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Exercises

Pull day exercises: back, rear delts and biceps in the right order

Published October 29, 2026

A pull day trains the lats, upper back, rear delts and biceps. Start with a vertical pull like pull-ups, chin-ups or the lat pulldown, then a heavy row such as the barbell row or chest-supported row, then a second row or a deadlift, face pulls or reverse flys for the rear delts, and finish with two curls. Five or six exercises and 16 to 20 working sets covers one pull day a week; on a six-day split, run two shorter pull days that use different lifts. End most sets with 1 or 2 reps still in the tank.

  1. Pull-Up Lats
  2. Lat Pulldown Lats
  3. Barbell Row Upper Back, Lats
  4. Seated Cable Row Upper Back, Lats
  5. Chest-Supported Row Upper Back, Lats
  6. Face Pull Shoulders, Upper Back
  7. EZ-Bar Curl Biceps
  8. Hammer Curl Biceps, Forearms

Vertical pulls for lat width

Pulling down from overhead trains the lats through their longest range. Do this first, while your grip and biceps are fresh. Use pull-ups if you can do at least 5 clean reps, the pulldown if you can't.

Lats, vertical pull

Pull-Up

Lats

The pull-up is the hardest and most complete vertical pull: lats, upper back, biceps and grip all work, and adding reps or a belt tells you clearly that you are stronger. It opens most pull days.

How to do it

  1. Grab the bar overhand, hands a little wider than your shoulders, and hang from fully straight arms.
  2. Pull your shoulders down away from your ears before your elbows start to bend.
  3. Drive the elbows toward your ribs until your chin passes over the bar.
  4. Lower slowly to a dead hang and pull again.

Cues

  • Shoulders down, then pull
  • Legs still and together
  • Two seconds on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the legs to cheat reps: cross your ankles and brace the abs.
  • Half reps from a bent-arm start: finish each rep at a full hang.

Swap for: Chin-Up, Lat Pulldown, Assisted Pull-Up

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Lats and biceps, underhand vertical pull

Chin-Up

Lats

The underhand grip brings in more biceps, so most people get a few more reps than on pull-ups. Swap it in on your second pull day of the week for variety.

How to do it

  1. Hang from the bar with your palms toward you and hands shoulder-width.
  2. Pull your elbows down and back until your chin is over the bar.
  3. Lower to a full hang with straight arms.
  4. Keep your legs quiet and your body still between reps.

Cues

  • Palms toward you
  • Chin over the bar
  • Dead hang at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Kipping or kicking to finish: stop the set when you cannot pull cleanly.
  • Half reps at the top: straighten your arms fully every time.

Swap for: Close-Grip Chin-Up, Assisted Pull-Up

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Lats, cable vertical pull

Lat Pulldown

Lats

The pulldown trains the same pattern as the pull-up at any load you pick, so it fits beginners and anyone who wants 8 to 15 reps for lat size. It is the vertical pull most pull days are built on.

How to do it

  1. Set the thigh pad so your legs are locked under it, then stand up and take the bar a little wider than your shoulders, palms forward.
  2. Sit down with your arms fully stretched overhead and lean back only slightly.
  3. Pull the bar to your upper chest by driving your elbows down toward your hips.
  4. Let the bar rise until your arms are straight and your shoulders lift toward your ears, then pull again.

Cues

  • Elbows to your back pockets
  • Bar to the top of the chest
  • Let the stack lift you at the top

Common mistakes

  • Leaning far back and rowing the bar to your stomach: stay nearly upright so it remains a vertical pull.
  • Stopping with the arms still bent at the top: the stretch overhead is half of what makes the pulldown work.

Swap for: Pull-Up, Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown, Single-Arm Lat Pulldown

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Rows for a thicker upper back

Rows pull toward the torso and load the mid back, rear delts and lats together. A good pull day has one heavy free-weight row and one supported row, where only the back can fail.

Upper back and lats, heavy row

Barbell Row

Upper Back, Lats

The bent-over barbell row is the heaviest row you can do and trains the upper back, lats and lower back holding the position. Use it as the main row on a strength-focused pull day.

How to do it

  1. Hold the bar at your thighs, hinge forward until your torso is near 45 degrees, back flat.
  2. Row the bar to your lower ribs with the elbows tucked near your sides.
  3. Lower to straight arms and keep the torso angle.

