Week 2 - Strength Progression

Pull (Hypertrophy Focus)

Higher-effort pulls keep lats, upper back, and arms progressing with strict form and smart myo-rep work.

Session at a Glance

  • 7 pull movements pairing vertical, horizontal, and arm finishers at RPE 10 on the last set.
  • LLP and myo-rep callouts extend sets without sacrificing technique.
  • Use the substitutions to swap between cable, machine, and free-weight options fast.

Warm-up Reminder

  • Open with 2-3 feeder sets on pulldowns and rows before loading working weight.
  • Keep rests near 2-3 minutes for big pulls and 1-2 minutes for isolation pieces.
  • Log every failure load so Week 3 can build on it or match with tighter form.

Exercise 1

Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

Watch demo
Warm-up
2-3 sets
Working sets
2 sets
Reps
8-10
Set 1 RPE
~8-9
Last set RPE
10
Rest
2-3 min

Keep the handle slightly out in front, somewhere between a pullover and pulldown, and focus on lat tension over load.

Substitutions

Exercise 3

Neutral-Grip Seated Cable Row

Watch demo
Warm-up
1-2 sets
Working sets
2 sets
Reps
10-12
Set 1 RPE
~8-9
Last set RPE
10
Rest
2-3 min

Drive your elbows down and back, then add LLP mini reps after failure to extend the set without cheating.

Substitutions

Exercise 4

1-Arm 45-degree Cable Rear Delt Flye

Watch demo
Warm-up
1-2 sets
Working sets
2 sets
Reps
10-12
Set 1 RPE
~8-9
Last set RPE
10
Rest
1-2 min

Pause 1-2 seconds in the squeeze, keeping tension locked on the rear delt the entire time.

Substitutions

Exercise 5

Machine Shrug

Watch demo
Warm-up
2-3 sets
Working sets
2 sets
Reps
10-12
Set 1 RPE
~8-9
Last set RPE
10
Rest
1-2 min

Briefly pause at the top and bottom, thinking about pulling your shoulders up toward your ears each rep.

Substitutions

Exercise 6

EZ-Bar Cable Curl

Watch demo
Warm-up
1 set
Working sets
2 sets
Reps
10-12
Set 1 RPE
~8-9
Last set RPE
10
Rest
1-2 min

Set the pulley low, keep constant tension, and control every inch of the curl.

Substitutions

Exercise 7

Machine Preacher Curl

Watch demo
Warm-up
1 set
Working sets
1 set
Reps
12-15
Set 1 RPE
N/A
Last set RPE
10
Rest
1-2 min

Run this as a myo-rep set: push the activation set to failure, then hit mini clusters while holding strict form.

Substitutions