Upper Body Pull - Back & Biceps
You recently focused on upper body pushing movements like bench press. Today we shift focus to the posterior chain and arms to build muscle in the back and biceps.
Warmup
(3)Rowing Machine
Maintain a steady pace at 50-60% of your maximum heart rate. Focus on driving with the legs and finishing with a strong pull to engage the back muscles.
Band Over-and-Backs
Hold a resistance band with a wide grip and rotate your arms from your hips to behind your lower back, keeping arms straight to open the chest and shoulders.
Scapular Pull-Ups
Hang from a pull-up bar and pull your shoulder blades down and back without bending your elbows. This activates the lats and trap muscles.
Main Workout
(6)Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
Weight is per side of the cable. Sit with thighs secured and pull the bar to your upper chest while squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Seated Cable Row
Weight is per side of the cable. Use a neutral grip attachment. Pull toward your abdomen while keeping your back straight and avoiding excessive leaning.
Single Arm Dumbbell Row
Weight is per dumbbell. Support yourself with one hand on a bench. Pull the dumbbell toward your hip while keeping your elbow close to your body.
Barbell Bicep Curl
Weight is total bar weight. Stand tall and curl the bar toward your shoulders without using momentum from your hips. Keep elbows pinned to your sides.
Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Weight is per dumbbell. Hold dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Curl while maintaining the neutral grip to target the brachialis.
Cable Face Pull
Weight is per side of the cable. Pull the rope toward your forehead, pulling the ends apart and keeping your elbows higher than your wrists.
Cooldown
(2)Cross-Body Lat Stretch
Grab a vertical post with one hand, lean your weight back and away to feel a deep stretch along the side of your back. Hold for 45 seconds per side.
Bicep Wall Stretch
Place your hand flat against a wall at shoulder height and slowly rotate your body away until you feel a stretch through the bicep and chest.