Cues

  • Brace before every rep
  • Bar to the belly button

Common mistakes

  • Standing taller each rep as it gets heavier: if the hinge goes, the set is over.

Swap for: Pendlay Row, Dumbbell Bent-Over Row, T-Bar Row

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Mid back, cable row

Seated Cable Row

Upper Back, Lats

The cable row keeps tension through the whole pull and lets you squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end. It is a good second row after a heavy barbell row.

How to do it

  1. Sit at the cable row with your feet on the platform and knees slightly bent, holding a close-grip handle with your arms straight.
  2. Sit tall with your chest up and let the cable pull your shoulder blades forward a little.
  3. Row the handle to your lower ribs, driving your elbows back past your torso.
  4. Return it under control until your arms are straight and your shoulders reach forward, then repeat.

Cues

  • Sit tall, no rocking
  • Handle to the belly button
  • Shoulders reach at the front

Common mistakes

  • Rocking back and forth to move the stack: your torso should stay close to upright throughout.
  • Shrugging the handle up toward your neck: pull your shoulders down before the elbows bend.

Swap for: Chest-Supported Row, Single-Arm Cable Row, Barbell Row

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Lats, one-arm row

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Lats, Upper Back

One arm at a time, you can pull further back and use a heavy dumbbell with the trunk braced on a bench. It also evens out a side that lags.

How to do it

  1. Put one hand and the same-side knee on a bench, or your hand on a chair seat with both feet on the floor, so your back is flat.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand with your arm hanging straight.
  3. Pull your elbow back toward your hip until the dumbbell reaches your ribs.
  4. Lower it until your arm is straight again, finish all reps, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Elbow to your hip
  • Back flat as a table
  • Full stretch at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Twisting your chest open to lift the dumbbell higher: keep both shoulders level.
  • Shrugging the shoulder up toward your ear: pull the elbow back, not the shoulder up.

Swap for: Band Bent-Over Row, Dumbbell Bent-Over Row, Seated Cable Row

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Upper back, supported row

Chest-Supported Row

Upper Back, Lats

With your chest on the pad, the lower back is out of the lift and the upper back is the only thing that can fail. It is the row you can take closest to failure without your form breaking down.

How to do it

  1. Set the seat so the handles are at chest height and rest your chest on the pad.
  2. Pull the handles back until your elbows pass your torso.
  3. Let the handles return until your arms are straight and your shoulders reach forward.

Cues

  • Chest stays on the pad
  • Squeeze, then reach

Common mistakes

  • Lifting your chest off the pad to move more weight: the pad is there so your back can rest.

Swap for: Machine Row, Seated Cable Row, Incline Dumbbell Row

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The deadlift: optional heavy opener

Plenty of push-pull-legs programs put the deadlift on pull day because the upper back and grip hold the bar. If you deadlift on leg day already, leave it out here.

Glutes, hamstrings and back, hinge

Barbell Deadlift

Glutes, Lower Back

The deadlift trains the whole back of the body and a crushing grip in one lift. On pull day, keep it to 3 sets of low reps so it does not drain the rows that follow.

How to do it

  1. Stand with the bar over your mid-foot and grip it just outside your legs.
  2. Drop your hips until your shins touch the bar, flatten your back, and pull the slack out.
  3. Push the floor away and stand up tall, then lower the bar the same way.

Cues

  • Bar against the legs
  • Push the floor away

Common mistakes

  • Jerking the bar off the floor: take the slack out first on every set.

Swap for: Trap Bar Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Rack Pull

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Rear delts

Rows hit the rear delts a little, but not enough for shoulders that look full from the side and the back. One rear-delt exercise per pull day is enough.

Rear delts and upper back, cable pull

Face Pull

Shoulders, Upper Back

Face pulls train the rear delts and the muscles that turn the shoulder out, balancing all the pressing from push day. High reps with a light rope work best.

How to do it

  1. Set the pulley at or just above head height and attach a rope. Grab it with your thumbs pointing back toward you.
  2. Step back until your arms are straight and the stack lifts, then stagger your feet or sit on a bench so you can lean back slightly without swaying.
  3. Pull the middle of the rope toward your forehead by driving your elbows out and back, keeping them at shoulder height or higher.
  4. As the rope reaches your face, pull the ends apart and rotate your hands back until your fists sit beside your ears, like a double-biceps pose.
  5. Hold that position for a beat, then let your arms straighten under control until your shoulder blades slide forward again.

