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Exercises

Pull exercises at home: back and biceps with no equipment, a bar, or dumbbells

Published October 29, 2026

The best pull exercises at home depend on what you have. With nothing, use doorway curls, supermans and plank IYTWs. With a doorway bar, do pull-ups and chin-ups, band-assisted pull-ups until you get your first, and dead hangs for grip. With dumbbells, do one-arm rows, bent-over rows and rear delt rows, plus hammer curls; a suspension trainer adds rows and a band adds pull-aparts. A pull day needs one vertical pull, one row and one rear shoulder or biceps exercise, 3 or 4 sets each, stopped 1 to 3 reps short of failure.

  1. Pull-Up Lats
  2. Chin-Up Lats
  3. Band-Assisted Pull-Up Lats
  4. One-Arm Dumbbell Row Lats, Upper Back
  5. TRX Row Upper Back, Lats
  6. Bodyweight Bicep Curl Biceps
  7. Plank IYTW Abs, Upper Back
  8. Hammer Curl Biceps, Forearms

With a pull-up bar

A doorway bar is the most useful piece of home equipment for pulling. It gives you the vertical pull that builds the lats, and the band lets you train it before you can do a full rep.

Lats, vertical pull

Pull-Up

Lats

The best home pull exercise if you have a bar: it loads the lats and upper back with your whole body weight. Sets of 4 to 10 reps build more back than anything else on this page.

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, Band-Assisted Pull-Up, TRX Row

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Lats and biceps, underhand pull

Chin-Up

Lats

Turning your palms toward you brings the biceps in, so most people get a couple more reps than on pull-ups. It is usually the first full rep you will manage.

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, assisted vertical pull

Band-Assisted Pull-Up

Lats

A band looped over the bar takes off part of your weight so you can do real sets of pull-ups before you can do one unassisted. Each time you step down to a thinner band, your arms and back are lifting a bigger share of your body.

How to do it

  1. Loop a strong resistance band over the bar and pull it through itself so it hangs down tight.
  2. Grip the bar a little wider than your shoulders and step one knee or foot into the loop at the bottom.
  3. Pull your elbows down toward your hips until your chin clears the bar.
  4. Lower under control to straight arms, letting the band stretch back out, and repeat.

Cues

  • Thinnest band you can do 8 reps with
  • Full range every rep
  • Stay vertical, no swing

Common mistakes

  • Using a band so thick that the set never gets hard: move down a band once you pass 12 reps at the target reps in reserve.
  • Bouncing out of the bottom off the band: pause for a moment at the hang before each pull.

Swap for: Chin-Up, TRX Row, Bodyweight Bicep Curl

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Grip and shoulders, bar hang

Dead Hang

Forearms

Hanging from the bar builds the grip that gives out first on pull-ups. Hold for time at the end of a session, or between sets of curls.

How to do it

  1. Grip a pull-up bar overhand with your hands about shoulder width.
  2. Lift your feet and let your body hang with straight arms.
  3. Breathe slowly and let your shoulders rise toward your ears, then step down.

Cues

  • Relaxed, straight arms
  • Slow breathing

Common mistakes

  • Swinging or kicking: hang still so the stretch reaches the lats.

Swap for: Straight-Arm Pulldown, Pull-Up, Arm Circles

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Rows with dumbbells or straps

Rows train the mid back and the rear of the shoulders that vertical pulls miss. Dumbbells load them heaviest; suspension straps over a door do it with body weight.

Lats and mid back, one-arm row

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Lats, Upper Back

With one hand on a chair seat you can row a heavy dumbbell with a flat back, the strongest row you can do at home. Training one side at a time also evens out a weaker side.

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, two-dumbbell row

Dumbbell Bent-Over Row

Upper Back, Lats

Rowing both dumbbells while hinged forward trains the upper back and lats hard and the lower back to hold position. It needs no chair or bench at all.

How to do it

  1. Take one dumbbell per hand, feet about hip-width apart, and hinge forward from the hips with soft knees until your torso is nearly level with the floor.
  2. Let the dumbbells hang straight down under your shoulders, palms turned in.
  3. Pull both dumbbells up to your lower ribs, keeping the elbows close, and hold the top for a beat.
  4. Lower to straight arms without letting your torso rise and repeat.

Cues

  • Torso angle stays locked
  • Pull to the ribs
  • Squeeze, then lower

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hinge rise until you are rowing upright: keep a mirror or phone camera to the side and stop the set when your chest climbs.
  • Yanking the dumbbells with your hips: the legs stay still and the elbows do the work.

Swap for: One-Arm Dumbbell Row, Kettlebell Gorilla Row, Band Bent-Over Row

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Upper back, suspension row

TRX Row

Upper Back, Lats

Straps over a door turn your body weight into a row you can scale by walking your feet in or out. It is the best way to row at home without dumbbells.

