Pull Day Workout
- Tony Palladino
- 11h
- 9 min read
Pull day workouts focus on strengthening muscles used in pulling motions, targeting your back, biceps, and rear shoulders. These exercises are great for improving posture, reducing muscle imbalances, and building functional strength for daily activities like lifting or carrying. For women in their 30s and 40s, pull workouts can also help alleviate poor posture caused by desk work or phone use, while boosting energy and sleep quality.
Key Highlights:
Muscles Worked: Back (lats, traps, rhomboids), biceps, rear shoulders, and forearms.
Time Commitment: 30-45 minutes, using dumbbells or resistance bands.
Warm-Up: Include dynamic stretches like thoracic rotations and banded pull-aparts to prepare your muscles.
Core Exercises: Single-arm dumbbell rows, dumbbell pullovers, renegade rows, and resistance band pull-aparts.
Progression: Gradually increase weight, reps, or time under tension as your strength improves.
To balance your routine, combine pull days with push exercises, targeting opposing muscle groups. Start with one pull day per week, and for better results, aim for two sessions. A sample weekly plan could alternate pull and push days with rest in between. Whether you're a beginner or advanced, these workouts are simple to fit into a busy schedule.
Warm-Up and Activation Exercises
Dynamic Stretching for Muscle Activation
Before diving into your pull day workout, set aside 5–10 minutes for a proper warm-up. This small effort helps prepare your muscles, boosts blood flow, and lowers the risk of injury - especially for your shoulders, which are both highly mobile and prone to strain during pulling exercises.
Start with Thoracic Rotations to loosen up your mid-back and shoulders. Get into a hands-and-knees position, place one hand behind your head, and rotate your elbow toward the opposite wrist. Then, rotate back up, opening your chest and shoulder toward the ceiling. Aim for 8–12 repetitions on each side. Follow this with Open-Book Windmills: lie on your side with one leg extended and the other bent at a 90-degree angle over a foam roller. Stack your shoulders with palms together, then sweep your top arm overhead and rotate it across your body, opening your palm to the ceiling. Again, aim for 8–12 reps per side.
These dynamic stretches not only take your joints through their full range of motion but also elevate your core temperature - exactly what your body needs before tackling heavier lifts. Once your joints are prepped, you can move on to drills that specifically activate the muscles you’ll be using.
Targeted Activation Drills
After loosening up your shoulders and back, it’s time to wake up the key muscles for your pull workout. Banded Pull-Aparts are a great start. Hold a resistance band straight out in front of you and pull it apart, focusing on squeezing your shoulder blades together. Maintain this tension for 60–90 seconds.
Next, try Banded Straight-Arm Lat Pulldowns. Anchor a resistance band at chest height and hold the handles with your arms extended overhead. With a slight bend in your hips and knees, pull your shoulders back and down as you bring your arms down to your sides, keeping them straight throughout the movement. Perform this drill for 60–90 seconds. These exercises activate the muscles between your shoulder blades and get your lats engaged, ensuring they’re ready for the heavier lifts ahead.
Quick Strong 20: 25-Minute Best Upper Body Pull Workout for Women | Strengthen Your Back & Biceps!
Core Pull Day Workout Circuit
Now that you're warmed up and ready to go, it's time to dive into the main workout. This circuit is designed to target your back, biceps, and rear shoulders with a mix of compound and isolation exercises. Aim for 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps, using weights that challenge you while leaving you 1–3 reps shy of failure. Take 30 seconds to rest between sets. Each movement builds on your warm-up, combining efficiency with strength-building.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
This classic move focuses on your lats, traps, rhomboids, and biceps, while also engaging your core for balance. Here’s how to do it:
Grab a dumbbell in one hand and use a bench for support by placing your opposite knee and hand on it. No bench? No problem - stand in a staggered stance with one foot slightly behind the other for lower back support.
Hinge at your hips, keeping your back flat and core tight (imagine pulling your belly button toward your spine). Let the dumbbell hang straight down with your palm facing inward.
Pull the dumbbell toward your hip by driving your elbow back, focusing on initiating the movement from your elbow rather than your hand. Squeeze your shoulder blade at the top, then lower the weight slowly.
Complete all reps on one side before switching. If you’re just starting out, consider trying barbell rows for added stability.
Dumbbell Pullover
The dumbbell pullover is a versatile exercise that works your lats while also engaging your core and abs. Follow these steps:
Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell horizontally with both hands (or use one in each hand) and extend your arms overhead.
With a slight bend in your elbows, lower the dumbbell overhead until you feel a stretch in your lats. Then pull it back, keeping your lower back pressed firmly into the mat.
As you bring the weight back overhead, focus on pulling your armpits down toward your hips to fully activate your lats.
Use a weight that allows you to maintain control - if your lower back starts to arch, it's a sign you need to go lighter.
Renegade Row
This compound move hits your back, shoulders, and core all at the same time. Here’s how to perform it:
Start in a plank position with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward.
Keep your core braced and your body stable. Bend one elbow to row the dumbbell up until your upper arm is at least parallel to your side.
Avoid twisting or rocking - keep your shoulders and hips square to the floor. Slowly lower the dumbbell and repeat on the other side for one full rep.
If maintaining a full plank is too tough, drop to your knees to reduce the intensity as you build strength.
Resistance Band Pull-Apart
This exercise zeroes in on your rear delts and traps, adding a finishing touch to your circuit. Here's how to do it:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a resistance band taut between your hands.
Extend your arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height, palms facing down and elbows slightly bent.
Engage your core and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull the band outward past your shoulders. Keep your wrists straight and strong throughout the movement.
Slowly return to the starting position. To keep challenging yourself as you progress, switch to a band with higher tension.
