Pull exercises are some of the most powerful moves you can do in the gym.
They build your back, arms, and grip strength, but they’re also the most misunderstood part of a workout program. A lot of lifters either skip them, do them wrong, or stick to the same two cable machines. If your back isn’t growing or your arms feel weak during rows and pull-ups, your pull training probably needs a reset.
In this article, you will learn:
- What pull exercises are and how they actually work
- The best pull exercises for muscle growth and strength
- Expert tips to structure your workouts for maximum hypertrophy
Let’s break down the pull side of training and fix what’s holding back your gains.
What Are Pull Exercises?
Pull exercises are movements where you pull the weight toward your body. They primarily train the muscles of your back and arms, especially the lats, biceps, and rear shoulders.
These exercises are the opposite of push movements.
Push exercises (like bench presses or shoulder presses) involve moving weight away from your body and emphasize the chest, shoulders, and triceps. In a balanced program, you need both. But many lifters lean heavily into pushing and neglect pulling, which often leads to posture issues, joint imbalances, and stalled upper-body growth.
[wpcode id=”229888″]Mechanically, pull exercises work through two major actions: elbow flexion (bending your arm) and shoulder adduction (pulling your upper arm down or in toward your body). If you’re pulling yourself up to a bar or rowing a dumbbell to your side, your upper back and arms are doing the heavy lifting.
Typical pull patterns include:
- Vertical pulls like pull-ups, chin-ups, and lat pulldowns (for a deeper dive into how these work, check out this vertical pull exercises guide)
- Horizontal pulls like barbell rows, cable rows, and inverted rows
- Isolation moves like curls or face pulls that target specific pulling muscles
At their core, pull exercises build the strength and size of the posterior chain, which is the engine behind a strong and muscular upper body.
Muscles Worked by Pull Exercises
Pull exercises hit a wide network of muscles that run down your back, shoulders, and arms.
The biggest pulling muscle is your latissimus dorsi, or “lats.” These large, wing-like muscles stretch from your spine to your upper arms. When fully developed, they create the classic V-shape that bodybuilders chase. Anytime you’re pulling down from overhead, like in pull-ups or pulldowns, your lats are doing the heavy lifting.
Other key muscles include:
- Trapezius: especially the middle and lower portions, which stabilize and retract your shoulders
- Rhomboids: small but crucial muscles that pull your shoulder blades together
- Rear deltoids: the back part of your shoulder, activated during horizontal pulling
- Biceps: elbow flexors that assist almost every pulling motion
But it doesn’t stop there.
Your forearms work hard to grip bars, dumbbells, and cables. Over time, this builds the grip strength needed for heavier pulls. And your core, especially the deep stabilizers, kicks in to keep your torso steady during rows or pull-ups. Without a strong core, your form breaks down fast.
| Visual tip: Imagine a pull-up. As you lift, your lats contract to drive your elbows down, your traps and rhomboids retract your shoulders, your biceps bend the elbows, and your forearms hang on for dear life. |
Together, these muscles create the force and control needed to pull weight efficiently and safely. Targeting all of them is key to building a strong and balanced upper body.
Types of Pull Exercises by Equipment
Not all pull exercises look the same, and the equipment you use can change how your body moves, which muscles get emphasized, and how hard the workout feels.
Let’s break it down.
Bodyweight Pull Exercises
These use your own body as resistance. They’re simple but brutally effective.
- Pull-ups and chin-ups build your lats and arms with minimal gear. If you’re weighing which is more effective, the debate of pull-ups vs. chin-ups offers some useful insights. Pull-ups generally emphasize the lats more, while chin-ups place greater load on the biceps due to the underhand grip. Choosing the right one, or both, can depend on your goals and current weak points.
- Inverted rows (also called Australian pull-ups) work the same muscles from a horizontal angle.
- Bodyweight face pulls (using bands or rings) target the rear delts and traps.
Bodyweight pulls demand stability and control.
They’re great for core engagement and ideal when equipment is limited.
