Perfect pull-day workout & Muscle groups explained

A balanced training plan should include both push and pull days. On pull days, you focus on muscle groups such as your back, bicepsTrapezius and rear deltoids. With exercises like pull-ups, rows, face pulls and curls, you strengthen exactly the muscles you need in everyday life for lifting, carrying and climbing, while your pushing muscles can recover at the same time.

A push-pull split ensures a good balance in your training and prevents overtraining. If you're ready to plan your ideal pull day, here you'll find the most important muscles, suitable exercises, and an example of an effective workout.

What is a pull-day workout?

On pull day, you specifically train your back, biceps, Trapezius muscle and the latissimus dorsi. The training should include compound exercises and then transition to isolation exercises. A mix of horizontal and vertical pulling movements is ideal.

Typical exercises include: pull-ups, chin-ups, rowing variations, bicep curls and reverse flys.

A well-planned pull day begins with a dynamic warm-up, followed by heavy compound exercises, medium-strength accessory exercises, and a few high-rep sets or burnouts to finish. A cool-down with static stretching completes the session and helps with recovery. regeneration.

Target muscles on pull day

Each pull day can look slightly different, but a comprehensive workout should include exercises that target each of these muscles.

Latissimus (Lats)

The largest back muscles create the V-shape and a slimmer-looking waist. Exercises like pull-ups or lat pulldowns are perfect for this.

Trapezius muscle (Traps)

You should focus primarily on the middle and lower part of the shoulder blades, which are responsible for contraction and stabilization. Good exercises for this include shrugs, face pulls, and upright rows.

biceps

Your biceps are the muscles at the front of your arm and are responsible for bending your elbow. They are usually trained with hammer curls, classic curls, or Zottman curls.

Rhomboids

A somewhat lesser-known muscle group is the rhomboids, which help to retract the shoulder blades. You'll feel them working particularly actively during exercises like scapular pull-ups, cable rows, and face pulls.

Rear shoulders

The rear deltoids are the back part of your shoulder muscles. Exercises like rear delt flys and dumbbell rows specifically target them.

Brachialis and brachioradialis

These two smaller muscles are located in the arm. The brachialis lies deep beneath the biceps, while the brachioradialis is a forearm muscle that is particularly activated during pulling movements. Although they are rarely the focus of individual exercises, they are engaged during hammer curls, reverse curls, and chin-ups.

rotator cuff muscle

The technical name for this muscle is infraspinatus, and it's responsible for the stability of your shoulder. You'll feel it working particularly during scapular retractions, face pulls, and dumbbell rows when your shoulder blades are retracted.

Muscles in the lower back

Finally, there are the erector spinae muscles in the lower back, which stabilize your posture during rowing exercises.These muscles are automatically trained during pull-day training, without the need for special exercises.

8 Important Exercises for Your Pull Day

Start your perfect pull-day workout by going through these exercises, which target exactly the key muscles we just discussed.

Lat Pulldown

Either use a cable machine at the gym or your Speediance Gym Monster 2 At home. Sit so that you are facing the raised cable with the pole attachment. Secure your Knee under the upholstery.

Lean back slightly, keep your chest up, and grip the bar wide. Pull your elbows down and back until the bar reaches your upper chest.

Let the weight descend in a controlled manner so that it doesn't simply fall off.

rowing

Next up is rowing. You can do this exercise with dumbbells, a barbell, or on a cable machine.

For the one-arm row, support one knee and the hand on the same side on a bench. Grip the cable handle or dumbbell with your free hand. Maintain a neutral spine and keep your head slightly tilted forward.

Pull your elbow back as if you were pulling the weight towards your trouser pocket. Squeeze in the muscles between your shoulder blades; that's where the muscle should be working.

You can also do upright cable rows. Set the cable to a medium height and sit on the bench with your feet firmly planted, facing directly towards the cable. Don't lean forward or backward, and start with your arms fully extended.

Then pull your elbows back until the handle is roughly at the level of your lower sternum. Return to the starting position in a controlled manner.

Face Pull

The best way to do face pulls is on a cable machine, with the rope adjusted to face level.

Grip the triceps rope with an overhand grip, arms fully extended at the start. Then bend your elbows and pull your hands towards your face in a controlled manner.

Hold the position briefly at the top and actively pull in your rear shoulders; this is where the muscle should really work.

deadlift

The deadlift is the king of basic exercises. It trains multiple muscle groups simultaneously and builds genuine full-body pulling strength. Grab a heavy barbell or two dumbbells, and let's get started.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, the barbell positioned over the middle of your feet.

Then make a clean hip bend, as if you were closing a door with your buttocks or tapping a wall behind you. Keep your arms close to your legs as you bend down to grab the weight.

Push yourself up through your heels and firmly tense your buttocks and hamstrings until you are standing completely upright again.

Make sure your back stays straight and your neck tilts slightly forward so your head remains in a neutral position. When lowering yourself, you shouldn't go any lower than until the middle of the calves Walk to protect your lower back.

