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.

Volume and Progression Guidelines

Aim for 12–20 weekly sets for the back as a whole, split roughly evenly between vertical and horizontal pulling, plus 6–10 sets of direct bicep work and 6+ sets of rear delt work. If you run pull day twice per week (the standard PPL setup), that is 6–10 back sets per session — exactly what the routines above provide.

Progression differs by movement type:

Because you cannot see your back working, back development lags for many lifters purely due to poor mind-muscle connection. Two fixes: lighten the weight 10–20% and pause each rep for a full second in the contracted position, and use a thumbless grip on rows and pulldowns to reduce forearm and bicep takeover.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

**How many exercises should a pull day have?** Five to seven. A typical structure: two heavy pulls (one vertical, one horizontal), one or two more pulls at moderate weight, rear delt work, and one or two bicep exercises. More than that usually means junk volume at the end of the session.

**Can I do deadlifts on pull day?** Yes — deadlifts fit naturally on pull day since they hammer the entire posterior chain, traps, and grip. Place them first in the session, and reduce your rowing volume that day to compensate for the fatigue. Some PPL lifters instead keep deadlifts on leg day; either placement works if total weekly volume is managed.

**What if I can't do pull-ups yet?** Use lat pulldowns as your vertical pull and build toward pull-ups with negatives (jump up, lower yourself over 3–5 seconds) or band-assisted reps twice per week. Most lifters can achieve their first strict pull-up within 8–12 weeks of this approach.

**Should biceps come at the end of pull day?** Yes. Fatiguing the biceps first weakens your grip and elbow flexion, which limits every row and pulldown that follows. Compound pulls first, isolation last is the right order for almost everyone.

**Is one pull day per week enough?** It can maintain what you have, but growth is faster with two weekly exposures. If you can only train pull once per week, make it high-volume (10+ back sets) and add a few rows or pull-ups to another training day.