How to do it

  1. Anchor the suspension straps above a closed door or a beam, take a handle in each hand, and sit back, knees bent, both soles planted.
  2. Lean back until your arms are straight and your body forms a line from knees to shoulders.
  3. Pull your chest up to the handles by driving your elbows back past your ribs.
  4. Lower back to straight arms under control and repeat.

Cues

  • Hips stay up in line
  • Elbows past the ribs
  • Walk the feet forward to make it harder

Common mistakes

  • Letting your hips sag as you tire: squeeze your glutes and end the set when the line breaks.
  • Pulling only with the arms and stopping short: the handles should finish beside your chest every rep.

Swap for: One-Arm Dumbbell Row, Band Bent-Over Row, Bodyweight Bicep Curl

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With no equipment at all

Without a bar, pull against a door frame and lift against gravity on the floor. These are lighter than pull-ups, so take them close to failure and slow every rep.

Biceps and upper back, doorway curl

Bodyweight Bicep Curl

Biceps

Gripping a door frame and pulling your chest in trains the biceps and some of the back with nothing else in the room. Feet closer to the frame makes each rep harder.

How to do it

  1. Grip both sides of a door frame around hip level, step one foot ahead of the other and walk your feet in toward it.
  2. Lean back until your arms are straight and your body is rigid from heels to head.
  3. Bend your elbows to bring your chest to the frame.
  4. Lower back out under control.

Cues

  • Elbows pinned to your sides
  • Body rigid
  • Feet in to make it harder

Common mistakes

  • Rowing instead of curling: keep your upper arms still at your sides and bend only at the elbows.
  • Bending at the hips: tense your glutes and keep a straight line.

Swap for: Chin-Up, TRX Chin-Up

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Lower and upper back, floor raise

Superman

Lower Back

Lifting your chest, arms and legs off the floor works the back muscles that hold posture. With no bar, it is one of the few ways to load them from the floor.

How to do it

  1. Lie face down with your arms stretched overhead and legs straight.
  2. Raise arms, chest and legs a few inches off the floor together.
  3. Hold for a second, then lower everything together.

Cues

  • Long, not high
  • Eyes on the floor

Common mistakes

  • Cranking the head back to lift higher: keep your neck in line with your spine.

Swap for: Back Extension, Exercise Ball Back Extension, Band Good Morning

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Upper back and rear shoulders

Plank IYTW

Abs, Upper Back

Raising one arm through I, Y, T and W shapes from a plank trains the muscles between the shoulder blades. It is the no-equipment stand-in for reverse flyes.

How to do it

  1. Start in a high plank on your hands with your feet a little wider than your hips.
  2. Shift your weight onto one hand and raise the other arm straight overhead in line with your body for the I.
  3. Return it, then raise it out at a 45 degree angle for the Y, straight out to the side for the T, and with the elbow bent and pulled back for the W.
  4. Repeat the four shapes with the other arm. That is one rep.

Cues

  • Hips level
  • Thumb toward the ceiling
  • Reach long each time

Common mistakes

  • Rotating your hips toward the lifted arm: widen your feet until your hips stay square.
  • Rushing the shapes: hold each one for a second so the upper back actually works.

Swap for: Superman, Dead Hang, Archer Pull-Up

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Rear shoulders and biceps

End a pull day with one rear shoulder exercise and one curl. They are small muscles, so higher reps and short rests work well.

Rear shoulders, wide-elbow row

Dumbbell Rear Delt Row

Shoulders

Rowing with your elbow flared out moves the work to the rear shoulders, which press-heavy routines leave weak. Light dumbbells and 12 to 15 reps are enough.

How to do it

  1. Put one knee and one hand on a flat bench with your back flat.
  2. Let the dumbbell hang under your shoulder, palm facing your feet.
  3. Pull it toward your upper chest with your elbow pointing out to the side.
  4. Lower it to a long arm, finish the set, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Elbow out wide
  • Pull to the chest line
  • Flat back

Common mistakes

  • Tucking the elbow to your side: that makes it a lat row instead of a rear delt row.
  • Twisting the torso open at the top: keep the shoulders square to the floor.

Swap for: Face Pull, Kettlebell Rear Delt Row

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Rear shoulders and upper back

Band Pull-Apart

Shoulders, Upper Back

A light band pulled apart at chest height trains the rear shoulders in seconds and fits between sets of anything. It costs less than any other piece of gear here.

How to do it

  1. Hold a light band at shoulder height with straight arms and hands about shoulder width.
  2. Pull your hands apart until the band touches your chest.
  3. Let the band bring your hands back slowly.

