Face Pull
A cable pulling exercise that strengthens the rear delts and upper-back rotators to balance pressing work and support healthy shoulders.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Equipment
- Cable machine, Rope attachment
- Primary muscles
- Rear deltoids, Trapezius (middle & lower)
- Secondary muscles
- Rhomboids, Infraspinatus & teres minor (rotator cuff), Posterior forearm
Demo video coming soon — front and side angle showing the full pull and rotation.
How to perform the Face Pull
- Set the pulley. Attach a rope to a cable pulley set at about face or upper-chest height. Select a light-to-moderate weight — this is a control exercise, not a max-effort lift.
- Take your stance. Grab one end of the rope in each hand with a neutral (thumbs-up) grip. Step back to create tension, feet about hip-width, with a slight bend in the knees and a tall chest.
- Pull toward your face. Drive your elbows up and back, pulling the rope toward your forehead. As you pull, separate your hands so they finish beside your ears.
- Rotate at the top. At the end of the pull your knuckles should point up and back, with the shoulder blades squeezed together. Pause briefly without shrugging your shoulders toward your ears.
- Return under control. Slowly reverse the motion, letting your arms straighten and shoulder blades spread, keeping tension on the cable the whole way. Aim for smooth, deliberate reps.
Common mistakes
- Using too much weight, which turns it into a rowing motion driven by the lats and lower back instead of the rear delts.
- Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears instead of pulling the elbows back and slightly up.
- Pulling to the chest rather than the face, which removes the external-rotation benefit.
- Rushing the reps — momentum robs the smaller upper-back muscles of the work.
Alternatives & variations
- Band pull-apart
- Reverse pec-deck fly
- Bent-over dumbbell rear-delt raise
This guide is for general educational purposes and is not medical or physical-therapy advice. If you have an injury or health condition, check with a qualified professional before training. — StrongHer Team