This is our trainer’s favorite routine for a bigger, stronger back

When it comes to weight training, there’s a simple yet underrated truth that everyone should know: your pulling muscles are more important than your pushing muscles—even if only by a little.

The muscles responsible for pulling exercises make up your posterior chain. These are the muscles you can’t see when you look in the mirror. Their strength and development, however, will have the greatest reach toward an impressive physique, healthy joints, and even stronger performance in other push-oriented movements.

What are traction muscles?

What do we mean by posterior chain, exactly? Here is a list of its main muscles:

• Hamstrings
• Buttocks
• Muscular lumbar spine
• Lats
• Rear deltoids
• Rhombuses
• Traps

It is imperative that each of these muscle groups can pull its own weight to prevent imbalances and promote overall strength and healthy function. Strong glutes and hams are the cornerstone of athletic strength and pain-free joints. A nice, wide and thick upper back is also better when it comes to standing, overall width and imposing size.

Related: This Push Day Workout Will Bring Size and Strength Gains in 6 Weeks

What is Pull Day Training?

Many athletes plan their weekly strength training around a leg push-pull. It’s three strength sessions, each dedicated to a specific muscle set, spread over seven days. Splitting your training programs into push, pull, and leg days is ideal if you’re looking to build more muscle because it allows you to direct more volume and work sets to fewer muscle groups that all have a similar function.

Pulling exercises differ from pushing exercises simply because of the nature of the movement. It’s as simple as, if you move the weight towards you, it’s a pull-up pattern. If you move the weight away from you, it’s a push pattern.

Related: 50 Best Shoulder Exercises to Aim for Full Range of Motion

The best Pull Day workout

What makes this program so effective? Simply put, it starts long so you have the neural drive for the exercises that offer the most bang for your buck. As you get a little more tired (which means it works), the workout shifts toward individual movements that require less horsepower but more precision to complete. These lifts focus on the little things to sculpt your posterior chain. It’s the perfect storm. Perform this weekly pull-day workout for six weeks to see gains in size, strength, and power.

1. Barbell Deadlift

Muscles worked: gluteal, hamstrings, quads, core

How to Do it

1. Step onto the loaded bar and approach to make sure the bar is above the shoelaces. Keep your feet hip-width apart.
2. Without bending at the knees, reach down and place the hands on the bar, just outside the shins. Your back should be fully rounded.
3. Then dig in. Wedge your body into a tight position, dropping your hips down and lifting your chest as high as possible. This tension you place on the bar will help flatten your spine. It helps to think about rolling your elbows back and tucking your armpits down.
4. Keep your stomach full of air and lift up with the barbell. Squeeze the buttocks and gain height.
5. Lower the weight, keeping it close to your body. Push the hips back first and think about squatting once the bar passes the knees on the way down.
6. Perform 5 sets of 4 to 6 repetitions.

2. Pulap

Muscles worked: lats, biceps, infraspinatus

How to do it

1. Using a grip just outside shoulder-width apart, hang from the pull-up bar. Keep the thumbs wrapped around the bar. do not use a false grip with the thumb on the same side as the fingers.
2. Keep the body tight and still. Avoid any swinging. Arms should be fully extended. This is your starting position.
3. Position the shoulders by first lifting the chest and lengthening the neck. You should feel your upper back pull your shoulder blades down into your back pockets when done correctly. This is how you start each pull and engage your back more than your arms.
4. Pull through your elbows until your chin clears the bar. Lower slowly and repeat.
5. Perform 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps (or max reps if less).

3A. Bentover Row

Muscles worked: lats, rhomboids, lats, trapezius

How to do it

1. Stand up straight and hold a barbell with your bench grip. Roll forward so the weight hangs just below knee level. Maintain a flat spine.
2. Build tension in your upper back by pulling the shoulder blades together and lift the weight up by pulling the arms. Aim to bring the weight into contact with the chest. Keep the elbows wide.
3. Perform 10 reps and progress to 3B without rest to form a superset. Do 3 total supersets.

3B. Cable Reverse Fly

Muscles worked: posterior leaflet, rhomboid, trapezoid, lat

How to Do it

1. Place two cable pulleys at forehead height and stand between them. They are better if they don’t have a handle attachment. Load them lightly.
2. Stand tall and hold the left pulley with the right hand and the right pulley with the left hand. Keep the hands out and abduct the arms for a fly pattern.
3. Squeeze the shoulder blades together on each repetition to encourage upper back activity.
4. Perform 12 reps, superset with 3A’s bentover series 3 times.

4. Swiss Ball Hamstring Curl

Muscles worked: femoral, gluteal, abdominal, lumbar

How to Do it

1. Lie on your back with a Swiss ball under your feet (start with straight legs).
2. Lift your hips and stay steady. Brace your core so the ball doesn’t roll to your left or right. Pressing the hands on the floor can also help.
3. Keeping your hips high, roll the ball toward your buttocks, using your heels. When you have brought the ball as close as possible, slowly return to full extension. The eccentric rep is more important than the concentric here, so be careful to keep it under control.
4. Perform 4 sets of 12 repetitions.

5. Back extension 45 degrees

Muscles worked: gluteus maximus, hamstrings, erector spinae

How to Do it

1. Adjust the back extension machine to a position where the cushion is just below hip level. This will allow unlimited freedom of rotation around this joint.
2. Position yourself on the machine and make sure the thighs are firmly pressed against the pad at the front, while the calves and ankles are firmly pressed against their support behind.
3. Maintain a flat spine and rotate down as far as your spine allows. You should feel a good stretch in your hamstrings.
4. Squeeze the glutes first to start the movement up to the top position. If you want to engage your glutes more than your lower back, then keep the sides tucked down (the shoulders will round a bit to do this). If you want more involvement in the lower back, let the ribs flare up. Lower slowly and repeat.
5. Perform 3 sets of 12 repetitions.