Free Weight Pull Exercises
Using barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells, free-weight pulls build serious strength and size.
- Barbell bent-over rows train your entire back with heavy loads.
- Dumbbell one-arm rows help correct strength imbalances and boost core control.
- T-bar rows and weighted pull-ups add variety and challenge.
Free weights also engage more stabilizer muscles, so you’re training more than just your pulling chain.
Machine and Cable Pull Exercises
Machines and cables offer consistent resistance and easier form control.
- Lat pulldowns mimic pull-ups but let you scale the load precisely.
- Seated cable rows are excellent for squeezing the shoulder blades together.
- Assisted pull-up machines help beginners build strength with support.
Cables also allow for constant tension, which is great for muscle hypertrophy.
Compound vs. Isolation Pull Movements
If you want to build muscle efficiently, you need both compound and isolation pulls in your routine.
Compound Pull Movements
These are the heavy hitters.
Compound exercises work multiple joints and muscle groups at once.
Think:
- Pull-ups
- Barbell rows
- Seated cable rows
- Lat pulldowns
These moves hit your lats, traps, rhomboids, and biceps in one shot. Because they move more weight and recruit more muscle, compound lifts are the foundation of any pull day.
They create the most tension and stimulate the most growth.
But compound lifts aren’t always the full picture. While many people rely on staples like pull-ups and rows, some of the most effective gains come from underrated pull exercises that get overlooked.
Isolation Pull Movements
These are your focused finishers.
Isolation exercises target one joint and usually one primary muscle group.
Examples include:
- Biceps curls
- Face pulls
- Straight-arm pulldowns
- Rear delt flyes
Isolation lifts don’t move as much weight, but they let you hone in on weak points.
Want bigger arms?
Add curls.
Rear delts lagging?
Do flyes.
These exercises are perfect for adding volume without burning out your nervous system.
How to Use Both
The best pull workouts combine both.
Start with 2–3 compound exercises while you’re fresh. Finish with 2–3 isolation moves to fully fatigue specific muscles. That combo builds both size and detail across your back and arms.
Top 7 Pull Exercises for Hypertrophy
These are the essential pull exercises for building serious back and arm size. Each one targets key muscle groups with different angles and loading patterns.
Let’s break them down with quick tips for form, common mistakes, and how to level up.
1. Pull-Ups
What it targets: Lats, traps, rhomboids, biceps
Form tip: Start from a full dead hang, retract your shoulder blades, then pull your chest to the bar.
Common mistake: Using momentum or not pulling high enough. Strict form beats sloppy reps.
Progression: Add weight with a dip belt.
Regression: Use resistance bands or an assisted pull-up machine.
2. Chin-Ups
What it targets: Lats and biceps (even more than pull-ups)
Form tip: Use a supinated (underhand) grip, about shoulder-width apart.
Common mistake: Letting elbows flare too far out (keep them tucked instead).
Progression: Weighted chin-ups.
Regression: Band-assisted or negatives (slow the lowering phase).
3. Inverted Rows
What it targets: Mid-back, rhomboids, rear delts, biceps
Form tip: Keep your body rigid like a plank, pull your chest to the bar.
Common mistake: Hips sagging or over-arching. Engage your core throughout.
Progression: Elevate feet or add a weight vest.
Regression: Raise the bar or bend your knees.
4. Lat Pulldowns
What it targets: Primarily lats, also traps, rhomboids, biceps
Form tip: Pull the bar to your upper chest, not behind your head.
Common mistake: Leaning back too far or yanking the bar down. Stay upright and controlled.
Progression: Increase the weight, or use different grips to hit muscles from new angles.
5. Seated Cable Rows
What it targets: Lats, rhomboids, mid traps, biceps
Form tip: Lead with your elbows, keep your back straight, and squeeze your shoulder blades.
Common mistake: Letting your torso swing. Keep it still, as this is not a back-and-forth rocking motion.
Progression: Try single-arm rows or wide-grip variations.
