Pull Day Workout: The Complete Guide to Back and Bicep Training

Pull day is the most rewarding session in any PPL or upper/lower split. You're training the back — the largest muscle group in the upper body — along with biceps and rear delts. Done correctly, consistent pull training builds the V-taper that makes a physique look impressive from every angle.

What Pull Day Trains

- **Latissimus dorsi** — the wide muscle that creates the V-taper - **Rhomboids and mid-traps** — thickness between the shoulder blades - **Lower traps** — scapular depression and posture - **Rear deltoids** — the back of the shoulder, often undertrained - **Biceps brachii** — elbow flexors, trained heavily on pull day - **Brachialis and brachioradialis** — deeper elbow flexors for arm thickness

Pull Day Exercise Selection

**Vertical pulls (lats width):** - Weighted Pull-Up — the king of vertical pulling; no substitute for long-term lat development - Lat Pulldown — excellent lat isolation, allows easy weight progression - Close-Grip Pulldown — shifts focus to lower lats and teres major

**Horizontal pulls (back thickness):** - Barbell Row — highest loading potential for back thickness - Chest-Supported Row — removes lower back fatigue, ideal for targeting mid-back - Cable Seated Row — constant tension, versatile grip options - Dumbbell Row — allows full range of motion, unilateral balance

**Rear delt:** - Face Pull (cable) — the most underrated exercise in training; essential for shoulder health and rear delt development - Reverse Pec Deck — isolation for rear delts - Bent-Over Dumbbell Lateral Raise

**Biceps:** - Barbell Curl — primary bicep mass builder - Incline Dumbbell Curl — long head emphasis - Hammer Curl — brachialis development

Exercise Order Logic

1. Start with weighted pull-ups or heavy rows when strength is highest 2. Follow with a second compound movement (lat pulldown or barbell row) 3. Add a horizontal pull for mid-back thickness 4. Include face pulls for shoulder health and rear delts 5. Finish with bicep isolation work

Complete Pull Day Routine

**Intermediate (4–6 days PPL)**

1. Weighted Pull-Up — 4×5–6 (add 2.5 kg when you can complete all reps) 2. Barbell Row — 4×8 3. Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row — 3×10–12 4. Cable Seated Row (wide grip) — 3×12 5. Face Pull — 3×15–20 6. Barbell Curl — 3×10 7. Hammer Curl — 2×12

**Beginner (first 6 months)**

1. Lat Pulldown — 4×10 2. Seated Cable Row — 3×12 3. Dumbbell Row — 3×10 each side 4. Face Pull — 3×15 5. Dumbbell Curl — 3×12 6. Hammer Curl — 2×15

Common Pull Day Mistakes

**Using too much bicep during rows:** If your biceps always give out before your back, consciously focus on driving your elbow, not your hand, through the pulling motion. Think "elbow to hip," not "hand to hip."

**Skipping face pulls:** Rear delts are one of the most undertrained muscle groups. Chronically undertrained rear delts contribute to rounded shoulders, poor posture, and rotator cuff issues.

**Not using progressive overload on pull-ups:** Most lifters plateau at bodyweight pull-ups and never add load. Once you can do 3×8 bodyweight, add a 5 kg plate. Progressive overload on pull-ups is one of the fastest ways to build lat thickness.

**Jerking the weight on rows:** A controlled row with a 1-second pause at the top trains the back. A jerking row with momentum trains nothing.

Build your complete PPL program with our [AI Workout Generator](/generate) or browse the [Push/Pull/Legs program](/programs/push-pull-legs).