Would you seriously like to ramp up your workouts? Then it's time to add pull exercises into the mix!
Whether you're hitting the gym, working out at home, or aiming for a world-class physique, these powerful moves can deliver impressive results.
From bent-over rows to barbell shrugs, these simple yet effective bodyweight movements are perfect for strengthening your lats and back muscles.
Not to mention they're incredibly versatile and can be modified in various ways so you never get bored with your workout.
Keep reading this blog post to check out some of our favorite pull-day exercises that will no doubt make their way into your regular fitness regimen:
Best Pull Day Exercises
Listed below are the top 5 pull exercises for beginners, intermediates, and advanced exercise lovers:
1. Barbell Deadlift
The Barbell Deadlift is a powerful pull exercise at home exercise that primarily targets the lower back, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps.
It also engages the core, forearms, and upper back muscles. Performing this exercise helps build overall strength and power, improves posterior chain development, enhances grip strength and forearm development, and promotes better posture and stability.
Step-By-Step Guide:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward.
- Place a loaded barbell on the floor in front of you.
- Bend your knees and hinge at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
- Grab the barbell with an overhand or mixed grip (one hand overhand, one underhand).
- Take a deep breath, brace your core, and drive through your heels to lift the barbell, extending your hips and knees.
- Stand tall at the top, keeping your shoulders back and chest lifted.
- Lower the barbell back to the floor by reversing the movement.
2. Barbell Bent Over Rows
Barbell Bent Over Rows is one of the best pull exercises for mass that primarily target the upper back muscles, including the rhomboids, lats, and traps.
Incorporating this exercise into your routine helps develop a strong and muscular back, improves posture and spinal stability, enhances grip strength and forearm development, and increases upper body pulling strength.
Step-By-Step Guide:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend forward at the hips while maintaining a neutral spine, keeping your chest up and back flat.
- Allow the barbell to hang in front of you at arm's length, with your arms fully extended.
- Pull the barbell towards your lower chest, leading with your elbows while keeping your back flat and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top of the movement and then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
3. Kettlebell Renegade Row
Kettlebell Renegade Row has to be on your list of the best workout for pull day as it engages the back muscles, including the lats, rhomboids, and traps, while also working the core, shoulders, and arms.
These rows offer benefits such as improving upper body strength and stability, targeting multiple muscle groups simultaneously, enhancing core strength and stability, and promoting better coordination and balance.
Step-By-Step Guide:
- Start in a push-up position with your hands on two kettlebells, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels, engaging your core.
- Shift your weight to one side and pull the kettlebell on that side towards your hip, leading with your elbow.
- Keep your hips and shoulders squared to the floor.
- Lower the kettlebell back down and repeat the movement on the opposite side.
- Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.
4. Barbell Shrugs
Are you in search of the best pull exercises for athletes? If so, we recommend adding barbell shrugs into your workout routine. Barbell Shrugs target the upper trapezius muscles (traps), along with the levator scapulae and rhomboids.
This exercise helps develop strong and well-defined traps, improves posture and shoulder stability, enhances grip strength and forearm development, and helps reduce neck and shoulder tension.
Step-By-Step Guide:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Allow the barbell to hang in front of you at arm's length, with your arms fully extended.
- Keeping your arms straight, elevate your shoulders towards your ears as high as possible, squeezing your traps at the top of the movement.
- Hold the contraction for a brief moment and then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
- Avoid excessive neck movement during the exercise and focus on using the traps to lift the weight.
5. Hammer Curls
Hammer Curls is amongst the best pull exercises with dumbbells that target the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles of the forearm while also engaging the biceps and shoulder muscles.
Benefits of incorporating hammer curls into your routine include building overall arm strength and size, developing forearm muscles for improved grip strength, allowing for a balanced development of the upper arm, and providing variation to traditional bicep exercises.
Step-By-Step Guide:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
- Keep your back straight, shoulders back, and core engaged.
- Start with your arms fully extended, letting the dumbbells hang by your sides.
- Keeping your elbows close to your sides, exhale and flex your forearms, curling the dumbbells towards your shoulders.
- Squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement and hold for a brief moment.
- Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
- Repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions, maintaining proper form throughout.
Final Verdict
To sum up, pull exercises are an essential training tool for athletes hoping to increase their strength and size.
The five best pull exercises featured above provide a comprehensive workout experience that will make you feel stronger.
From bent-over barbell row to hammer curls, each exercise offered a unique way of stimulating muscle fibers while challenging your body in new ways.
Not only did they provide an efficient way of building muscle and strength, but they served as great movements for enhancing your posture and overall sense of well-being.
So what are you waiting for?
Let’s start working out!
