Rope pulls target the posterior deltoids of the shoulder—muscles that allow your arms to slide backward—which are frequently overlooked by other shoulder exercises. You use a cable pulley contraption to draw the weight straight towards your forehead. Exercising the rear delts can cause muscular imbalance, increase total shoulder strength, and may aid in better posture. Face pulls can be used as part of an upper body strength training program.
How To Do Face Pulls
Set up a cable pulley machine with the pulley system somewhat higher than your head. Use the rope attachment, which has two handholds for cable face pulls.
Reach up and grip the handles with both hands, palms facing in. With your arms are completely extended, then engage your core and lean back slightly, placing your body to an angle of 20-degrees.
Pull the rope toward you just enough to begin lifting the weight from the stack, then engage your shoulders and roll them back to maintain proper posture—you don’t want your shoulders hunched or rolling forward. This is your starting position.
Pull the attachment’s handles straight toward your forehead. Keep your palms facing in while your elbows flare outward to the sides, engaging the back delts.
Slowly extend your arms, while revering the movement, making sure not to let your shoulders or chest drift forward. You aim to keep a decent posture during the activity.
Start with two sets of 20 repetitions. Go a little lighter than you think you need to, and concentrate on steady, controlled movements.
Benefits of Face Pulls
Face pulls are a fantastic exercise for the rear deltoids, trapezius, and upper back. According to Robert Herbst, a 19-time World Champion powerlifter, personal trainer, and health coach, they assist keep the shoulders squared and back, preventing the pulled-forward look caused by too much chest and front delt work. They also contribute to the development of a robust upper back, which serves as a foundation for a power bench press.
Strong shoulders are essential for everyday tasks like lifting, pressing, pulling, and rotating your arms. The deltoids are the shoulders’ most powerful muscle group, responsible for all overhead motions (such putting products on high shelves, raising a child onto your shoulders, or even shooting a basketball).
Exercises that target the delts from various angles include shoulder presses, lateral dumbbell rises, front dumbbell raises, and bent-over reverse dumbbell flys. The deltoids have three distinct heads: anterior, lateral, and posterior. The lateral heads and anterior of the deltoid are frequently used more than the posterior, or “rear delts,” because they are involved in pushing and pressing movements.
The back deltoids, in contrast, are frequently overlooked. This type of muscular imbalance can cause shoulder pain, injuries, and a “hunched forward” appearance, as well as bad posture. As a result, it’s critical to include exercises that target the posterior delts in your regimen, and face pulls are a great choice.
Other Types of Face Pulls
A face pull exercise can be performed in a variety of ways to increase accessibility or target your muscles in unique ways.
Resistance Bands Exercises
If you have access to resistance bands hang them over a high attachment point, such as a pull-up bar, and simulate the movement with them. This is helpful for beginners who want to develop their rear delts, but the bands may not give enough resistance to challenge advanced exercisers. Furthermore, many exercise safety experts advise against using resistance bands for workouts near your face since they can injure you if they slip or break.
Use dumbbells.
If you don’t have a cable machine or resistance bands, you may still target your rear delts with dumbbell workouts like the rear delt dumbbell fly. It is not a perfect substitute for face pulls, but it does work the same muscle areas.
Adjust your grip.
While the overhand grip is recommended, some trainers recommend the underhand grip as an alternative. When doing so, use lighter weights and move slowly.
Try Seated Face Pulls.
If you want to increase strength and lift heavier weights, perform face pulls while seated. This is significant because heavier weights encourage you to engage your hips and lower body, reducing the strain on your deltoids. Sitting helps to keep your torso stable.
Common Mistakes
Avoid these face pull faults to get the most out of this workout while avoiding strain or injury.
Poor form.
The most prevalent cause of erroneous face pulls is a lack of understanding of what you’re meant to be working on. This is a rear delt workout, so you should feel it working the back side of your shoulders and the upper back between your shoulder blades.
If your elbows start pointing down instead of out, you start dragging the attachment toward your chin or neck, or if you forget to keep your palms facing in, you’ll most likely feel it in your biceps and back. If you do, double-check your face pull form. If the arms are not at perfect angles to the torso, you do a pull-down instead of a face pull.
Too much weight.
It is also usual to choose an excessively heavy weight for a face pull workout. The back delts are a smaller muscle group, so if you’re not used to working them, go easier than you would with other shoulder exercises.
If you discover that you are using your body to pull the attachment toward your body, or if you are unable to manage the weight as it returns to the stack, dragging your body forward, you should probably minimize the amount of weight you are attempting to lift. To successfully target the back delts, avoid mistakenly activating extra muscle groups to accomplish the exercise.
Safety and precautions
Some people wish to try face pulls at home using resistance bands. As previously stated, this maneuver raises safety concerns. Resistance bands that slip or break can cause harm, especially to the eye. A wise rule is to never pull resistance bands towards your face.
If you have back or shoulder concerns, consult with a doctor to see if this exercise is appropriate. If you feel any pain while exercising, stop.