Dumbbell Pullover vs Cable Pullover
Swapping Dumbbell Pullover (Dumbbell) for Cable Pullover (Cable) retains 100% overlap; expect pulley-guided continuous line of pull. Compare exact 17-muscle fractional recruitment before swapping equipment mid-session.
Side-by-Side 17-Muscle Recruitment Delta
How primary mover (1.0× set) and synergist (0.5× set) allocation changes when swapping Dumbbell Pullover for Cable Pullover.
| Muscle Group | Dumbbell Pullover | Cable Pullover | Leverage Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lats (Latissimus Dorsi) | Primary (60%) | Primary (60%) | Matched |
| Chest (Pectoralis Major) | Secondary (25%) | Secondary (25%) | Matched |
| Triceps Brachii | Secondary (15%) | Secondary (15%) | Matched |
Load & Volume Conversion: Dumbbell Pullover → Cable Pullover
Worked weight heuristic: a 38 kg per hand set on Dumbbell Pullover (Dumbbell) maps roughly to 45 kg on Cable Pullover (Cable; 2.5 kg jumps, curve: constant cable tension at peak lengthened position). Calibrate set 1 at RPE 8 so e1RM history for Dumbbell Pullover remains unskewed. Zero anatomical muscles are dropped between Dumbbell Pullover and Cable Pullover; 1:1 weekly set volume carries straight across.
Supporting Sports-Science Literature
| Study Title | Lead Author & Year | Verified Link |
|---|---|---|
| Effects of the pullover exercise on the pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi muscles as evaluated by EMG. | Marchetti (2011) | PubMed 21975179 ↗ |
| A comparison of muscle activity and 1-RM strength of three chest-press exercises with different stability requirements. | Saeterbakken (2011) | PubMed 21225489 ↗ |
| Muscle activity levels in upper-body push exercises with different loads and stability conditions. | Calatayud (2014) | PubMed 25419894 ↗ |
| The effects of ten weeks resistance training on sticking region in chest-press exercises. | Saeterbakken (2020) | PubMed 32645111 ↗ |