Pull Day Workout
A good pull day targets all the muscles involved in pulling movements. This includes the lats, upper and middle back, rear delts, and the biceps. Find pull exercise examples, learn about benefits and how to structure your pull day workout, and how to progress and get stronger.
Pull Day Workout Exercises
Deadlift
Muscles worked. Lower back, hamstrings, glutes, traps, forearms.
Technique tips. Keep the bar close to your body, maintain a neutral spine, and drive through your heels.
Why it’s good. One of the most complete strength exercises for building full-body power and posterior chain development.
Sets & reps. 3 sets × 3–6 reps
Lat Pulldown
Muscles worked. Lats, teres major, biceps.
Technique tips. Lead the movement with your elbows, not your hands, and keep your chest lifted.
Why it’s good. Builds width in the back and improves body control and pulling mechanics.
Sets & reps. 3–4 sets × 8–12 reps
Seated Cable Row
Muscles worked. Middle back, rear delts, biceps.
Technique tips. Pull the handle toward your lower ribs and keep your shoulder blades retracted.
Why it’s good. A controlled rowing movement that improves muscle engagement and mid-back development.
Sets & reps. 3 sets × 10–12 reps
High Cable Row
Muscles worked. Upper back, rear delts, lats.
Technique tips. Pull the handle down toward the upper chest while keeping elbows high and shoulder blades squeezed together. Maintain a slight lean back for better engagement.
Why it’s good. Targets the upper back from a different angle, improves posture, and enhances rear delt development for a more balanced upper body.
Sets & reps. 3 sets × 10–12 reps
Face Pulls
Muscles worked. Rear delts, upper traps, rhomboids, rotator cuff.
Technique tips. Pull the rope toward your forehead with elbows high and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Keep the movement controlled.
Why it’s good. Improves shoulder health, posture, and scapular stability while balancing all pressing exercises.
Sets & reps. 3 sets × 12–15 reps
Bicep Curls
Muscles worked. Biceps and the front of the upper arms.
Technique tips. Keep your upper arms still and avoid swinging the weights.
Why it’s good. Isolates the biceps and increases strength in all pulling exercises.
Sets & reps. 3 sets × 10–12 reps
Benefits of pull exercises
Pull exercises build a strong back, but that's not all. They also improve posture, support shoulder health, and balance your entire upper body. There are many benefits!
Strengthens your entire back for better posture
Balances the body by supporting all pressing movements
Improves shoulder stability and reduces injury risk
Builds both width and thickness in the back
Enhances grip strength and everyday pulling movements
How do you structure a good pull day workout?
The key is to structure your workout from heaviest to lightest, and from large muscle groups to small ones, so you can train with good technique and avoid early fatigue.
So in the pull day exercise example in this article you have a workout that starts with deadlifts, your heaviest and most demanding lift, while you’re fresh.
Then you move into your main back work with lat pulldowns, seated cable rows, and high cable rows to train both back width and thickness.
Face pulls come next to improve posture and shoulder stability, and you finish with biceps curls when your arms are already tired.
This order keeps your technique solid, reduces injury risk, and gives every pull muscle group the right amount of work.
Complement your pull day workout with push day workouts and leg workouts to get a good split.
Progression week after week
Don’t train to failure on every set. Leave 1–2 reps in the tank (RIR - reps in reserve) on heavy lifts and 0–1 reps on isolation work.
This keeps technique clean and allows steady progress.
• Deadlift → RIR 1–2
• Lat pulldown, cable row → RIR 1–2
• Biceps isolation → RIR 0–1
Week 1 – Baseline
Choose weights that allow the recommended reps with good form and 1–2 reps left.
Week 2 – Increase weight (2.5–5%)
Increase slightly on deadlift, rows, pulldowns.
For biceps and smaller movements: add 1–2 reps or go up one stack level.
Week 3 – Same weight, more reps
Keep the weight from Week 2 and add 1–2 reps on your main lifts.
If that’s tough, add one extra set for a row or biceps exercise.
Week 4 – Increase weight again
If you can hit the top of the rep range with control, increase weight by 2.5–5%.
Week 5 – Deload week
Cut volume or weight in half. Focus on perfect form and technique.
Week 6 – Start a new cycle
Begin with the heavier weights you reached in Week 4.