Back Hypertrophy Workout - 60min Beginner
This hypertrophy focused session builds a thick and wide back while sculpting your biceps through high volume and controlled movements. You will target the major pulling muscles using a variety of angles to ensure no part of the posterior chain is left untrained. The handle only setup ensures you spend less time swapping accessories and more time under tension.
This workout is ideal for beginner lifters who want to improve their posture and upper body pull strength. It is also perfect for athletes like climbers or rowers looking to build foundational back endurance and arm size.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 90 seconds between heavy pulls and 60 seconds for biceps and accessory movements.
Seated Row
Back, Biceps, Abs
Keep your chest tall and squeeze your shoulder blades together as the cables pull back.
Half Kneeling Single Arm Row
Back, Biceps, Obliques
Engage your core to stay upright and avoid rotating as you pull the handle toward your ribs.
Reverse Fly
Back, Shoulders
Focus on pulling the handles wide to your sides using the back of your shoulders.
Biceps Curl
Biceps, Forearms
Pin your elbows to your ribcage and use a slow eccentric to maximize time under tension.
Neutral Lat Pulldown
Back, Biceps, Abs
Imagine pulling your elbows toward your hips to fully engage your lats with Tonals smooth resistance.
Straight Arm Pulldown
Back, Shoulders
Lock your elbows and press the handles down to your thighs feeling the stretch at the top.
Alternating Neutral Lat Pulldown
Back, Biceps, Abs
Maintain a steady rhythm and keep tension on the cables throughout the entire burnout set.
Why this order
The routine starts with large compound movements like the Lat Pulldown and Seated Row to handle the highest digital weight when energy is peak. It transitions into unilateral work to address imbalances before finishing with high rep isolation for the rear delts and biceps. This sequence ensures maximum muscle fiber recruitment and metabolic stress for growth.
Want this personalized for you?
This is a template workout. Connect your Tonal and the AI coach adjusts weights to your strength scores, swaps exercises around injuries, and progresses you week over week.
Start Free with AI CoachFrequently Asked Questions
What weight should I start with for the Lat Pulldowns?
Tonal will suggest a starting weight based on your initial assessment. For hypertrophy focus on a weight where the last two reps of each set are difficult but manageable with good form.
Should I use any of Tonals dynamic weight modes?
Since this is a hypertrophy session Eccentric Mode is highly recommended for the Biceps Curls to maximize muscle growth during the lowering phase.
How often should I perform this back and biceps routine?
For best results aim for two times per week with at least 48 to 72 hours of rest between sessions to allow the muscles to repair and grow.