Face pull
Rear deltoids, mid and lower traps, external rotators of the shoulder.
How to do it
- Set the pulley at face height with a rope. Grab it with your palms facing each other or facing down.
- Step back until your arms are straight and the cable is under tension.
- Pull the rope towards your face, spreading your hands apart, elbows high.
- At the end, rotate your forearms up as if showing your biceps (external rotation).
- Return under control.
Cues
- Elbows at shoulder height or a little higher.
- Hands finish beside your ears.
- Light weight: this is a shoulder-health exercise.
Common mistakes
- Using too much weight and pulling with your back.
- Dropping the elbows (it becomes a row).
- Leaning back.
Very useful to balance out all the pushing work (bench, presses) and keep your shoulders healthy.
Photos: free-exercise-db (public domain).
Want a plan that includes this exercise?
AppGym builds a plan that fits you, tells you what weight to use on every set and lets you know when to go up, deload or ease back in after a break.
Create my plan