6. Barbell Bent-Over Rows
What it targets: Entire back, biceps, rear delts, core
Form tip: Hinge at the hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor, then pull the bar to your lower ribs.
Common mistake: Rounding your back or jerking the bar with your hips. Form is everything here.
Progression: Use more weight or try Pendlay rows (reset on the floor every rep).
7. Face Pulls
What it targets: Rear delts, upper traps, rhomboids, rotator cuff
Form tip: Pull the rope to your face with elbows high and wide. Think “pull apart and back.”
Common mistake: Pulling too low or using your lower back to jerk the weight. Stay upright and isolate the movement.
Progression: Slow down the tempo or add holds at peak contraction.
Sample Pull Day Workout Routines
You’ve got the exercises. Now let’s plug them into real-world programs. Below are pull day templates for beginners, intermediates, and advanced lifters, along with guidance on scheduling, rest, and recovery.
Beginner Pull Routine (2x per week)
Focus: Learning good form and building baseline strength
Workout:
- Assisted Pull-Up – 3 sets of 6–8 reps
- Seated Cable Row – 3 sets of 8–12 reps
- Inverted Row – 3 sets of 8–12 reps
- Face Pull – 2 sets of 12–15 reps
- Biceps Curl – 2 sets of 10–12 reps
Schedule: Twice a week (e.g. Monday and Friday), with at least 48 hours between sessions
Rest between sets: 60–90 seconds
Warm-up: 5–10 minutes of light cardio + band pull-aparts or scapular retractions
Cooldown: Stretch your lats, traps, and biceps for 20–30 seconds each
Intermediate Pull Routine (2–3x per week)
Focus: Increasing volume and mixing strength with hypertrophy
Day A (Heavy):
- Weighted Pull-Up – 4×6–8
- Barbell Row – 3×8–10
- Seated Cable Row – 3×8–10
- Face Pull – 3×12
- Hammer Curl – 2×8–10
Day B (Volume):
- Chin-Up or Lat Pulldown – 3×10–12
- Dumbbell One-Arm Row – 3×10–12 each
- Rear Delt Fly – 2×12–15
- Straight-Arm Pulldown – 2×12–15
- EZ-Bar Curl – 3×10–12
Schedule: Alternate A and B across two sessions per week (e.g. Tuesday/Friday), or add a third lighter day for weak points
Rest between sets: 60–120 seconds, depending on load
Recovery tip: Eat 20–40g of protein post-workout and sleep 7–9 hours nightly
Advanced Pull Routine (3–4x per week)
Focus: Specialization, higher volume, and advanced techniques
Example Split (Push/Pull/Legs):
Pull Day 1:
- Weighted Pull-Up or Chin-Up – 4×6–8
- Bent-Over Barbell Row – 3×6–8
- T-Bar Row – 3×8–10
- Face Pull – 3×15
- Preacher Curl – 3×8–10
Pull Day 2:
- Lat Pulldown – 4×8–12
- Dumbbell Row – 3×8–10 each
- Machine High Row – 3×10–12
- Rear Delt Fly – 3×12–15
- Hammer Curl – 2×10–12
Schedule: Pull days on Wednesday and Saturday, or use an Upper/Lower split with two back-focused upper sessions
Recovery tip: Include deload weeks every 4–8 weeks and monitor fatigue to prevent overtraining
Advanced techniques (optional): Try supersets (e.g. pull-ups + straight-arm pulldowns), slow eccentrics, or drop sets
Science-Backed Principles for Muscle Growth
You can do all the right exercises, but if you’re not applying a few key principles, your gains will stall. Here’s what the research says actually builds muscle when it comes to pull training.
Training Volume, Frequency, and Progressive Overload
Muscle growth comes from stress plus recovery.
That stress needs to come in the form of volume, usually measured in total sets per week per muscle. For hypertrophy, aim for:
- 10–20 sets per muscle group per week
- Spread over 2–3 sessions to avoid burning out in a single workout
Then there’s progressive overload, which is gradually increasing the challenge. That might mean:
- Adding more weight
- Doing more reps
- Performing more total sets
- Increasing time under tension
If your training looks the same every week, your results will too.