Biceps curl

This pulling exercise directly targets the biceps.For the standard curl, hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing forward. Then bend your elbows and pull the dumbbells up to your shoulders in a controlled manner.

The movement is similar in the hammer curl, but your palms face inwards towards your body. You can perform both variations on a cable machine, depending on whether you prefer tension or variety.

Pull-ups

Pull-ups are a great exercise for your lats and fit perfectly into any pull-day workout. Stand under the pull-up bar, grip it slightly wider than shoulder-width, and hang completely straight.

Pull your shoulder blades together and draw your elbows towards your body as you pull yourself up. Once your chin is above the bar, you've completed a chin-up. For a classic pull-up, continue pulling yourself up until the bar is approximately at chest height.

Then slowly and in a controlled manner lower yourself back down until your arms are fully extended.

Barbell lat sweater

For lat pullovers, you lie flat on a bench and hold a barbell above your head.

Grip the barbell with both hands, bend your elbows slightly and lower your arms in a wide arc towards your thighs.

You'll feel a good stretch in your lats at the bottom; hold this position briefly and then slowly and with control bring the barbell back to the starting position.

Make the movement deliberately slow so that you have a better feeling for your muscles.

Shrugs

Give your trapezius muscles some extra attention by incorporating a few shrugs into your workout routine. Either use dumbbells in each hand or grab two cable handles on the lowest cable machine.

Hold the weights at your sides. Then pull your shoulders straight up towards your ears, contracting your trapezius muscles tightly.

Hold briefly at the top, then slowly and with control lower your shoulders again.

Example of a pull-day training plan

Let's combine all these exercises into an effective pull-day workout. Whether you train at the gym or at home, this plan will help you get the most out of your pull training.

Warm-up (5–10 minutes)

Get your circulation going and prepare your muscles for training to avoid injuries:

• arm circles
  

• Band Pull-Aparts
  

• Activation exercises using your own body weight: Lat pulldowns, rowing, face pulls
  

Main part – Pull Day exercises

• Deadlift: 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions, 2-minute break
  

• Pull-ups: 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions, 2 minutes rest (with assistance if needed)
  

• Rowing (cable or barbell): 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions, 90 seconds rest
  

• Face Pulls: 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions, 60 seconds rest
  

• Biceps curls: 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions, 60 seconds rest (dumbbell, barbell or cable)
  

• Lat Pullover: 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions, 60 seconds rest
  

• Shrugs: 2-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions, or as many as the muscles can handle – 45-second break

Cool-down (5–10 minutes)

Take 5-10 minutes for static stretching, for example for lat and chest stretches, and also roll out your upper back with the fascia roller.

Tips for an effective pull-day workout

1. Actively retract shoulder blades: Before each pulling movement, first pull your shoulder blades together – this protects against injuries and specifically activates the muscles.
   

2. Control negative phase: Slowly release the weight over 2-3 seconds – this will maintain tension in the muscle.
   

3. Guide with your elbows: Instead of pulling with your hands, you should move your elbows back or down; this ensures better muscle activation.
   

4. Full Range of Motion (ROM): Use the full range of motion in every exercise for maximum muscle stimulation.
   

5. Track everything: Note down weight, repetitions, sets and rest periods so you can increase your training in a targeted way.
   

6. Gradual increase: Increase the weight in 1-2 repetitions or small weight increments (e.g. 2.5 kg) to make continuous progress.
   

7. Deload regularly: Treat your body to a lighter workout every 4-6 weeks to avoid overexertion.
   

8. First basic exercises: Start with the big movements like deadlifts or pull-ups; these require the most energy.
   

9. Alternate direction of travel: Combine horizontal and vertical pulls and hip movements to target all muscle groups.
   

10. No ego boost: Too much weight will ruin your technique – it's better to train cleanly and stay injury-free.
    

11. Don't forget your rear shoulders: Rear delt flies help you maintain posture and shoulder balance.
    

12. Enough rest: Plan for 48–72 hours of rest between pull days. On the other days, you can incorporate push, leg, cardio, or light training.
    

Frequently Asked Questions

Are 4 exercises enough for a pull day?

Yes, if you have little time, 4 targeted exercises can be enough – the important thing is the right selection: e.g. vertical pull, horizontal pull, hip extension and an exercise for the biceps.

How many exercises should I do on a pull day?

For beginners, 4 well-structured exercises are sufficient. Advanced trainees can integrate 6-8 exercises to effectively combine volume, progress, and recovery.

Pull Day exercises for balanced strength

A training split with pull and push days brings structure to your workout and ensures balanced muscle development. On pull days, you primarily train your lats, trapezius, biceps, and the entire posterior chain, including your glutes and hamstrings. Exercises like deadlifts, rows, or pull-ups can also be performed on machines such as the... Speediance Gym Monster 2 Performing these exercises is gentle on the joints while still providing effective muscle stimulation. Start with the sample plan above or create your own program from the presented pull-day exercises; your back will thank you.