There’s something just different about a back and bicep workout. It’s raw. It’s real. It’s that perfect combo of pull and pump. The way your lats stretch wide like wings, and your biceps pop like thick cords under your skin, it feels powerful and looks even better. Most importantly, this combo isn’t just for show, it delivers real, dense muscle mass. And that’s the goal, isn’t it?
Let’s talk about it straight. Building your back and arms together in one focused session just makes sense. They work hand in hand. Literally. Every time you pull a bar, row a dumbbell, or yank on that cable, your biceps are working. So why not double down?
This guide unpacks the back and bicep workout that packs on size. Nothing overcomplicated. No fluff. Just moves that build.
Why Train Back and Biceps Together?
It’s efficient. Your pulling muscles (back and biceps) already tag team naturally. You hit one, the other helps. So while your back’s doing the heavy lifting, your biceps get in on the action, and vice versa.
- Saves time
- Boosts volume without fatigue
- Increases training frequency for growth
A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2015) found that muscle groups worked synergistically recover faster between sets, meaning more work can be done in the same session without overtraining (Schoenfeld et al.). That means more gains per session. Period.
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Anatomy Check: What You’re Actually Training
You can’t crush a back and bicep workout if you don’t know what you’re hitting. You want width? Depth? Bigger arms? Cool. First, know what the heck is under your skin.
There’s no one-move-fits-all situation here. Each muscle has its job. If you’re skipping out on key back and bicep exercises, you’re leaving size and strength on the table. Worse—you’re unbalanced. And that’s just ugly.
So here’s the breakdown. Muscle by muscle. And why it matters for your back and biceps workout.
Back Muscles – The Pulling Powerhouse
Latissimus Dorsi
AKA the “lats.” The big, sweeping wings on your sides. Want that V-shape? This is it. Every time you pull—rows, pull-ups, lat pulldowns—these light up.
- Job: Shoulder extension, pulling your arms down or back.
- Best hit with: Pull-ups, lat pulldowns, straight-arm cable pulldowns.
- Key move in any bicep and back workout worth doing.
Bigger lats = wider frame. Wider frame = shirt-stretching silhouette. It’s that simple.
Trapezius
Top shelf of your upper back. Starts at your neck and spreads like armor. Especially the upper and middle traps—they control shrugging, posture, pulling those shoulders up and back.
- Job: Elevation and retraction of the scapula (basically, lift and pull back).
- Best hit with: Barbell shrugs, upright rows, farmer’s carries.
- This one sneaks into a back and arm workout often.
Training your traps keeps your frame tight and shoulders sitting back—plus it makes backpacks feel light. Win-win.
Rhomboids
Underrated. Always ignored. Always essential. These small, thick muscles sit right between your shoulder blades and contract every time you “squeeze” at the top of a row.
- Job: Scapular retraction (a.k.a. pulling your shoulder blades together).
- Best hit with: Seated cable rows, reverse flys, incline dumbbell shrugs.
- Solid choice in most back and bicep workouts that aren’t lazy.
If your rows feel limp or you can’t finish the rep tight, weak rhomboids might be why.
Erector Spinae
The deep, often forgotten crew along your spine. These run from the lower back up the thoracic region. They’re small but mighty.
- Job: Spinal stability, posture, hip hinge support.
- Best hit with: Deadlifts, back extensions, good mornings.
- Core component of a byshape exercise at gym for serious lifters.
You train these, you lift safe. Ignore them, and you’re a back tweak waiting to happen.
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Biceps – The Frontline Flex
Biceps Brachii
The guns. The headliner of any back and bicep workout. This muscle has two parts—the short head (inner) and the long head (outer), giving your bicep its peak.
- Job: Elbow flexion, forearm supination (a fancy way of saying twist + lift).
- Best hit with: Barbell curls, dumbbell curls, chin-ups.
- Bread and butter in any back bicep exercises setup.
You want that mountain peak curl photo? Train both heads smart.
