Big Back Day
Single-session back specialization. Pull-ups, BB row, seated cable row, pulldown, face pull, EZ curl. ~18 back sets, ~80 min.
Estimated session
- Movements 6
- Loads Coach-filled
- Progresses Every session
Every movement, in order
Each lift with its working sets and target, in the order you run them. The coach sets the loads from your training and moves them up as the work gets easier.
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Pullups Add weight if BW reps >8 at RPE 8. 1 warm-up set first 4 × 6 · rest 2 min | 4 | 6 | 2 min |
| 02 | Bent Over Barbell Row Hinge, pull bar to lower ribs. 1 warm-up set first 3 × 8 · rest 2:30 | 3 | 8 | 2:30 |
| 03 | Seated Cable Rows Pull to lower sternum, mid-back squeeze. 4 × 10 · rest 1:30 | 4 | 10 | 1:30 |
| 04 | Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown Bar to upper chest. Stretch at top. 3 × 12 · rest 1:15 | 3 | 12 | 1:15 |
| 05 | Face Pull External rotation at end-range. 3 × 15 · rest 1 min | 3 | 15 | 1 min |
| 06 | EZ-Bar Curl Residual bicep work. 3 × 10 · rest 1 min | 3 | 10 | 1 min |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Lead with the heavy compounds (pull-ups, barbell row) while fresh, then move to cable and machine work as fatigue builds — keep that order. On pull-ups, add belt or dumbbell weight once you clear 8 bodyweight reps at RPE 8; if you can't hit the reps, scale to band-assisted or lat pulldown at matched effort. Cue a top stretch and hard mid-back squeeze every rep — contraction, not momentum. Keep face pulls and the EZ curl light, high-rep, strict. Swap barbell row for chest-supported row if lower-back fatigue limits it.
Every workout
The coach reads your log, tunes the loads and volume to where you are today, and tells you when to add weight.
Common questions
The facts most people check before they drop this session into a week.
01When should I use the Big Back Day template?
Lead with the heavy compounds (pull-ups, barbell row) while fresh, then move to cable and machine work as fatigue builds — keep that order. Add it to your week in Squatly and the coach schedules it, sets the loads from your training, and tells you when to move up.
02How many working sets is Big Back Day, and how long does it take?
Big Back Day runs 6 movements and about 20 working sets, roughly 74 minutes once warm-ups are in. The full per-exercise scheme — sets, reps or RPE, and rest — is in the session table above.
Built on the Squatly method
Every set count, rep target, and rest period here comes from how the coach weighs volume, intensity, and fatigue. See where the numbers come from.
Read the methodVolume, intensity, and fatigue — read per lift, every session.
Last updated: June 2026
Keep moving forward.
Add this template to your week. The coach reads your training, sets the loads, and tells you when to push.
iOS · Works offline
Aleks · Coach
Proposal — add weight