- EquipmentCable
- PatternIsolation
- Reps12 to 20 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
Set a rope on a cable at about face height. Grip the rope ends with palms facing down or in, and step back until the arms are straight.
First cueLead with the hands pulling apart.
How to do the Face Pull
Set up. Set a rope on a cable at about face height. Grip the rope ends with palms facing down or in, and step back until the arms are straight.
- Pull the rope toward your face, separating the ends.
- Finish with your hands beside your ears and your elbows high.
- Return under control to straight arms.
Form cues
- Lead with the hands pulling apart.
- Keep the elbows high.
- Stand tall without leaning back.
Common mistakes
- Pulling to the chest with low elbows, which makes it a row.
- Leaning back to move heavy weight.
Muscles worked
Main target: Rear delts. The rear head of the deltoid covers the back of the shoulder. It draws the arm back and turns it outward, the opposite of a bench press.
On the way: Traps and Upper back.
Its other side: Chest, Front delts and Triceps, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
Its other side: Front delts, in the front and rear shoulder pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Face Pull, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Cable Front Raise Superset partner: it trains the other side of the front and rear shoulder pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Lat Pulldown Same pull session: it trains the lats.
- Cable Hammer Curl Same pull session: it trains the biceps.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Face Pull first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Face Pull 3 × 12 to 20 reps
- Cable Front Raise 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Lat Pulldown 3 × 8 to 15 reps
- Cable Hammer Curl 3 × 10 to 20 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Band Face Pull
Band
Gym or cable swap
Reverse Pec Deck
Machine
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Working weight and 1RM calculator
Enter a set you did: the weight, the reps and how many more reps you had left in you. The estimate is the formula the StatBlockFit app uses for its records, weight × (1 + (reps + reps in reserve) ÷ 30); above 12 reps it is rough.
Training zones
| Zone | Share of 1RM | Usual reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 85 to 90 % | 3 to 6 |
| Muscle growth | 70 to 80 % | 6 to 12 |
| Endurance | 60 to 65 % | 15 to 20 |
A warm-up before the working sets: 50 % for 5, 70 % for 3 and 85 % for 1, each rounded down to a plate.
Common starting points, not a prescription: the right weight is the one you can lift with good form for the reps you planned.
Variations and preparation
Its variations: Band Pull-Apart, Cable Y-Raise and Band Face Pull.
Do before it: Band Pull-Apart (shoulder blades).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Face Pull is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Face Pull?
Set up: Set a rope on a cable at about face height. Grip the rope ends with palms facing down or in, and step back until the arms are straight. Steps: 1. Pull the rope toward your face, separating the ends. 2. Finish with your hands beside your ears and your elbows high. 3. Return under control to straight arms. Form cues: Lead with the hands pulling apart. Keep the elbows high. Stand tall without leaning back. Common mistakes: Pulling to the chest with low elbows, which makes it a row. Leaning back to move heavy weight.
What muscles does the Face Pull work?
It trains the rear delts as its main target and works the traps and upper back on the way.
What can I do instead of the Face Pull?
At home: Band Face Pull. In a gym: Reverse Pec Deck. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Face Pull with?
Good partners in the same workout are Cable Front Raise, Lat Pulldown and Cable Hammer Curl.
How heavy should the Face Pull be?
Pick a weight you can lift for the planned reps with one or two left in reserve. As a common starting point, sets of 3 to 6 reps use about 85 to 90 percent of your one-rep max and sets of 6 to 12 reps about 70 to 80 percent; the calculator on this page does the arithmetic.