Stop scrolling and check your posture. If you’re like most people, your shoulders are probably rounded forward, your neck is craned toward a screen, and your upper back feels like a knotted mess of tension. You need to know how to do face pulls correctly, not just because they build a wider back, but because they are arguably the single most important prehab movement in the modern lifting world.
Most people treat them as an afterthought. They tack on three sets of twenty at the end of a workout, using momentum and ego to yank a rope toward their forehead. That's a mistake. A big one. Honestly, if you aren't feeling a massive burn in your rear deltoids and those tiny muscles between your shoulder blades, you're basically just doing a weird version of an upright row. We need to fix that.
Why Your Rear Delts Are Probably Ghosting You
The anatomy of the shoulder is a mess of complexity. You have the deltoids—front, side, and rear—but beneath them lies the rotator cuff: the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. Most gym-goers are "front-heavy." We bench press, we overhead press, and we drive cars with our arms reaching forward. This creates a massive imbalance. When you learn how to do face pulls, you are essentially fighting back against the "internal rotation" that makes you look like a hunchback.
Jeff Cavaliere of Athlean-X famously calls these a "non-negotiable." He isn't wrong. The movement targets the posterior deltoid and the middle trapezius, but more importantly, it forces external rotation. That’s the "pulling apart" motion that keeps your humerus (upper arm bone) sitting snugly in its socket rather than grinding against your acromion process. If you've ever felt a "pinch" during a heavy bench press, your lack of face pulls is likely the culprit.
The Step-by-Step Setup Most People Botch
First, find a cable machine. Use the rope attachment. Most people set the pulley way too high, pulling down at a steep angle. Don't do that. Set the pulley so it's roughly eye level or slightly above. You want the line of pull to be direct.
Grab the rope with an overhand grip? No. Try an "underhand" or neutral grip where your thumbs are facing back toward you. This is a game-changer. By holding the rope so your thumbs point at your face, you naturally encourage the external rotation we’re looking for. Stand back so the weight is off the stack. Get a staggered stance—one foot forward, one foot back. This stops you from leaning back and using your body weight to cheat.
Now, pull.
But don't just pull the rope to your nose. Pull the ends of the rope apart. Imagine you’re trying to tear the rope in half right as it reaches your forehead. Your elbows should stay high—higher than your wrists. At the peak of the movement, you should look like you’re hitting a "double biceps" pose, but with your hands further back. Hold it. Seriously, hold it for two seconds. If you can't hold it, the weight is too heavy. Drop the pin. Ego has no place here.
📖 Related: Magnesium Rich Foods: What You're Probably Missing and Why It Matters
Common Blunders That Kill Your Progress
I see it every day. Someone loads up the whole stack and starts rhythmic, jerky movements that look more like they’re starting a lawnmower than training their back.
- The Head Thrust: This is the most common. Instead of pulling the rope to their face, they move their face to the rope. Keep your neck neutral. If your chin is poking forward like a turtle, you’re just straining your levator scapulae.
- The Low Elbow Drop: If your elbows drop below your shoulders, you’ve turned this into a row. Rows are great for the lats, but they won't fix your external rotation issues. Keep those elbows up.
- Using the Middle Back Too Much: While the traps are involved, if you feel this mostly in your lower back or lats, you’re leaning too far or pulling too low.
- Zero Eccentric Control: The way back is just as important. Don't let the weight stack slam. Control the return. Feel the stretch in your rear delts.
Variations That Actually Make Sense
You don't always need a cable machine. If you're at home or in a crowded gym, grab a resistance band. Loop it around a rack or a sturdy door frame. The beauty of the band is the "ascending resistance." The further you pull, the harder it gets, which perfectly matches the strength curve of the rear delt.
Another pro tip: try the "Seated Face Pull." By sitting on the floor or a bench, you eliminate the ability to use your legs or hips for momentum. It forces the movement to be incredibly "pure." You'll likely find you have to drop the weight by 30%, which is a sobering reminder of how much we usually cheat.
For those with limited shoulder mobility, try the "Face Pull to Overhead Press" (often called a Y-press). You pull to the face, hold, and then press the rope upward into a 'Y' shape. This engages the lower traps, which are notoriously weak in anyone who sits at a desk. Dr. Eric Goodman, the creator of Foundation Training, often emphasizes the importance of this posterior chain integration for spinal health.
The Science of Hypertrophy and Frequency
Should you do these for low reps? Probably not. The muscles involved—the rear delts, rhomboids, and rotator cuff—respond exceptionally well to metabolic stress. We’re talking 15 to 25 reps per set.
💡 You might also like: FDA Cardiology Device Approval News: What Really Happened This Month
Because these muscles are primarily postural and recover quickly, you can do them often. Some elite powerlifters do 2-3 sets of face pulls every single day just to keep their shoulders healthy. It isn't going to overtrain you. Think of it like brushing your teeth for your joints.
If you’re wondering where to slot these into your routine, put them at the end of your "Pull" day or "Upper Body" day. Or, better yet, use them as a warm-up on "Push" day. By activating the rear delts before you bench press, you create a more stable "shelf" for your shoulders to rest on, which can actually increase your pressing power. It sounds counterintuitive to fatigue a muscle before a big lift, but we aren't aiming for failure here—just activation.
Real World Results: More Than Just Aesthetics
Look, a big "rear delt pop" looks cool. It gives your shoulders that 3D, "cannonball" look from the side. But the real value is in how you'll feel. Chronic shoulder pain often stems from the humerus sliding too far forward in the glenoid cavity. By strengthening the "brakes" (the rear delts and external rotators), you keep that bone centered.
I’ve talked to dozens of lifters who thought they needed surgery, only to find that three months of consistent, high-quality face pulls "cured" their impingement. It isn't magic; it's just basic biomechanics. When the back is strong, the front can function.
✨ Don't miss: Is there a virus going around Chicago? What local doctors are seeing right now
Actionable Steps for Your Next Session
Don't wait until your shoulders hurt to start doing this. Start today.
- Check your grip: Switch to that neutral "thumbs back" grip immediately. It feels weird at first, but it opens up the shoulder joint.
- Lighten the load: If you’re using 50 lbs, drop to 20 lbs. Focus on the squeeze.
- The "2-2-2" Rule: 2 seconds to pull, 2-second hold at the face, 2 seconds to return.
- Frequency over Intensity: Do 3 sets of 20 reps three times a week. Consistency beats a once-a-week "destroy your back" session every time.
- Film yourself: Use your phone. Look for the "turtle neck" or the leaning torso. If you see it, fix it.
The goal isn't to move the heaviest weight possible. The goal is to move the weight with the most precision possible. Your 50-year-old self will thank you for the shoulder health you're building right now. Get to the cable station, grab the rope, and start pulling. Properly. After a few weeks, you'll notice you're standing taller, your bench press feels more stable, and those nagging aches in your traps start to fade into the background. That's the power of doing the boring stuff correctly. No more excuses. Go do your face pulls.