Understand what a pull day back workout is
A pull day back workout is a training session built around pulling movements that bring weight toward your body. These exercises primarily work your back, biceps, rear shoulders, and forearms, along with much of your posterior chain. According to Gold’s Gym guidance in 2026, a pull workout focuses on pulling motions that target muscle groups such as the back, forearms, and biceps, and it often lives inside a push pull legs split.
On pull day you usually rotate between:
- Vertical pulls, like pull ups and lat pulldowns
- Horizontal pulls, like rows and face pulls
- Isolation work, like curls and rear delt raises
This structure helps you:
- Build a stronger and thicker back
- Improve posture by training the muscles that hold your shoulders back
- Balance out push focused training like bench presses and push ups
Research from the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy suggests that active adults tend to be stronger in push movements. That is one reason a consistent pull day back workout matters if you want balanced upper body strength.
Know the muscles you are training
When you design your pull day back workout, it helps to know which muscles you are trying to target so that every exercise has a clear purpose.
Main back muscles
-
Latissimus dorsi (lats)
These large “wing” muscles pull your upper arms down toward your body from many angles. They are essential for pull ups, pulldowns, and rows and they create that familiar “V taper” shape. A 2024 Men’s Health article notes that strong lats also help keep your bench press shoulder friendly. -
Rhomboids and middle traps
These muscles sit between your shoulder blades. They pull your shoulders back, support good posture, and stabilize your shoulders during presses and rows. -
Lower traps
Located below the shoulder blades, these help control your shoulder blades when you reach overhead and when you pull weight toward you. -
Spinal erectors
These long muscles run up your spine. They help keep your back straight during deadlifts, rows, and everyday movements like picking things up off the floor.
Supporting muscles on pull day
- Rear delts at the back of your shoulders
- Biceps at the front of your upper arms
- Forearms and grip muscles, which hold the bar, dumbbells, or handles
Your goal is not to hit one small muscle with one magical move. It is to use a mix of heavy compound pulls and lighter isolation work so your whole back gets trained through a full range of motion.
Warm up for a safer pull day
Before you touch heavy weight, you want more than a quick stretch. A focused warm up raises your body temperature, improves mobility, and prepares your joints and nervous system for pulling work.
Recommended warm up moves for pull day include:
-
Arm circles
Small to large circles forward and backward to get your shoulders moving. -
Shoulder dislocations with a band or stick
Hold a band wide, lift it overhead, then bring it behind you and back again if your shoulders allow. Keep it pain free and controlled. -
Thoracic rotations
On hands and knees, place one hand behind your head, then rotate your elbow up toward the ceiling. This focuses on your upper back. -
Bodyweight rows on a bar or TRX
Lean back and pull your chest toward the bar using your back, not your arms. -
Light warm up sets of your first lift
If you will deadlift, start with the empty bar or very light dumbbells and do a few sets of 8 to 10 reps. This specific warm up helps your body adjust to the movement pattern and reduces injury risk.
These dynamic moves increase blood flow and mobility, which research shows can improve performance and reduce injury risk on training days that involve heavy pulling.
Follow this beginner pull day back workout
The beginner pull day workout below is based on guidance from Fitbod’s beginner programming and multiple expert recommendations from trainers at Gold’s Gym and other sources in 2025 and 2026. It was designed for people with less than a year of lifting experience, so the focus is safety, proper technique, and simple, effective movements.
Aim to do this pull day back workout 1 to 2 times per week, with at least one rest or lower body day between sessions.
Step 1: Start with a big compound lift
Heavy compound movements come first, when you are fresh. They recruit the most muscle and give you the biggest strength and muscle gains.
Option A: Deadlift
- Sets: 3
- Reps: 5
- Rest: 90 to 120 seconds between sets
Deadlifts involve your glutes, hamstrings, lower back, core, and lats. They are a cornerstone of many pull day routines and are often programmed as 3 sets of 5 reps in beginner plans.