Rep Ranges and Time Under Tension
For hypertrophy, it’s not just about reps, but more about how you do them. Controlled reps, especially during the lowering phase (eccentric), increase tension and muscle damage, both drivers of growth.
Try this simple tempo:
- 1 second up (concentric)
- 2–3 seconds down (eccentric)
- Minimal rest at the top
That’s how you make every rep count.
Nutrition, Sleep, and Recovery
You don’t grow in the gym. You grow between workouts.
- Protein: Aim for 1.6–2.0 grams per kg of bodyweight per day
- Calories: Stay in a slight surplus (+200 to 500 kcal/day) to fuel growth
- Timing: Eat protein + carbs post-workout for optimal recovery
- Sleep: 7–9 hours per night is non-negotiable
- Deload weeks: Every 4–8 weeks, reduce volume to let your body rebound
Muscles won’t grow if they’re underfed, underslept, or overworked.
Respect the recovery process as much as you do the training.
Substitutions and Variations for Every Setting
You don’t need a gym full of machines to build a strong, muscular back. With a few smart substitutions and simple tools, you can get a great pull workout at home, on the road, or with minimal gear.
No-Equipment Alternatives for Home Training
Even with zero equipment, you can replicate the core mechanics of pull exercises using your bodyweight and household items.
One of the most effective options is the doorway pull-up. A portable bar in a sturdy doorframe lets you train your lats and biceps just like at the gym. If you don’t have a bar, table rows are a solid substitute. Lie underneath a strong table, grip the edge, and pull your chest up. You can also loop a towel over a closed door to perform towel rows, which challenge both grip and upper back muscles.
Isometric holds, like simply hanging from a bar or holding the top position of a row, help build foundational strength. Even a heavy backpack can stand in for a dumbbell when doing bent-over rows at home. The key is control and range of motion, not perfection.
Band and Bodyweight Swaps for Gym Machines
Resistance bands are incredibly versatile and can mimic most machine-based pulling movements.
To simulate lat pulldowns, anchor a band above you and pull it toward your chest or chin, focusing on controlled movement. Wrapping a band around a post at chest height lets you perform standing rows similar to cable rows. You can even recreate isolation moves like face pulls by anchoring a band at eye level and pulling the handles toward your forehead, which keeps your elbows high and wide.
Band curls are easy, too; just stand on the band and curl as you would with dumbbells. These swaps are especially useful for travel, home workouts, or lighter deload sessions.
Using Grip and Angle Variations for Long-Term Gains
Even in a well-equipped gym, doing the same exercise the same way leads to plateaus. Slight changes in grip and angle can dramatically shift muscle recruitment and keep your progress going.
A wider grip typically emphasizes the lats, while a narrower grip shifts more work to the biceps. Overhand grips target the back more directly, underhand grips bring the biceps into the spotlight, and neutral grips (palms facing each other) offer a comfortable, joint-friendly middle ground.
In addition to grip, changing the angle of your pulls, from vertical (like pull-ups and lat pulldowns) to horizontal (like barbell rows and seated cable rows), ensures you hit your back from every direction. This variety not only keeps workouts interesting but also leads to fuller, more balanced development.
Building a Smarter Back Starts with the Right Pulls
To recap the key takeaways:
- First, understanding the mechanics and muscle groups behind pull movements helps you train with purpose, not just motion.
- Second, a mix of compound and isolation exercises ensures you target both major muscles and weak points.
- And third, a solid pull program must follow science-backed principles, such as volume, progression, recovery, and consistency (there are non-negotiables).
But here’s the deeper take: pull training gives back what you put in, and I mean that literally. The back of your body is out of sight, which makes it easy to neglect. Yet it’s also where most people lack development, strength, and posture control.
When you train pulls with the same intensity and intention as pushes, you build balance, resilience, and longevity.
