Face Pull

What is the Face Pull?

The face pull is a cable movement in which you pull a rope toward your face at eye level, spreading the hands apart as you finish. It targets the upper traps and rear shoulders through external rotation and horizontal pulling, making it one of the best accessories for building the rear of the shoulder girdle and balancing all the pressing most programs are heavy on.

Muscles worked

Primary: Traps

The upper traps and the muscles that retract the shoulder blades work to pull the rope in and squeeze the blades together at eye level.

Secondary: Shoulders

The rear deltoids of the shoulders assist by pulling the upper arms back and rotating them outward as the hands spread apart at the finish.

How to perform the Face Pull

1. Set a cable pulley to slightly above head height and attach a rope, gripping each end with the thumbs pointing back toward you.
2. Step back to load the cable, stagger the feet, and start with the arms extended and the shoulder blades relaxed forward.
3. Pull the rope toward your forehead or eyes, driving the elbows high and wide out to the sides.
4. As the rope arrives, externally rotate so the knuckles finish facing behind you, targeting the rear delts and mid traps.
5. Squeeze the shoulder blades together and down at the end position without shrugging up toward the ears.
6. Return under control, letting the shoulder blades glide forward into a stretch before the next rep.

Suggested working range: 12–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Mechanics

A cable isolation combining a high horizontal pull with external rotation: you row the rope to face level while pulling the hands apart, so the shoulder blades retract and the shoulders rotate outward. The constant cable tension and light loads make it a controllable movement aimed at postural and rear-shoulder health rather than heavy strength.

Form cues

• •Set the pulley at about face height and pull the rope toward your eyes, not your chin or chest.
• •Spread the hands apart at the finish so the thumbs point back and the shoulders rotate outward.
• •Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end position and pause before returning.
• •Keep the load light enough to control: heaving heavy weight ruins the external-rotation cue.

Common mistakes

• •Letting the elbows drop low so the movement becomes a row instead of a high rear-delt pull.
• •Shrugging the upper traps up toward the ears rather than driving the shoulder blades down and back.
• •Using so much weight that the torso leans back and the external rotation disappears.
• •Yanking the rope in and out instead of controlling the return into the stretch.

Variations & alternatives

• •Rear delt fly: a dumbbell isolation that biases the rear deltoids more directly.
• •Reverse pec deck: a machine that isolates the rear delts and upper back with a fixed path.
• •Cable Y-raise: a cable movement that trains the lower traps and rear shoulders at a higher angle.
• •Band pull-apart: a light, equipment-minimal version of the same rear-shoulder retraction.

Barbell Shrug

Traps · Barbell

Dumbbell Shrug

Traps · Dumbbell

Cable Shrug

Traps · Cable

Smith Machine Shrug

Traps · Machine

Trap Bar Shrug

Traps · Barbell

Programming: sets, reps & when to use it

Program face pulls as a high-rep accessory in the library’s 12–20 rep range, using light, controllable loads. They’re ideal for balancing pressing volume and supporting shoulder health, so many lifters run several sets a week, even as a warm-up or between pressing sets. Prioritise a clean squeeze-and-rotate over load every time.

Frequently asked questions