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Back and Bicep Workout: Pull Day Sets and Reps

October 28, 2026 · GymPilot Team

A back and bicep workout groups every pulling movement, from heavy rows to finishing curls, into a single session ordered from big compound lifts down to small isolation work. This is the classic pull day used inside push pull legs and several hybrid splits, and it works because back exercises already recruit the biceps as a helper muscle before you ever pick up a curl. Below is a full session with the exercise order, sets, reps and rest, plus how it fits into a bigger weekly split.

Key takeaways

• A back and bicep workout runs compound rows and pulldowns first, then narrows down to bicep and forearm isolation work at the end.
• Training back before biceps keeps your grip and pulling strength fresh for the heavier compound lifts.
• Three to four compound back movements plus two to three bicep isolation movements covers most of what a single pull day needs.
• Sets, reps and rest stay in familiar ranges: 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps for compound lifts, 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps for isolation work.
• This session slots into a 5 day hybrid split, a push pull legs rotation, or as the pull half of an upper lower plan.

Why back and biceps pair well as one session

The biceps assist almost every pulling motion: they help flex the elbow during a row, a pulldown, or a pull-up, which means a heavy back session already gives them meaningful work before a single curl happens. Pairing the two muscle groups in one workout lets you finish the session by isolating biceps directly, once the bigger compound lifts that also need grip and elbow flexion are already out of the way. Reversing the order, curling first and rowing second, pre-fatigues the exact muscle your rows depend on and makes the compound lifts feel weaker than they should.

The back and bicep workout, compound to isolation

Back: the compound work

Bent Over Barbell Row for 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps, 90 seconds rest. Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown for 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, 60 to 90 seconds rest. Seated Cable Rows for 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, 60 to 90 seconds rest. Scapular Pull-Up for 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps, 60 seconds rest, to finish training the upper back before moving into isolation work.

Back accessory: traps

Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug for 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps, 60 seconds rest. This sits between the compound rows above and the bicep work below, since shrugs need less total energy than a heavy row but still belong before the smaller isolation movements.

Biceps and forearms: the isolation work

Cross Body Hammer Curl for 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, 45 to 60 seconds rest. Standing Biceps Cable Curl for 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, 45 to 60 seconds rest. Seated Dumbbell Inner Biceps Curl for 2 sets of 12 to 15 reps, 45 seconds rest. Close with Standing Palms-Up Barbell Behind The Back Wrist Curl for 2 sets of 12 to 15 reps, 45 seconds rest, as a forearm finisher, then an Upper Back Stretch and a Standing Biceps Stretch rather than any more working sets.

Warming up before a back and bicep workout

A short warm up matters more on pull day than it looks, since a cold grip and cold elbows make the first heavy row feel harder than it needs to. Two or three light sets of an easy pulldown or row, working up gradually to your first working weight, wakes up the shoulders and forearms without using up energy you need for the working sets. Skip a dedicated arm warm up beyond that: the compound rows above already prepare the biceps for the isolation work that follows later in the session.

Sets, reps and rest at a glance

Where this session fits in a bigger split

This exact session is the pull day inside a straight push pull legs rotation, and it is also one of the five days in the 5 Day Workout Split: PPL Plus Upper Lower Hybrid, where it sits alongside a separate push day, legs day, and lighter upper and lower sessions. If you are running a simpler plan, the back work above can also stand in for the pulling exercises inside a Full Body Workout Plan: 3 Days a Week for Beginners, just spread across fewer total sets per session. For a four day week that separates upper and lower body instead of push, pull and legs, see 4 Day Workout Split: Upper Lower and PPL Options, where this same back and bicep work gets folded into one of the two upper body days. For a wider comparison of how all these splits relate to each other, Workout Splits Explained covers the full picture.

Progressing a back and bicep workout over time

Progress the compound lifts first: once you can complete every set at the top of its rep range with solid form, add a small amount of load and drop back to the bottom of the range. The isolation curls and the wrist curl finisher progress the same way, just with smaller jumps in load since the muscles involved are smaller and recover load more slowly than the big rowing movements. Track the session once in GymPilot and it keeps the exercise order and rest times ready for next time: try GymPilot.

Where to go next

Workout Splits Explained: PPL, Upper Lower, Full Body, Bro compares every major split this pull day can slot into.

5 Day Workout Split: PPL Plus Upper Lower Hybrid shows the full week this exact session was built for.

Full Body Workout Plan: 3 Days a Week for Beginners is the simpler alternative if three days a week suits your schedule better than five.

4 Day Workout Split: Upper Lower and PPL Options covers the four day version where back and bicep work gets combined with pressing movements instead of run as its own day.

Fitness content on this page is general information, not medical advice: consult a professional if you have a condition or injury.