I like to flare my elbows out slightly... and really emphasize the pulling action from the elbows. So instead of thinking about (and looking at) the dumbbell... I worry about my elbows, and pulling them into my sides/ribcage.

When my elbows are pulled all the way in, my lats are fully contracted.. and my chest is pushed up in the air...thereby giving me a more intense contraction.

When I do pullovers (for back) on a flat surface, I tend to use a barbell (ez curl bar actually) and lie on the floor. Much more lat specific than using a dumbbell I find.

[Johan]

I usually don't feel them much in my lats when doing the set unless I go to 20+ reps, but I am sore in the lats the day after so I guess they get the job done

[Narkissos]

^^The thought of doing 'em for 20+ reps makes me nauseous

[Johan]

the pump one gets is awesome!

[Narkissos]

^^Sicko

[mairj23]

I usually feel it in my lats. I also do it in a way to get some chest activation as well. I very slight bend in the elbows and a full stretch is how I do this.