Cues

  • Elbows high, hands finish behind them
  • Pull the rope apart, not just back
  • Reach forward at the start of every rep

Common mistakes

  • Loading it like a row and leaning back to move the stack: drop the weight until you can hold the end position for a second without your torso rocking.
  • Letting the elbows drop below your shoulders: the pull turns into a row and your lats and biceps take the work. Raise the pulley or lighten the load.
  • Stopping when the rope touches your face: the outward rotation at the end is what the face pull adds, so finish with your fists beside your ears.

Swap for: Band Face Pull, Reverse Pec Deck, Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly

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Rear delts, machine fly

Reverse Pec Deck

Shoulders

The reverse pec deck isolates the rear delts with a fixed path, so you can take sets close to failure without the upper back taking over.

How to do it

  1. Set the handles to the rear position, sit facing the pad, and adjust the seat so the handles are at shoulder height.
  2. Hold the handles with arms straight in front of you, palms down or facing in.
  3. Sweep your arms out and back in a wide arc until they are in line with your body.
  4. Return slowly, stopping just before the weight touches the stack, and repeat.

Cues

  • Wide arc, not a row
  • Arms almost straight
  • Keep the stack off the rest

Common mistakes

  • Pulling the elbows back like a row: the arms move out to the side.
  • Too much weight with jerky reps: these grow on 12 to 20 controlled reps.

Swap for: Face Pull, Rear Delt Cable Fly, Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly

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Biceps to finish

Every pull already works the biceps, so curls come last and use moderate weights. Pair one curl with the arm in front of you and one with a neutral grip for the brachialis.

Biceps, barbell curl

EZ-Bar Curl

Biceps

The EZ bar lets you curl heavy with a grip that is easier on the wrists than a straight bar. Use it as the main curl of the day.

How to do it

  1. Grip the angled parts of the bar with palms slightly turned in.
  2. Curl the bar toward your chest while the upper arms stay still.
  3. Lower until your arms are straight.

Cues

  • Upper arms still
  • Finish with straight arms

Common mistakes

  • Cutting the bottom short: every rep starts with straight elbows.

Swap for: Barbell Curl, Preacher Curl, Cable Curl

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Biceps long head, stretched curl

Incline Dumbbell Curl

Biceps

Sitting back on an incline bench puts the biceps in a long stretch at the bottom of each rep. Use it as the second curl for 10 to 15 reps.

How to do it

  1. Tilt an adjustable bench back to about 45 to 60 degrees and sit back holding a pair of dumbbells.
  2. Let your arms hang straight down behind your torso with your palms forward.
  3. Curl both dumbbells up without letting your elbows travel forward.
  4. Lower all the way until your arms hang fully stretched again.

Cues

  • Head and shoulders on the pad
  • Elbows point at the floor
  • Full stretch at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Bringing the elbows forward to make the curl easier: that removes the stretch that makes this exercise worth doing.
  • Choosing your usual curl weight: this angle is harder, so start a little lighter.

Swap for: Spider Curl, Cable Curl, Dumbbell Curl

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Brachialis and forearms, neutral curl

Hammer Curl

Biceps, Forearms

The neutral grip shifts work to the brachialis and forearms, which adds arm thickness and grip. It is a good last exercise because it also trains the grip that rows use.

How to do it

  1. Hold the dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing your thighs.
  2. Bend one elbow to bring that dumbbell up, thumb leading.
  3. Keep the dumbbell vertical the whole way, then lower it slowly to the start.
  4. Curl the other arm, and keep alternating until the set is done.

Cues

  • Thumbs lead
  • Dumbbells vertical
  • Elbows by your sides

Common mistakes

  • Swinging heavier weight with your back: keep your torso still.
  • Curling across your body: keep each dumbbell in line with its shoulder.

Swap for: Band Hammer Curl, Alternating Hammer Curl

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Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

Pull day once a week on a push-pull-legs split

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts1× a week
  • Working sets19 a week
  • Per workout~50 min
  • EquipmentPull-Up Bar, Barbells, Cable Row, Adjustable Cable +2

You train three to five days a week with push, pull and leg days, so pull comes around once a week and has to cover the whole back and arms.