Cues

  • Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end.
  • Keep your ribs down.

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows to make it easier.

Swap for: Band Face Pull, Band Scapular Retraction

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Biceps and forearms, neutral-grip curl

Hammer Curl

Biceps, Forearms

The neutral grip trains the biceps and the forearm muscle next to it, and it carries over to the grip you need on rows and pull-ups.

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 with nothing but a door frame

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentBodyweight

You have no bar and no weights, and your training so far has been push-ups and squats.

Three exercises at 3 to 4 sets give the back and biceps about 10 hard sets per session. Doing it twice a week reaches the 10 to 20 weekly sets that build back muscle, even with lighter loads, as long as sets end close to failure.

Pull
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Bodyweight Bicep Curl 4 × 8–15 1 75 s
Plank IYTWPer arm. 3 × 6–10 2 1 min
SupermanHold 2 s at the top. 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Do it twice a week, on days after your push training or at the start of a full body session. About 20 minutes.
How to progress
Use double progression: add reps until every set reaches the top of the range at the target reps in reserve, then make the rep harder by moving your feet closer to the frame or holding the top of each superman and IYTW for 2 more seconds. RIRLift sets the next target from the reps in reserve you log.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Doorway bar and a band, working toward pull-ups

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets21 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentPull-Up Bar, Resistance Bands

You have a doorway pull-up bar and a loop band, and you can do anywhere from zero to a few pull-ups.

Two pull days with different grips give the lats about 8 to 10 hard sets a week from vertical pulls, with band-assisted sets adding volume you cannot yet get from full reps. Stopping 1 to 2 reps short keeps form clean and progress steady.

Pull A: Pull-ups
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Pull-UpUse the band if you get fewer than 3. 4 × 3–8 2 2:30 min
Band-Assisted Pull-Up 2 × 8–12 1 2 min
Band Pull-Apart 3 × 15–20 1 1 min
Dead HangSeconds per hang. 2 × 20–45 1 90 s

Open Pull A: Pull-ups in the session builder

Pull B: Chin-ups
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Chin-Up 4 × 4–8 2 2:30 min
Bodyweight Bicep Curl 3 × 8–12 1 75 s
Plank IYTWPer arm. 3 × 6–10 2 1 min

Open Pull B: Chin-ups in the session builder

How to run it
Train Pull A and Pull B in the same week with at least two days between them. Each takes about 30 minutes.
How to progress
On pull-ups and chin-ups, add a rep to one set each week. Once you get 3 sets of 8 with 1 to 2 reps in reserve, switch the band-assisted sets to a lighter band. Dead hangs progress by 5 seconds per set.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Dumbbells, no bar, push-pull-legs at home

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets26 a week
  • Per workout~35 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You train a push, pull and legs split at home with adjustable dumbbells or a few pairs, and no place to hang a bar.

Rows replace pull-ups here, so two row variations carry most of the back work: about 7 hard sets for the lats and mid back, 3 for the rear shoulders and 3 for the biceps per session. Run it twice a week and the back gets 14 or more sets.

Pull
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
One-Arm Dumbbell Row2 warm-up sets firstPer arm. Hand on a chair seat. 4 × 8–12 2 90 s
Dumbbell Bent-Over Row 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Dumbbell Rear Delt RowPer arm. 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
Hammer Curl 3 × 8–12 1 75 s
How to run it
Run it as the pull day of a push, pull, legs week, once or twice. About 40 minutes.
How to progress
When every set hits the top of the rep range at the target reps in reserve, move up to the next dumbbell. Keep the reps in reserve honest on rows, where it is easy to swing the weight up.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What are all the pull workouts?

Pull exercises are anything where you pull a weight toward you or yourself toward something: vertical pulls like pull-ups and chin-ups, rows with dumbbells, straps or a door frame, rear shoulder exercises like pull-aparts, and biceps curls.

How do I do homemade pull-ups?

Without a bar, the closest option is a doorway curl or a row under a sturdy table. A doorway pull-up bar is inexpensive and opens real pull-ups and chin-ups, plus band-assisted versions until you can do a full rep.

Can I do push and pull on the same day?

Yes. Pairing a push with a pull, like push-ups and rows, saves time because one muscle group rests while the other works. Keep each pair to about 3 sets.

What is the 3-3-3 rule for gym workouts?

One common version is 3 exercises for 3 sets, 3 days a week. For a home pull day, that could be pull-ups, one-arm rows and hammer curls, with each set stopped 1 to 3 reps short of failure.

What are the best pull exercises at home without equipment?

Doorway curls, supermans and plank IYTWs. They train the biceps, upper back and lower back with only a door frame and the floor, and they get hard when you slow the reps and hold the top.