Basic deadlift form tips
- Stand with feet hip width apart, bar over mid foot
- Hinge at your hips, then bend your knees to reach the bar
- Keep your back straight and chest proud
- Brace your core, then push the floor away and stand up tall
- Control the descent by hinging at your hips, then bending your knees
If you are new or do not feel ready for deadlifts from the floor, you can:
- Start with a trap bar, which is more beginner friendly
- Raise the bar on blocks or plates to shorten the range of motion
Option B: Bent over barbell row or Smith machine row
If deadlifts feel too technical right now, you can begin your pull day with a rowing variation. Both the Bent Over Barbell Row and Smith Machine Bent Over Row provide some built in stability and help you practice bracing your trunk while pulling with your back.
- Sets: 3 to 4
- Reps: 6 to 8
- Rest: 90 seconds between sets
Step 2: Add a vertical pull
After your main lift, move to a vertical pulling exercise that targets your lats and upper back from a different angle.
Level 1: Lat pulldown
Lat pulldowns are one of the most effective beginner moves for strengthening your lats. They also involve your shoulders, biceps, and upper back, and they are easier to learn than full bodyweight pull ups.
- Sets: 3 to 4
- Reps: 8 to 12
- Rest: 60 to 90 seconds
Proper lat pulldown form
- Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with palms facing away
- Sit tall with your chest up and core tight
- Lean back just slightly, do not swing or hunch forward
- Pull the bar down to the top of your chest
- Focus on pulling with your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades down and back
- Control the bar as it rises, letting your arms fully straighten at the top
Common mistakes to avoid include using too much weight and relying on momentum, rounding your back, pulling the bar behind your neck, or using a grip that is too wide or too narrow for your frame.
Variations as you progress
Once you feel comfortable, you can mix in:
- Close grip pulldowns to emphasize upper lats and biceps
- Underhand pulldowns to challenge lower lats and biceps
- Single arm pulldowns to fix left right imbalances
- Band pulldowns if you train at home without machines
Step 3: Include a horizontal row
Rows build thickness through your mid and upper back and are crucial for shoulder health. Research reviewed in Men’s Health emphasizes that at least 6 sets of rowing work per week is a smart target if you want a strong back.
Seated cable row
The Cable Row is often ranked as the most effective beginner pull exercise for the back because the machine helps you control resistance and maintain solid body positioning.
- Sets: 3
- Reps: 10 to 12
- Rest: 60 to 90 seconds
Form basics:
- Sit tall with a slight bend in your knees
- Grab the handle, keep your chest up, and avoid rounding your spine
- Pull the handle toward your low ribs, not toward your neck
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together, then slowly reach forward again until your shoulders stretch at the front
Dumbbell row variation
If you do not have a cable machine, you can use a one arm dumbbell row on a bench. This has the added benefit of training each side separately.
- Sets: 3 per arm
- Reps: 8 to 12
- Rest: 60 seconds between sets
Step 4: Train your rear delts
Rear delt exercises help round out your back, support shoulder stability, and improve posture. They often get neglected, but they make a big difference in how your upper back looks and feels.
Dumbbell rear delt fly
- Sets: 3
- Reps: 12 to 15
- Rest: 45 to 60 seconds
Use light weights. Focus on control and feeling the back of your shoulders work. You can do these:
- Bent over, with your chest almost parallel to the floor
- On an incline bench, chest supported
Pull the dumbbells out and slightly back, not straight out to the sides, then lower slowly.
Cable rear delt pulls, which appear in some optimized pull day plans, are another effective variation that lets you focus on one side at a time.
Step 5: Finish with biceps isolation
Your biceps already help in all the pulling moves above, but isolation exercises let you focus directly on arm strength and size. Fitbod’s pull programs use a range of curls, including Barbell Curl, Dumbbell Bicep Curl, EZ-Bar Curl, Hammer Curl, and Preacher Curl so you can find what feels good on your wrists and elbows.
Beginner friendly options
Pick one or two of the following:
-
Dumbbell curls
3 sets of 8 to 12 reps -
Hammer curls
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, great for forearms and grip -
EZ-bar curls
3 sets of 8 to 10 reps, often easier on your wrists than a straight bar
Rest 45 to 60 seconds between sets, and keep your upper arms close to your sides instead of swinging the weights.