Brachialis
It lives under the biceps brachii. Doesn’t get love, but gives thickness. It pushes the bicep up, adding arm width you can’t get from curls alone.
- Job: Elbow flexion, especially in neutral grip.
- Best hit with: Hammer curls, reverse curls, Zottman curls.
- A favorite in any biceps and back workout that goes deep.
Pump this hard, and your sleeves won’t know what hit them.
Brachioradialis
That thick rope down the side of your forearm. Not technically the biceps, but close enough to count. Adds mass to the arm’s outer edge. Works hardest in overhand and neutral grips.
- Job: Elbow flexion in neutral or pronated grip.
- Best hit with: Hammer curls, reverse curls, fat grip pulls.
- Often triggered in a back and arm workout without even trying.
Have you ever seen guys with huge biceps but puny forearms? Yeah. Don’t be that.
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The Workout Blueprint: Back and Bicep Exercises That Actually Build Something
This isn’t fluff. No fluff, no filler, no “maybe-it-works” garbage. This is a real back and bicep workout, mapped out to crush your lats, fry your biceps, and carve a shape that doesn’t blend in. And yeah, it’s built for real growth.
You’ve seen back and biceps workouts thrown around before. But here? This one’s different. Each move hits deep, wide, or both. Grip changes. Angles change. But intensity? That stays brutal.
Let’s get it:
1. Pull-Ups (Wide Grip) – 4 sets x 6–10 reps
- Hits: Lats, traps, rhomboids, biceps
- Why It’s Gold: If you had to pick one move for a total bicep and back workout, this is it. Stretch wide, pull hard, feel everything fire.
- Execution:
- Full stretch at the bottom. Arms long.
- No kipping. Pull chest up, squeeze at the top.
- Use an assisted pull-up machine if bodyweight is out of reach.
This is one of those classic back and bicep exercises that never stops working. Skip this and you’re skipping with. Period.
A study confirmed that wide-grip pull-ups lead to greater lat activation than neutral or underhand grips. Translation: go wide if you’re chasing that back flare.
2. Bent-Over Barbell Row – 4 sets x 8–12 reps
- Hits: Entire upper back, posterior chain
- Setup: Slight bend in knees, hinge at hips. Back straight.
- Execution:
- Pull the bar to your lower ribs.
- Squeeze shoulder blades hard.
- Don’t let your lower back sag.
This lift builds your mid-back like bricks. It’s a favorite in almost every serious back and arm workout plan. Add straps if grip’s giving out early; it’s your back we’re training, not your forearms (yet).
Rows aren’t flashy. But in every good back and bicep workout, this move earns its spot.
3. One-Arm Dumbbell Row – 3 sets x 10 reps per side
- Hits: Lats, rhomboids
- Setup: One knee on the bench, back flat, arm hanging.
- Execution:
- Pull the dumbbell through your elbow.
- Keep it tight to your ribs.
- Squeeze at the top. Lower slow.
This one’s deep. It smashes your lower lats like nothing else. Great for asymmetry, too, balances out your weak side without letting your strong side bully through.
For real lat thickness, every proper biceps and back workout should include this pull.
4. Lat Pulldown (Neutral or Close Grip) – 3 sets x 12–15 reps
- Hits: Lats, biceps, traps
- Setup: Sit tight. Knees locked under the pad. Grip narrow.
- Execution:
- Pull the bar to your chest.
- Control every inch on the way up.
- Let your scapula rise at the top. Then pull hard again.
This version of the pulldown keeps tension where it should be. The neutral grip torches the mid-back and gets your arms working harder, too.
Neutral grip = more biceps. Don’t underestimate that if you’re crafting a back and bicep workout with both size and shape.
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5. Seated Cable Row – 3 sets x 10–12 reps
- Hits: Mid-back, rhomboids, biceps
- Setup: Feet planted. Slight lean forward, but keep it tight.
- Execution:
- Pull handles toward your belly.
- Focus on shoulder blades squeezing.
- Don’t lean way back. This isn’t a body swing contest.
