Best Pull Day Workout | VASA

Who is this intended for?

• Beginners starting with a strength training or push-pull routine
• Experienced gym goers who want to build strength in their upper body
• Anyone who wants to improve posture, muscle definition and overall fitness
• VASA members and visitors looking for structured, equipment-based training

Key points

• Defines what a pull day workout is and why it is important
• Targets key muscle groups: back, biceps, rear delts and upper arms
• Breaks down compound and isolation exercises with step-by-step guidance
• Emphasizes proper form, starting position and alignment for safety and effectiveness
• Includes warm-up and recovery tips to support muscle growth and reduce injuries
• Explains how to fit a pull day into a full push-pull or PPL training routine
• Highlights VASA features such as STUDIO RED, personal training and functional grass for maximum results

Do you want to strengthen your upper body? We’ve got the exercises to help you grow your biceps and stimulate your back muscles, because a solid pull day workout is where the magic happens. Whether you’re new to strength training or a seasoned gym-goer, this guide will help you complete your next pull day routine VASA style.

Get ready to activate your upper body muscles and blast your biceps brachii with the most effective pulling exercises. Let’s get into it.

What is a Pull Day workout?

In a push-pull split, pull day focuses on exercises that involve pulling movements. This means that you train the back muscles, biceps, rear deltoids and other pulling muscles.

While Push Day focuses on pushing actions like chest and shoulder presses, Pull Day balances things out by hitting the same muscles in reverse motion. It’s an important part of any push-pull training routine or strength training routine.

Why you should love Pull Days

Pull days build a strong, sculpted upper body by targeting major muscle groups such as the latissimus dorsi, trapezius muscles and biceps brachii. That means:

• Better posture due to stronger shoulder blades
• Improved grip strength
• Defined arms and a wide back
• Functional gains that benefit your entire body

Additionally, most pull-day exercises involve progressive overload, which builds muscle mass and supports muscle hypertrophy over time. Don’t forget to support your results with proper nutrition and a solid training frequency.

Your best pull day training at VASA

Ready to strengthen your back and arms? Here’s a trek day workout routine that you can do with basic gym equipment, and that’s perfect for all experience levels.

Warm-up (5–10 minutes)

Before you start lifting the weights, warm up your muscle fibers.

• Driving machine with light resistance
• Arm circles and mobility exercises
• Striped pull-aparts for shoulder preparation

Compound exercises

These movements target multiple muscle groups at once and form the basis of every hiking day.

1. Deadlifting

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, with the bar over the midfoot
• Use an overhand or underhand grip
• Keep your knees bent and tighten your back muscles
• Drive through your heels
• Slowly lower the bar to the ground

Works: entire body, especially the upper back, glutes and hamstrings

2. Pull-ups or assisted pull-ups

• Grasp the pull-up bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip
• Keep the arms fully extended at the bottom
• Pull up until your chin clears the bar
• Slowly lower back to the starting position

Works: lats, biceps, rear deltoids

If you’re still building strength, use a resistance band or assisted pull-up machine. You can also try the lat pull-down machine.

3. Bent dumbbell row

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, hinging at your hips
• Hold the bar with your palms facing you
• Keep your knees slightly bent
• Pull the bar toward your torso with your elbows raised
• Slowly lower to the starting position

Works: upper back, rear delts, biceps brachii

Isolation exercises

Now let’s focus on the individual upper arm and forearm muscles.

4. Biceps curls

• Start with your arms fully extended at your sides
• Keep your elbows close to your body
• Slowly curl up and pinch at the top
• Slowly lower to the starting position

This isolation exercise is a must for any pulling workout.

5. Preacher curls

• Use a preacher curl bench for support
• Grasp the bar or dumbbells with your palms facing up
• Lift in a controlled manner and avoid swinging
• Lower it slowly for maximum muscle contraction

Ideal for hitting the biceps brachii from a different angle.

6. Face pulls or hunches on dumbbell flies

• Focus on the rear deltoids and shoulder muscles
• Use a neutral grip and maintain a shoulder-width stance
• Keep knees slightly bent and core engaged
• Pull or lift with control and lower slowly

This helps improve shoulder stability and posture.

Trainer tips for better results on trek days

Form is everything. Here are a few tips to help you get more out of your pull day training routine:

• Always check your starting position and setup. Whether it’s feet flat, feet hip-width apart, or knees bent, alignment is important.
• Master the compound exercises first, then add isolation exercises to fine-tune your results.
• Use mirrors to view the alignment of your shoulder blades and spine. If they move well, your form is probably solid.
• Rest and recovery are important. Supporting your workouts with massage, sauna sessions or light therapy can stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
• Turn it off. Combine different pulling movements, such as barbell rows, pull-ups, and lat pulldown variations to hit your muscle groups from new angles.

Create a push-pull training routine that works

A well-designed push-pull training routine keeps your training balanced and effective. Alternate the push and pull day with a lower body day for a complete PPL training routine.

Bee VASAwe make it easy to stay motivated and keep making progress. This is what we offer:

• STUDIO RED HIIT classes with built-in pulling exercises
• One-on-one personal training for a tailor-made pull day
• Functional training turf and performance lifting areas
• The highest level of strength equipment for every major muscle group

Whether you want to achieve muscle growth or increase the frequency of resistance training, we have the space and support for it.

Train smarter with VASA

From the pull-up bar to preacher curls, everything you need for the best pull-day workout awaits you at VASA. Take advantage of our equipment, premium recovery tools and inclusive fitness community.

Do you want to feel stronger, build your back and grow your arms? Come try it out.

Join us today– no annual commitment, just full access to all benefits.