Gym workouts

Gym back and biceps workout

6 exercises 20 sets about 50 min a full gym: barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines

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.

With a full gym you can open with a heavy barbell lift and finish on cables and machines, which let you push close to failure without technique being the thing that gives out.

Start this workout free Creates your account with these 6 exercises already loaded. Free to log, no card.

The workout

  1. Pull-Up4 × 6Start from a dead hang. Pull your elbows down to your ribs until your chin clears the bar.2 min rest
  2. Seated Cable Row4 × 10Sit tall, pull the handle to your navel and squeeze your shoulder blades together before letting it back.90 s rest
  3. 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
  4. Straight-Arm Pulldown3 × 12Arms almost straight. Sweep the bar from eye level down to your thighs using your lats, not your elbows.60 s rest
  5. Cable Curl3 × 10Stand a step back from the low pulley so the cable keeps tension on the biceps at the bottom.90 s rest
  6. Hammer Curl3 × 12Palms face each other the whole way. Curl to shoulder height without swinging.60 s rest

Muscles worked

TrapsShouldersChestBicepsForearmsObliquesAbsAbsAbsAbsQuadsAdductorsCalvesTrapsShouldersChestBicepsForearmsObliquesAbsAbsAbsAbsQuadsAdductorsCalves
Front
TrapsShouldersUpper backLatsLower backTricepsForearmsGlutesHamstringsCalvesTrapsShouldersUpper backLatsLower backTricepsForearmsGlutesHamstringsCalves
Back
  • Lats14
  • Biceps11.5
  • Upper back9
  • Forearms8
  • Shoulders2
  • Abs2
  • 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. Add the smallest plate you can to the barbell lifts, and move up one pin on machines and cables once every set reaches the target.

Once or twice a week. In a three-day split it sits between a chest and triceps day and a leg day.

If something is taken

  • Pull-Up→Lat Pulldown
  • One-Arm Dumbbell Row→Barbell Row

Keep the same number of sets. In the app you can swap an exercise for one session without changing the program.

In myreplog

  1. It is already set up. These 6 exercises arrive in your account as a program, with the sets and reps above.
  2. Tap, do not type. Set your weights the first time, then mark each set done as you finish it.
  3. Records count themselves. From your second session, a lift that beats your best is marked as a personal record on the spot.
  4. 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 50 minutes. That is 20 working sets with the rests listed next to each exercise, plus five minutes to warm up.

What muscles does it work?

Mostly the lats, biceps and upper back. The forearms, shoulders, abs 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 full gym: barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines.

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.

More gym workouts

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