Arnold Schwarzenegger says this old-school dumbbell move was his favourite chest exercise, and he used to use 120 lbs weights to perform it
The bodybuilding legend used dumbbell pullovers to finish off his enormous chest workouts, but you probably shouldn't copy his weights
When Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about training his chest, you might expect the bench press to be his number-one exercise. Apparently not!
In a recent Instagram clip, the seven-time Mr Olympia winner runs through the frankly ridiculous amount of work that went into his chest sessions during his competitive bodybuilding years, including bench presses, incline presses, dumbbell presses, flyes, dips and cable crossovers.
But there was another exercise waiting at the end: the dumbbell pullover.
Schwarzenegger describes it in the clip as "my favourite exercise", recalling how he would lie across a bench with "a heavy dumbbell, like 100, 120-pound dumbbell" and perform "like, 50 reps".
The pullover is a forgotten bodybuilding exercise these days, though it was a staple of the Golden Era.
An article on Schwarzenegger's official website describes the cross-bench version as an exercise particularly associated with Arnold and his punishing double-split routines.
It's also not just bodybuilding nostalgia: research examining muscle activity during the pullover found that it activated both the pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi, with the pecs showing greater activation in the study.
Schwarzenegger also mentions the old-school belief that pullovers could help "expand the rib cage".
While I adore the Austrian Oak, that's one claim I'd take with a considerably larger pinch of salt, as even a training article on his own website notes that the science doesn't really support it.
How to do Arnold Schwarzenegger's favourite chest exercise
Thankfully, you don't need to start by hoisting a 120lb (54kg) dumbbell over your head to do this move.
In fact, the pullover is one exercise where starting relatively light makes a lot of sense, particularly because the weight moves behind your head while your chest and shoulders are under a considerable stretch.
Lie flat on a stable weight bench with your head, neck and back supported and your feet planted firmly on the floor.
Hold a single dumbbell securely in both hands and position it above your chest with your arms extended and a slight bend in your elbows.
Brace your core and, without substantially changing the angle of your elbows, slowly lower the dumbbell backwards in an arc over your head.
Stop when you feel a strong but comfortable stretch through your chest and upper body rather than trying to force the dumbbell as low as possible.
From there, use your chest and back muscles to reverse the movement, bringing the dumbbell through the same arc until it is once again above your chest.
Keep the movement slow and controlled, and avoid turning it into a triceps extension by repeatedly bending and straightening your elbows.
A training guide on Schwarzenegger's official site (linked above) suggests 3–4 sets of 12–20 repetitions, focusing on the stretch, not the weight.
Working on your pecs? This 5-move pecs workout delivers maximum chest growth, and you certainly don't want to skip these 3 chest exercises to supersize your pecs.