Use smart sets, reps, and rest
You do not need a complicated spreadsheet to make progress. You just need a clear structure that matches your goal. Trainers and research based guides commonly recommend:
-
Heavy compound sets like deadlifts, pull ups, or heavy rows
3 to 4 sets of 5 to 6 reps
90 to 120 seconds of rest -
Moderate compound sets like lat pulldowns or cable rows
3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
60 to 90 seconds of rest -
Isolation or superset work like curls, face pulls, or rear delt flyes
2 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps
30 to 60 seconds of rest
Longer rest periods (around 2 minutes) favor strength, while shorter rests (30 to 60 seconds) increase metabolic stress and can help with muscle growth if your form stays tight.
Some programs also add supersets to save time. For example, you can alternate:
- Lat pulldown with face pull
- Reverse fly with hammer curl
Doing these back to back with 30 to 60 seconds of rest can keep your heart rate up and increase workout density without adding extra gym time.
Apply progressive overload without burning out
Your body adapts quickly. To keep building strength and muscle from your pull day back workout, you need progressive overload. This simply means that over time you make the work a little harder.
You can do that by:
- Adding a small amount of weight
- Doing an extra rep or two in a set
- Adding one more set for a key exercise
- Slowing the lowering phase for more time under tension
You do not need to increase everything at once. Each week, choose one or two small upgrades. For example:
- Week 1: 3 sets of 8 reps on lat pulldowns at 70 pounds
- Week 2: 3 sets of 10 reps at the same weight
- Week 3: 3 sets of 8 reps at 75 pounds
This gradual change keeps your muscles challenged and helps prevent plateaus.
Avoid common pull day mistakes
Even a great program will feel less effective if your technique or exercise choices are off. A few of the most common pull day back workout mistakes show up again and again in research and coaching guides.
Overusing your arms instead of your back
If your biceps do all the work, your lats and mid back never get fully trained. To fix this, think about pulling with your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades, not curling the weight with your hands.
Rushing reps and using momentum
Swinging on pulldowns or rows might let you move more weight, but it reduces actual back muscle stimulation. Use a controlled 1 to 2 second pull and a 2 to 3 second return, especially on machines and dumbbell work.
Rounding your lower back
This is especially risky in deadlifts and bent over rows. Keep your spine neutral and your core braced. If you cannot maintain that, reduce the load or switch to a chest supported or machine row while you build strength.
Ignoring your lower back
Your spinal erectors work in every standing pull, but isolation work like back extensions can help if your lower back is a weak link. Many lifters neglect these muscles, which can hurt performance and posture.
Relying only on machines
Machine work is useful, especially for beginners, but if you never touch barbells, dumbbells, or bodyweight pulls, you may limit your back’s range of motion and overall strength. Overreliance on fixed path machines can reduce the smaller stabilizing muscles’ involvement.
Neglecting your grip strength
Weak grip often gives out before your back is really tired. You can improve this by including hammer curls and other forearm focused work, and by holding the top of rows or deadlifts for a brief pause.
Fit pull day into your weekly routine
You can use your pull day back workout as part of a simple weekly structure. Gold’s Gym trainers recommend integrating pull days into a push pull legs style plan because it targets different muscle groups on different days and allows for better recovery.
A sample 4 day schedule might look like:
- Day 1: Push (chest, shoulders, triceps)
- Day 2: Pull (back, biceps)
- Day 3: Rest or light cardio
- Day 4: Legs and core
- Day 5: Optional second upper body or full body day
- Day 6 and 7: Rest, walking, or mobility work
Pull day should show up at least once per week. Some programs rotate through push, pull, and legs multiple times over a few weeks so that pull day appears twice every three weeks or more often depending on your experience and recovery.
Put it all together and start simple
If you want a straightforward template to follow on your next pull day back workout, you can use this beginner friendly session:
- Warm up
- 5 to 10 minutes of light cardio
- Arm circles, shoulder dislocations, thoracic rotations
- 1 to 2 light sets of your first lift
- Main strength work
- Deadlift or bent over row, 3 to 4 sets of 5 to 6 reps
- Vertical pull
- Lat pulldown, 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
- Horizontal row
- Seated cable row or dumbbell row, 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
- Rear delts
- Dumbbell rear delt fly, 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
- Biceps
- Dumbbell or hammer curls, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Start with weights that let you move in full control and end each set with 1 to 3 reps still “in the tank.” As your form improves and the weights start to feel easier, apply progressive overload and make small adjustments.
With consistent practice, your pull day back workout will not just build muscle. It will support better posture, stronger lifts on other days, and a back that looks as capable as it feels.
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