Women's Health May 7, 2026 0 Comments

Unlock Insane Upper Body Gains with These 4 Back and Biceps Moves Nobody’s Talking About!

Ever catch yourself skipping those back and biceps days? Guilty as charged, right? But here’s a curveball: your spine literally depends on these muscles to keep you moving without pain or injury. It’s wild when you think about it — your back and biceps are the unsung heroes that pull double duty both in daily life and in the gym. Meghan Voell, a legit pro trainer, points out that neglecting these muscles means you’re basically inviting back pain to crash your party. And hey, your back and biceps don’t just work solo; they form a powerhouse duo during your “pull day” workouts, maximizing every rep with synergy and strength. The coolest part? You can torch your upper body with a quick routine involving just four moves — no marathon sessions needed. Ready to stop underestimating them and start powering up? Let’s dive in. LEARN MORE

3 min read

When you work out, it’s important to show love to all your major muscle groups—back and biceps included. Really: you don’t want to skimp on these muscles. They’re used all the time in your daily life and support your spine, making them critical for effective and comfortable physical activity. “All movement derives from your spine, and if your back muscles are weak, your spine is going to move more than it should, leading to injuries and back pain,” Meghan Voell, CPT, ACE-certified personal trainer, previously told Women’s Health.

Your back and biceps make a great pair in the gym, too. They’re both heavily involved in motions that require pulling towards the back of the body, and “work synergistically to execute the movement, and by training both together, you can maximize both effectiveness and efficiency in your workout,” says Samantha Rothberg, CSCS, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and founder of Samantha Rothberg Fitness. That’s why you might hear some people refer to a “pull day” in their workout split.

Some good news: you can get a quick back and biceps workout done with just four exercises. The trainer-approved routine below will torch your upper body and strengthen your posterior chain in just about 20 minutes. Time to get after it!

Instructions: Do the following exercises in order, completing the prescribed reps and sets for each exercise before moving on to the next. Rest for one to two minutes between sets and exercises.

Pull-Up

How to:

Place hands about shoulder width apart on the bar.
As you hang, create full body tension by squeezing your legs together, and pulling your shoulders away from your ears.
Think about driving your elbows down toward the floor until your chin is up above the bar. (Tip: Use a resistance band looped around the bar or an assisted pull-up machine to help as you build strength.)
Slowly lower down until your elbows are fully extended. That’s 1 rep.

Set and Reps: Aim for 3 to 4 sets of 4 to 6 reps.

Why it’s effective: The pull-up really is the holy grail of upper body exercises—it builds strength in almost every muscle from the waist up. They can be intimidating, sure, but with our Ultimate Pull-Up Plan, you too can master this challenging move.

Alternating Bent-Over Row

How to:

Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, with a dumbbell in each hand.
Hinge hips forward. Try to make your torso just slightly above parallel with the floor. Squeeze glutes and core to hold this position, and keep your neck neutral.
Drive your elbow back by squeezing your shoulder blade in towards the other to bring one dumbbell up to your ribcage. Pause, and lower back to the start.
Repeat on the other side. That’s 1 rep.

Set and Reps: Aim for 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps each side.

Why it’s effective: This move targets the back muscles, including the lats, rhomboids, and traps, with the biceps as the secondary mover, says Rothberg. The alternating motion also engages your core, she adds.

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Reverse Fly

How to:

Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells at sides.
Hinge hips forward. Try to make your torso just slightly above parallel with the floor. Squeeze glutes and core to hold this position and keep your neck neutral.
Maintaining a slight bend at the elbows, squeeze the shoulder blades together to pull the arms out to the sides.
Lower with control to return to start. That’s 1 rep.

Set and Reps: Aim for 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Why it’s effective: The reverse fly targets the rear deltoids, which supports shoulder stability and builds strength in the upper back.

Biceps Curl

How to:

Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells at your side. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to stay upright.
Lock your upper arms against your ribcage. Bend at the elbow to bring weights up toward shoulders. Squeeze biceps at the top.
Slowly lower the dumbbells to return to start. That’s 1 rep.

Set and Reps: Aim for 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Why it’s effective: The biceps curl is a classic for a reason, says Rothberg. Not only does it target the biceps to build strength and definition, but it also improves your grip strength.

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Cori Ritchey, C.S.C.S., is the fitness editor at Women’s Health, as well as a certified strength and condition coach and group fitness instructor. She’s reported on topics regarding health, nutrition, mental health, fitness, sex, and relationships for several years. You can find more of her work in Men’s Health, HealthCentral, Livestrong, Self, and others.