The Perfect Pull Day Workout To Build Muscle

If you are looking for a new way to set up your weekly weight training, look no further than the Pull Day workout routine.

To gain better hypertrophy at each stage of your training, you can break up your training into push, pull and leg day cycles, followed by a rest day.

Instead of following the norm, try splitting your weekly training into days and break them up into push, pull, and leg days. Then complete your week with a rest day. This is a great way to achieve better hypertrophy at each stage of your training, which is also known as an asynchronous split.

In today’s article, we look at the push part of your weekly routine, and why it is beneficial to plan a pull day each week. We also show you one of the best pull day workouts to build stronger and more defined muscles.

 

What Is A Pull Day Workout?

A pull day workout is when you train all the upper body pulling muscles. These include the back and biceps and include exercises like the Dumbbell Pullover, Barbell Deadlift, Biceps Chin Curl, and more.

A typical pull day workout focuses on upper-body exercises that follow a pulling motion. These types of upper body exercises primarily work the forearms, biceps, and back muscles and include exercises like the Dumbbell Pullover, Barbell Deadlift, Biceps Chin Curl, and more.

Because most of these muscle groups make up the posterior chain of the body, they are extremely important to keep a healthy posture and mobility. They are also important for everyday exercises, like lifting things.

 

What Are the Best Pull Exercises?

The most common pull exercises are also some of the most basic exercises to perform. Here are some of the best pull exercises you can add to your pull day routine.

Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
1. To do the dumbbell bent-over row, start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Contract your core and push your hips back from the waist.

3. Then bend your knees slightly and lower your torso until it’s nearly parallel to the ground.

4. Now let the dumbbells hang at arm’s length with your palms facing towards you.

5. Then without moving your torso, row the weights to your sides and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Do this while keeping your elbows tucked close to the body and back flat. Make sure you keep the elbow bent at a 90-degree bend.

6. Pause and return to the starting position.

Pull-Up
1. Stand in front of a pull-up bar and grab it so you are in an overhand grip position slightly wider than your shoulders.

2. Hang at arm’s length with your arms straight (also called a dead hang) and cross your ankles behind you.

3. Without swinging or kicking, lift yourself while engaging your lats and shoulder blades so your chin is over the bar.

4. Pause and return to the dead hang position.

Renegade Row
1. To do the renegade row, start in a push-up position with your hands holding two hex dumbbells.

2. Keep your core engaged, and body in a straight position, lift the hex dumbbell to the side of your torso. Keep your elbow in a 90-degree bend so you don’t touch your armpits.

3. Pause for a few seconds and then return to the push-up position and alternate sides.

Dumbbell Biceps Curl
1. Start standing with your feet the same width as your hip while holding a pair of dumbbells.

2. Make sure your palms are facing forward and engage your core.

3. Curl the weights towards the body and make sure you avoid swaying backward or side to side.

4. Pause and return to the starting position and repeat.

Upright Dumbbell Row
1. To do the upright dumbbell row, start with a pair of dumbells at arm’s length while standing tall. These should be in front of your tights with our palms facing you.

2. While keeping your core tight, and back straight, lift the dumbbells until they reach shoulder height.

3. Pause for a few seconds and reverse the movement back to the starting position.

 

The Ultimate Pull Day Workout To Build Muscle

If you are following the push, pull, leg day structure, you should be focusing on two pull day workouts each week. Below are two full pull-day workout routines you can follow:

Pull Day 1

Barbell Deadlift
Perform 4 warm-up sets – Then 5-6 repetitions at 80% of your max one lift.

The barbell deadlift is a great exercise for improving core strength and promoting better posture.

Chest-Supported Row
Perform 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

The chest-supported row is a great exercise to build the lats and help offload some of the lower back.

Dumbbell Pullover
Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions

The dumbbell pullover is one of the best exercises to build lats. Focus on choosing a weight that will allow you to reach failure.

Dumbbell High Pull
Perform 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

Similar to the upright row, the dumbbell high pull includes more external rotation of the shoulders, making it a safe alternative to the upright row.

Biceps Chin Curl
Perform 3 sets to failure

A close exercise to the bicep curl, the chin curl closes the angle of the elbow instead as you reach the final part of the movement.

Angels and Devils
Perform 3 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions

Finish the first day of the pull day routine by doing 3 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions of the angels and devils exercises. This exercise is a great way to get the back muscles burning.

 

Pull Day 2 Routine

The second day of your weekly pull day routine becomes a little more intense.

Snatch Grip Deadlift
Perform 3 sets of 5 repetitions

The snatch grip deadlift helps work more of the upper back than the regular deadlift. This comes down to the positioning of the hands.

Weighted Pullup
3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions

Slightly harder than your regular pull-up, so it’s not for the beginner. If you find that you can do lots of regular pull-ups, adding weight can make the workout much tougher on the muscles.

Dumbbell Gorilla Row
Perform 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions

The dumbbell gorilla row is a great way to isolate and work the lats than a traditional dumbbell row.

Straight Arm Pushdown
Perform 2 to 3 sets of 13 to 16 reps

The straight arm pushdown helps to get a good hypertrophy option as it places contraction on the lats.

Other exercises you can add to your pull day workout include the:

– Upright Dumbbell Row
– Dumbbell Biceps Curl
– Renegade Row
– Standard Pull-Up
– Dumbbell Bent-Over Row

Below is a good structure to follow if your planning on following the push, pull, and leg day structure.

Monday: Push day workout
Tuesday: Pull-day workout
Wednesday: Legs and core workout
Thursday: Push day workout
Friday: Pull-day workout
Saturday: Legs and core workout
Sunday: Complete Rest Day