Beginner

Face Pull

The face pull is the premier accessory for shoulder health and upper-back posture. Pulling a rope from head height to your face while flaring the elbows out targets the rear delts, mid-traps, and the often-neglected external rotators. It balances all the pressing most people do, so it earns a spot as a high-rep finisher in nearly every program.

Equipment
Cables
Body part
Back, Shoulder
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Horizontal Pull
Muscles worked
Target
Deltoid Posterior, Trapezius Middle, Infraspinatus
Secondary
Trapezius Lower
Tertiary
Biceps Brachii Long Head

How to do it

  1. 1

    Set a rope attachment on a cable pulley at roughly head height.

  2. 2

    Grip both rope ends with thumbs pointing back and step away to create tension.

  3. 3

    Stand tall with arms extended and shoulder blades relaxed forward.

  4. 4

    Pull the rope toward your forehead, flaring the elbows out and rotating the hands so the knuckles face back.

  5. 5

    Squeeze the rear delts and mid-back at the end, elbows high and wide.

  6. 6

    Return under control to the extended start and keep the reps smooth.

Tips

  • Aim the hands past your ears at the finish, not just to your nose.
  • Keep the elbows at or above shoulder height throughout the pull.
  • Use light weight and higher reps; this is about quality contraction, not load.
  • Don't let the torso lean back to muscle the weight; keep it strict and controlled.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Clipping the rope at chest height changes the line of pull so you end up rowing instead of pulling to your face; set the pulley at about head height.
  • Keeping the hands together at the finish, usually because the rope is short, cuts out the rotation that makes this exercise worth doing; pull the ends apart past each ear.
  • Letting the stack drag your arms forward between reps skips the controlled return and halves the work for the rear delts; take as long going out as coming in.
  • Shrugging the shoulders up as you pull hands the job to the upper traps, which rarely need more work; keep the shoulders down while the elbows travel back.
  • Standing directly under the pulley leaves no tension at the start and lets the plates touch down each rep; step back until the cable is loaded at full stretch.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of face pulls should a beginner do?
Three sets of 15 to 20 reps, two or three times a week, using a weight light enough that the elbows stay high and the torso does not move. This is a small muscle group that recovers quickly, so it can go at the end of most sessions. Progress by adding reps or a one-second hold at the finish rather than by adding plates, since heavier loads turn it into a rowing motion.
What can I do instead of a face pull with no cable machine?
Loop a resistance band around a door anchor, a rack, or a post at head height and pull it to your face exactly as you would the rope. A band pull-apart at chest height covers most of the same ground with nothing but the band. With light dumbbells, prone Y and T raises face-down on an incline bench train the rear delts and mid-traps, and adding a slow external rotation covers the rest.
What is the face pull good for and when is it not the right exercise?
It trains the rear delts, mid-traps, and external rotators, the muscles that hold the shoulder blades in place and balance out all the pressing most people do, which is why it belongs in almost any program as a high-rep finisher. It is not a mass builder for your back and it should not replace rows or pulldowns. It is also a poor choice for heavy work, because loading it up forces the elbows down and turns it into a bad row.

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