Form Tips and Progressions
Common Form Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When it comes to rows, one of the most frequent mistakes is rounding the back. To prevent this, focus on hinging at your hips while keeping your core engaged. Also, ensure your neck stays aligned with your spine - don’t crane it upward or let it drop downward.
Another issue is relying on momentum. Instead, lock your core and execute each row with controlled movements, making sure to deliberately squeeze your shoulder blades at the top of the motion.
For pullovers, a slight adjustment to your elbow angle as you progress can help maintain consistent tension throughout the exercise. With renegade rows, avoid rotating your hips or shoulders - your body should stay squared off, just like in a proper plank position.
Nail these form corrections before moving on to more advanced variations.
How to Progress with Pull Exercises
Once you've mastered proper form, you can start progressing your pull exercises by gradually increasing either the load or the time under tension. A good starting point is aiming for an RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) of 8 - this means finishing each set with about two reps left in the tank. This approach challenges your muscles while still allowing you to maintain safe and precise form.
When you're able to complete 12 reps with perfect technique, consider increasing the weight by 2.5–5 lbs or slowing down your reps to enhance time under tension. Progression can also involve adding more sets or experimenting with advanced variations. For example, if standard rows feel easy, you could work toward chin-ups or even weighted pull-ups. If pull-ups are still a struggle, start with resistance bands for assistance or practice isometric holds to build strength before advancing further.
Adding Pull Workouts to Your Weekly Routine
Balancing Pull Days with Other Workouts
To keep your workouts balanced, consider using a push-pull split. This method alternates pulling exercises (targeting the back, biceps, and rear shoulders) with pushing exercises (focusing on the chest, shoulders, and triceps) throughout the week. This setup promotes balanced muscle growth and helps reduce the risk of strength imbalances that could lead to injuries.
If you’re juggling strength training with activities like yoga, Pilates, or running, one pull day per week is enough to make progress. Tony shares:
"If you're balancing out your strength training with things like yoga, Pilates, running, or other activities, one push and one pull day per week will be enough to see progress".
For those aiming to build muscle and strength, two pull sessions per week can deliver better results. Bryant elaborates:
"However, if you're really focusing on strength-training, it's great if you can hit push and pull twice per week, each".
A simple weekly plan might look something like this: Monday (Pull), Tuesday (Push), Wednesday (Rest), Thursday (Pull), Friday (Push). Rest days between sessions for the same muscle groups are essential to allow recovery. Tony emphasizes:
"Splitting your training between pull and push days is a straightforward way to create a program that will allow a variety of movements to avoid overuse and injury, optimize training time, and accomplish more training in a shorter period".
Tailoring your schedule to suit your goals and daily life is the best way to stay consistent and see results.
Using Toned By Tony for Personalized Plans
If structuring your pull days feels overwhelming, the Fit & Functional program from Toned By Tony can simplify the process. This training app creates custom workout plans tailored to your fitness level and schedule. It tracks your progress, so you can see how your pull exercises are improving over time. Weekly check-ins keep you accountable, while 1-on-1 coaching ensures your form stays correct and your workouts adapt as you grow stronger. Plus, the private community provides support and motivation from others on similar fitness paths, helping you stick to your routine even during hectic weeks.
Conclusion
Pull day workouts are an excellent way to build strength that benefits your daily life. By focusing on your back, biceps, and rear shoulders, these exercises can help improve posture, ease lower back discomfort, and boost overall strength levels. For women in their 30s and 40s, regular resistance training also plays a key role in slowing down age-related muscle loss.
The great thing about pull workouts? You don’t have to overhaul your entire fitness routine to see progress. Starting with just one pull day each week, alongside other activities you enjoy, can lead to noticeable improvements over time. Once you feel stronger and more confident, adding a second session can amplify your results. The secret to success lies in staying consistent.
Thinking about giving it a try? Choose an approach that works with your schedule and goals. For tailored advice, check out the Fit & Functional program from Toned By Tony.
FAQs
What are the benefits of adding pull day workouts to my fitness routine?
Incorporating pull day workouts into your fitness routine can do wonders for your body. These exercises target your back and shoulders, which not only helps improve posture but also minimizes the risk of muscle imbalances. By focusing on these areas, you'll build functional strength that comes in handy for everyday tasks like lifting heavy objects or pulling things with ease.
Another perk? Pull day exercises help build lean muscle, which can boost your metabolism and contribute to a more sculpted look over time. They’re also great for overall strength development, making them a smart choice for anyone, especially busy women seeking workouts that are both efficient and effective.
What’s the best way to build strength with pull day exercises?
To build strength effectively, focus on progressively increasing the weight, reps, or sets of your workouts while keeping your form spot-on. Adding variations, like slowing down your tempo or incorporating unilateral exercises (like single-arm rows), can challenge your muscles in new ways and help you break through plateaus.
Consistency is everything. Keep track of your progress and make gradual tweaks to keep advancing without overdoing it. Prioritize quality over quantity to ensure long-term, sustainable results!
What’s a good weekly workout plan that includes pull day exercises?
A balanced weekly workout plan should cover all major muscle groups while dedicating at least one day to pulling exercises that target your back, biceps, and rear shoulders. Here's a straightforward schedule to get you started:
Monday: Pull day (think pull-ups, rows, or bicep curls)
Tuesday: Push day (try push-ups, shoulder presses, or tricep dips)
Wednesday: Rest or light cardio
Thursday: Leg day (squats, deadlifts, or lunges work great)
Friday: Another pull day for added focus
Saturday: Push day or opt for active recovery
Sunday: Rest
This setup strikes a great balance between building strength, allowing recovery, and staying adaptable for a busy lifestyle. Feel free to tweak the intensity or swap exercises to match your fitness level and schedule!
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