The lying dumbbell pullover works the broad muscle down the side of your back (latissimus dorsi) and the chest, while your stomach muscles hold your ribs and lower back steady. You lie on your back holding a light dumbbell above your chest with straight arms, lower it back over your head, then bring it up again. Because the arms travel overhead with a weight, it usually comes later in shoulder rehab, once the arm lifts fully overhead without pain.

How to do the lying dumbbell pullover

Lie on your back on a sturdy bench with your head and whole back supported, as in the video.
Hold one light dumbbell upright in both hands, palms cupped under its top end, and straighten your arms so the weight sits directly above your chest.
Tighten your stomach muscles gently, so your ribs stay down and your lower back does not arch.
Keep your elbows straight and lower the dumbbell slowly back over your head, only as far as your shoulders allow without pain. In the video the arms end up roughly in line with the body.
Bring the dumbbell back up along the same path until it is over your chest again, then repeat.

What you should feel

Work along the sides of your back just below the armpits and across the chest, with a stretch there as the arms go back. Your stomach muscles work to keep your back from arching.

Common mistakes

Letting your lower back lift and arch as the arms go back.
Taking the weight further back than your shoulders can go without pain.
Bending the elbows more and more as the set goes on.
Holding your breath as the weight goes back.

How often

Programs often begin with a light dumbbell and 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 slow lowers, 2 to 3 days a week. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

The shoulder feels loose, or as if it might slip out, when your arms are back over your head.
Sharp or pinching pain in the shoulder as the weight goes back.
Pins and needles or numbness in the arm or hand, or pain spreading down the arm.
Pins and needles in your arm or hand that do not go away after you stop, or part of your arm or hand goes numb. Get medical advice the same day. If one side of your face or body suddenly goes numb or weak, or your speech becomes slurred or muddled, call emergency services, even if it goes away.
The shoulder feels as if it has slipped out of place, looks a different shape or suddenly locks so you cannot move the arm, or your hand turns cold, pale or blue. Go to an emergency department straight away, without driving yourself, and do not try to put the shoulder back in yourself.

From the clinic

Set up on something firm and steady, such as a weight bench, a sturdy table or the floor. On the floor, the ground stops your arms from going too far back, which makes it a sensible place to start. A bed only works if the mattress is firm, with your head resting fully on it rather than hanging off the edge.

Lie down first with the dumbbell within easy reach, and put it down beside you before you sit up. Hold it firmly with both hands the whole time, because it passes over your face. If your lower back aches with your legs straight, bend your knees and put your feet flat.

This exercise takes the shoulder to the end of its overhead range while it holds a weight. After a shoulder dislocation or shoulder surgery, or if you have a rotator cuff problem or pain lifting your arm overhead, check with your physio before you start. Go back only as far as you can without pain or any feeling of the shoulder slipping, even if that is well short of the video.

If you have high blood pressure, breathe steadily through every repetition and never hold your breath. If you are pregnant and past the first three months, check with your physio before exercising flat on your back. To practice the overhead reach without a weight first, try shoulder flexion with a stick.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Lying dumbbell pullover