Dumbbell pullovers build your chest and lats (the muscles in the middle-to-lower back). That makes them a good addition to your upper body strength routine.

Are pullovers effective?

It improves your shoulder mobility: The dumbbell pullover doesn't directly target your shoulder muscles, but since it hits your lats and triceps—two muscle groups which assist in shoulder mobility—your shoulders ultimately benefit. That's a great payoff for hard-training athletes with shoulder issues.

Do pullovers work upper chest?

The upper body squat

Just like squats working the lower body, pullovers work every last bit of the upper body. They work the chest, the back, the shoulders and to some degree – even the arms.