This is about feeling. One of those back bicep exercises where you chase tension, not ego lifts. You want burn, not reps.
Cables help keep a constant resistance. That means more muscle time-under-tension, and that ultimately means growth. The sweet kind of growth.
Time for the Arm Pump: Bicep Finishers
Look, the back and bicep workouts you’ve seen on TikTok? Half of them forget arms entirely. We won’t forget them here.
This is the blowout. Stretch. Contract. Squeeze so hard, you question your life choices.
You wanted a back and arm workout? You’re getting one. Here’s the bicep carnage:
6. Barbell Curls – 4 sets x 8–10 reps
- Hits: Biceps brachii (both heads)
- Setup: Shoulders back. Elbows locked in.
- Execution:
- Curl to your chin.
- Lower slow.
- Don’t swing. Don’t cheat.
Barbell curls are heavy. Basic. Pure old-school mass builders. If your arms are thin and soft, this one’s your fix. You’ll find this in every byshape exercise at gym routine that means business.
7. Incline Dumbbell Curls – 3 sets x 10–12 reps
- Hits: Long head of the biceps (peak builder)
- Setup: Sit on an incline bench. Let arms hang back.
- Execution:
- Palms always facing up.
- Curl slowly. Focus hard.
- Don’t let your shoulders roll forward.
This stretch is insane. It isolates the biceps in the lengthened position, where they’re weakest, and where you’ll grow the most. It’s probably one of the most overlooked back and bicep exercises in the game.
According to another study, muscles trained in the lengthened position respond with greater hypertrophy due to increased mechanical tension. In simple terms? More stretch = more growth.
8. Hammer Curls – 3 sets x 12–15 reps
- Hits: Brachialis, brachioradialis
- Setup: Neutral grip. Palms face each other.
- Execution:
- Curl up strong.
- Lower, even slower.
- Lock your wrists. Keep control.
Hammer curls fill your arms out. They attack the deep tissue. That means when your biceps peak, there’s thickness under it. Depth that makes your arms pop.
No serious back and biceps workout is complete without them. And your forearms will thank you. Or curse you. Same thing.
Make It Count: How This Workout Stacks
This is it. You’ve just walked through one of the most complete, no-nonsense back and bicep workouts you’ll ever touch.
Upper back? Covered. Lats? Flared. Biceps? Torched. Forearms? Cooked. Volume? Brutal, but smart.
Use this setup 1–2x per week, depending on your split. Don’t add fluff. Don’t tweak things just to be different. If your goal is size, shape, and strength, this bicep and back workout already gives it all.
Weekly Programming – When and How
You can run this back and bicep workout 1-2x per week, depending on your split.
Sample splits:
Push/Pull/Legs
- Pull day = Back + Biceps
- Run 2x a week
Upper/Lower Split
- Alternate between horizontal (row-based) and vertical (pull-down-based) emphasis
- Hit arms at the end
Bro Split
- Dedicated day for back and bicep workouts
- Make it brutal
Remember: Progressively overload. Add reps. Add weight. Reduce rest. Just make it harder over time.
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How This Helps Build a Good Back and Bicep Workout
Now that you know what each muscle does, train with intention. Don’t just copy a random back and bicep workout from Instagram.
You want a good back and bicep workout? Then cover:
- Horizontal pulls for rhomboids + traps.
- Vertical pulls for lats.
- Hinge patterns for erectors.
- Supination curls for peak.
- Neutral curls for width.
- Reverse grip for forearms.
Basically, you want your back and bicep exercises to hit every angle. Not just show muscles. Function too.
Incorporate supersets and tempo variations. Change grips. Use cables, free weights, machines. Variety hits different heads. That’s what makes a complete back and biceps workout.
Multi-angle, multi-grip training across ranges of motion is critical for full muscular development, especially in synergist muscle groups like the back and arms.
Meaning? Mix your grip. Shift your angles. Work wide. Work narrow. Work smart.
Don’t Forget Mind-Muscle Connection
Let’s keep it real, people rush through curls and rows all the time. Just moving weights. But without feeling it, it’s trash volume.
