6 exercises19 setsabout 45 mina pair of dumbbells and a bench
The biceps bend the elbow in every row and pull-up, so they are warm and half-worked by the time you reach the curls. Three back movements from different angles, then curls to finish the arms.
Dumbbells make each side carry its own weight, so a stronger arm or leg cannot cover for the other, and they travel through a longer range than a bar allows.
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The workout
Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row4 × 10Lie chest-down on an incline bench and row both dumbbells up, so your lower back cannot help.90 s rest
One-Arm Dumbbell Row3 × 10 per sideOne hand and knee on the bench. Pull the dumbbell to your hip, not your chest, and keep your shoulders square.90 s rest
Dumbbell Pullover3 × 12Lying across the bench, lower one dumbbell behind your head with soft elbows, then pull it back over your chest.60 s rest
Incline Dumbbell Curl3 × 10Sit back on an incline bench with your arms hanging behind you, and curl from that stretched position.90 s rest
Hammer Curl3 × 12Palms face each other the whole way. Curl to shoulder height without swinging.60 s rest
Concentration Curl3 × 12 per sideSeated, elbow braced against the inside of your thigh. Curl slowly and squeeze at the top.60 s rest
Muscles worked
FrontBack
Biceps12.5
Lats8
Upper back7
Forearms4.5
Shoulders2
Chest1.5
Triceps1.5
Sets per muscle. A muscle that only assists in an exercise counts half.
How to run it
Before the first exercise, do two lighter sets of it: one at about half your working weight and one at three quarters. Rest for the time shown next to each exercise; the heavy lifts at the top need more than the smaller ones at the end.
Aim to finish each set with one or two reps left in you. If every set reaches its target easily, the session is too light. Dumbbells go up in big steps. When the next pair is too heavy, add a rep to every set first, and move up once you are two or three reps over the target.
Once or twice a week. In a three-day split it sits between a chest and triceps day and a leg day.
In myreplog
It is already set up. These 6 exercises arrive in your account as a program, with the sets and reps above.
Tap, do not type. Set your weights the first time, then mark each set done as you finish it.
Records count themselves. From your second session, a lift that beats your best is marked as a personal record on the spot.
See what you trained. The session ends with this muscle map, drawn from the sets you actually did.
Logging is free for good. The first 14 days also include Pro, where a coach reviews each session and suggests the weights for the next one. No card needed.
Questions
How long does this back and biceps workout take?
About 45 minutes. That is 19 working sets with the rests listed next to each exercise, plus five minutes to warm up.
What muscles does it work?
Mostly the biceps, lats and upper back. The forearms, shoulders, chest and triceps assist. The map on this page shades each muscle by the number of sets that reach it.
What equipment do I need?
A pair of dumbbells and a bench.
Why train back and biceps together?
Pulling movements for the back already use the biceps. Putting both on one day lets the biceps recover fully before the next session, instead of being worked again two days later.
How many exercises do I need for back?
Three or four: one vertical pull, such as a pulldown or pull-up, and one or two rows cover the lats and the upper back between them.