About 19 sets: 11 for the back, 3 for rear delts and 5 for biceps, close to a full week of back volume in one session. Plan on 70 minutes.

Pull day
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Pull-Up 4 × 5–10 2 2:30 min
Barbell Row2 warm-up sets first 4 × 6–10 2 2:30 min
Seated Cable Row 3 × 10–12 1 90 s
Face Pull 3 × 12–20 1 1 min
EZ-Bar Curl 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Hammer Curl 2 × 10–15 1 1 min
How to run it
On a three-day split, push Monday, pull Wednesday, legs Friday. Keep a day between pull day and any heavy deadlifts on leg day.
How to progress
Double progression: when every set of an exercise reaches the top of its rep range at the target reps in reserve, add weight. For pull-ups, add reps until you reach 10, then hang a small plate.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Six-day push-pull-legs: heavy pull and volume pull

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets30 a week
  • Per workout~40 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Pull-Up Bar, Dumbbells, Fly Machine +5

You lift six days a week and pull twice, so each session can be shorter and the two days can use different lifts.

Two pull days of about 15 sets each give 30 pull sets a week. The first day is heavy with the deadlift and chin-ups, the second uses machines and cables at higher reps, so the two days recover from different stress.

Pull A: Heavy
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Barbell Deadlift3 warm-up sets first 3 × 3–5 2 3:30 min
Chin-Up 3 × 5–8 2 2:30 min
One-Arm Dumbbell RowPer arm. 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Reverse Pec Deck 3 × 12–20 1 1 min
EZ-Bar Curl 3 × 8–12 1 90 s

Open Pull A: Heavy in the session builder

Pull B: Volume
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Lat Pulldown 4 × 8–12 1 2 min
Chest-Supported Row 3 × 10–12 1 90 s
Face Pull 3 × 15–20 1 1 min
Incline Dumbbell Curl 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Hammer Curl 2 × 10–15 1 1 min

Open Pull B: Volume in the session builder

How to run it
Pull A after your first push day, Pull B three days later. Skip the deadlift on Pull A if your leg day already has one.
How to progress
On Pull A, add weight to the deadlift and rows when the top reps are reached at 2 reps in reserve. On Pull B, add reps to the top of every range first. Take a lighter week when both days stall for two weeks.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Beginner pull day, no pull-ups yet

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts1× a week
  • Working sets11 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentLat Pulldown, Cable Row, Fly Machine, Dumbbells

You are in your first months of lifting and can't do a pull-up yet, or only one or two.

Four exercises and 11 sets builds the lats, upper back and biceps while you learn to feel your back working. Machines and cables let you start light and add small jumps.

Beginner pull day
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Lat Pulldown 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Seated Cable Row 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Reverse Pec Deck 2 × 12–15 2 1 min
Hammer Curl 3 × 10–12 2 1 min
How to run it
Once a week in a push-pull-legs split, or twice if you alternate it with a push-and-legs day.
How to progress
Stay at 2 to 3 reps in reserve for the first month, then work down to 1 to 2. When your lat pulldown reaches about your bodyweight for 8 reps, start testing pull-ups. Log how many reps you had left on each pull and RIRLift picks the pulldown and row weights for next week.
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Make it fit you

Questions

Which muscles are worked on pull day?

The lats, the upper back (traps and rhomboids), the rear delts and the biceps, plus the forearms through grip. If you deadlift on pull day, the glutes, hamstrings and lower back work too.

How many exercises should a pull day have?

Five or six is enough for most people: a vertical pull, two rows, a rear-delt exercise and one or two curls. On a twice-a-week split, four or five per day is plenty.

What are some good 30-minute pull workouts?

Superset a pulldown or pull-up with a cable row for 3 rounds, then superset face pulls with hammer curls for 3 rounds. That covers back, rear delts and biceps in about 30 minutes.

Should deadlifts go on pull day or leg day?

Either works. Put them on pull day if your leg day already has heavy squats, and on leg day if you want pull day to focus on the upper back. Just do them once a week heavy, not on both days.

What is the 3-3-3 rule in the gym?

People use it for a quick template: three exercises, three sets apiece, on three days a week. As a pull day that would be a vertical pull, a row and a curl, a fine short session but less back volume than most people need to grow.

Is it OK to do pull day twice a week?

Yes. Twice a week is a good frequency for back growth. Use different exercises or rep ranges on each day so you are not repeating the same session.