Focus on squeezing the muscle. Especially during your bicep and back workout. At the top of a curl? Pause. At the top of a row? Hold. Let it burn.
Dr. Brad Schoenfeld, a top researcher in hypertrophy training, found that:
“Exercises emphasizing internal focus (mind-muscle connection) significantly increased biceps activation compared to externally focused lifting.”
So, yeah; think about what you’re hitting.
Use This to Upgrade Every Session
So next time you step into a byshape exercise at gym, stop guessing. Know what each row, each curl, each pull is doing.
Here’s your checklist:
- Is this movement vertical or horizontal?
- Which part of the back is getting hit?
- Is the bicep grip underhand, neutral, or overhand?
- Am I feeling the right burn in the right place?
That’s how you build a back and biceps workout that actually works. That’s how you move past beginner gains and into real growth.
You’ve got the anatomy now. So build a plan that checks each muscle off.
Back wide. Arms full. No weak links.
ByShape Exercise at Gym: Machine Hacks That Work
At commercial gyms, ByShape exercise at gym typically includes cable machines, assisted pull-up/dip stations, and hammer strength rows. Don’t ignore machines.
- Cable curls: Consistent tension, great peak contraction
- Lat pullover machine: Lats + long head of triceps
- Preacher curl station: Lock those arms in place
Use machines strategically. For example, on high-rep days or after fatigue sets in. Machines don’t mean lazy; they mean precision.
Tips to Maximize Your Bicep and Back Workout
1. Focus on Form First
Sloppy reps don’t build muscle. Clean reps under control make the difference.
2. Grip Changes Matter
Switch grips to shift emphasis. Underhand rows = more bicep. Overhand = more back.
3. Use Straps If Needed
Don’t let your grip limit back gains. Use straps for heavy rows or high-rep pulldowns.
4. Stretch Between Sets
Lats and biceps both respond well to stretching. Hold a dead hang or arm extension 20-30 sec between sets.
Recovery = Growth
No routine, no matter how good, works if your recovery sucks. That means:
- 7-9 hours of sleep
- High protein intake
- Hydration
- Deload weeks every 5-6 weeks
A study found that consistent sleep of over 7 hours significantly improved hypertrophy over 12 weeks in trained men. Your body grows in rest, not during curls.
Sample Progression Over 4 Weeks
Want to take it further? Try this 4-week protocol to grow fast.
Week 1-2:
- Moderate weights, 10-12 reps
- Focus: Control, connection
Week 3:
- Add 5-10% weight
- Drop reps to 6-8 for compounds
- Push hard, but keep form clean
Week 4:
- High volume burnout
- 15+ reps per set
- Supersets: Row + Curl combos
Track everything. Keep a notebook. Write down reps, rest, how the set felt. The best good back and bicep workout is the one you can measure and beat next week.
Mistakes to Avoid (Seriously)
- Overtraining: More isn’t always better. Grow outside the gym, not in it.
- Too many curls: You don’t need 7 types. Focus on compound lifts first.
- Poor grip: Weak grip = weak pulls. Train it with deadlifts and heavy rows.
- Neglecting lower back: Deadlifts and hyperextensions keep you injury-free.
Why can’t I get a pump in my biceps?
Weak pump? Probably means your form’s trash or your tempo’s rushed. In a bicep and back workout, if you’re yanking with your hands and not pulling through your elbows, you’re robbing your arms of the work. Lock in on the stretch, slow the reps, and feel the biceps move, not just go through the motions.
Keep It Simple, Lift Like You Mean It
Too many lifters chase fancy splits, gimmicky moves, or 12-exercise marathons. But the best back and biceps workout boils down to effort. Intent. Consistency.
Stick to these tried-and-true moves. Make every set count. Feel the muscle, not just the motion.
If you do, your back will grow wider. Your arms will hang thicker. And every shirt you wear will fit better, tighter.
And that feeling? That confidence?
Earned.
