A great finishing movement: you've got questions. We've got answers - Ask Our Experts

One personal trainer I know says I should use dumbbell pull-overs in my chest workout; another says I should use this exercise for training back. Who's right?

--C.T., OAKLANO, CA

They both are, says Tom Seabourne, who has a doctorate in exercise science. "Dumbbell pull-overs can be successfully integrated into either your chest or back workout, but you have to do the exercise correctly, regardless of which area you're targeting."

Seabourne adds that this is a finishing exercise, not a mass builder. "Put this exercise at the end of either your chest or back workout, and think of it as a stretching movement," he says. "You can isometrically contract your target muscles--chest or back--to emphasize the one you're working."

Due to the form demands of the dumbbell pull-over, Seabourne recommends keeping the weight moderate and the pace slow. "People try to use too much weight with this exercise; it's much harder to safely get a good stretch or emphasize the target muscle."

Seabourne says many people perform dumbbell pull-overs using incorrect form. "I see it done horribly in the gym. You should lie on the bench and hold the weight above your face, with your hands forming a triangle." The most common mistake people make is to lie crosswise on the bench, supporting only the upper back; this allows them to hyperextend, which can cause injury to the lumbar spine. "Throughout the exercise, you should keep your butt in contact with the bench and your spine in a neutral position," he says.

* To begin the movement, keep your arms extended with your elbows "soft" (not locked out), but not bent.

* Lower the weight with control, holding the position at the elbows and stretching out of your shoulder joint, emphasizing your target muscle group.

* Only lower the weight to the point where your arms are in the same plane with your body--people often make the mistake of taking the weight deeper, stretching past 180 degrees. You only want to take the weight through about a 90-degree range of motion, from straight overhead to parallel with the bench.

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