Dumbbell Pull Exercises

Pull Exercises with Dumbbells

If you break your upper body workouts into push and pull days, chances are you've gotten a little bored with machines and body weight exercises. To keep things exciting, try dumbbell pulling exercises.

They are a great way to build symmetry and stabilizing muscles. Machines and barbells keep the weight steady for you, thus robbing you of the ability to train those often overlooked muscles.

On my pull day, I choose a combination of these great pull day dumbbell exercises. Here they are, along with the muscles they target.

• Dumbbell Row

  
  

  Muscles Targeted: Lats, Biceps, Rhomboids

  This exercise is performed by bending over, bracing yourself with one arm, and pulling a dumbbell up towards your rib cage with the other. You can either hold your wrist straight throughout or turn your hand into a curl position to isolate your biceps.

• Dumbbell Deadlift

  
  

  Muscles Targeted: glutes, hamstrings, core, back, and trapezius muscles

  Standing straight, hold a dumbbell in each hand, then bend at your hips and knees to lower the weights to your ankles. Lather, rinse, repeat.

• Dumbbell Upright Row

  Muscles Targeted: Rear Delts, Traps

  This exercise involves standing up straight, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your waist, then pulling the weights up to your shoulders.

• Dumbbell Pull Over

  
  

  Muscles Targeted: Pecs and Lats

  This is one of those rare exercises where you can hit your lats and pecs at the same time. Lying on a bench, you hold a dumbbell in both hands above your chest, then lower it over and beyond your head, and then raise it back to the starting position.

• Single Arm Dumbbell Row

  
  

  Muscles Targeted: Lats, Biceps, Rhomboids

  Similar to the Dumbbell Row, but you pull the dumbbell with one arm at a time while supporting your body with the other arm.

• Dumbbell Renegade Row

  
  

  Muscles Targeted: Lats, Biceps, Rhomboids

  In a plank position with a dumbbell in each hand, you row one dumbbell towards your rib cage, while keeping your body stable, then alternate sides.

• Dumbbell Reverse Fly

  
  

  Muscles Targeted: Traps, Rhomboids

  Bend at your hips, hold a dumbbell in each hand and with elbows slightly bent and raise the weights to your sides until they align with your body.

• Dumbbell Shrug

  
  

  Muscles Targeted: Traps

  Standing up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, you lift your shoulders towards your ears, hold for a second, then lower them back down.

• Incline Bench Dumbbell Row

  
  

  Muscles Targeted: Upper pecs, triceps, front delts

  Leaning on an incline bench, with a dumbbell in each hand, you row the weights up to your chest and lower them back down.

• Dumbbell High Pull

  
  

  Muscles Targeted: Rear delts, lower back, rhomboids, traps

  Standing with a dumbbell in each hand, you pull the weights up to your shoulders while raising your elbows and then lower them back down.

Dumbbell exercises are more stressful on the body than machines because you're required to stabilize the weight without assistance. So, be sure to listen to your body during each repetition.