Cable Face Pulls: Rear Delt & Upper Back Exercise
Face pulls are a cable exercise used to train the rear delts, upper back and muscles surrounding the shoulder blades. The movement is performed by pulling a cable attachment toward the face while the elbows travel outward, creating a strong contraction across the back of the shoulders and upper back.
In this video, the cable face pull is performed using Andreoni Focus Straps. The independent left and right straps allow each arm to move freely instead of forcing both hands into the fixed position of a traditional rope attachment.
How to Do Cable Face Pulls
Set the pulley approximately at face or upper-chest height and stand facing the cable machine. Begin with your arms extended and enough distance from the machine to maintain tension on the cable.
Pull your hands toward the sides of your face while driving your elbows outward and backward. As you reach the end of the movement, squeeze the rear delts and upper back before slowly extending your arms back toward the starting position.
Keep your torso controlled throughout the exercise and avoid using excessive body momentum. The goal is a smooth pull and controlled return rather than simply moving the heaviest possible weight.
Face Pulls With Focus Straps
Traditional rope face pulls require you to grip the ends of the rope throughout the movement. Focus Straps support the hands differently, reducing the need to squeeze a rigid rope end while allowing each wrist, elbow and shoulder to follow its own natural path.
The small handles help keep the straps securely positioned, while the padded straps carry the resistance through the hands. This can make it easier to concentrate on the movement of the elbows, shoulder blades and rear delts instead of focusing on maintaining your grip.
Face Pull Muscles Worked
The face pull exercise primarily targets the rear deltoids and upper-back muscles involved in pulling the shoulder blades backward. The rhomboids and middle trapezius contribute strongly to the movement, while the rotator-cuff muscles and other shoulder stabilizers assist throughout the exercise.
Face Pulls on a Cable Machine or Functional Trainer
A cable machine face pull provides continuous resistance throughout the movement and makes it easy to adjust both the pulley height and weight. Changing the cable height can slightly alter the pulling angle, while adjusting your distance from the machine lets you find a comfortable starting position and range of motion.
Face pulls can be performed standing or seated and work well as part of a shoulder workout, back workout or upper-body cable routine. For most lifters, controlled repetitions and a strong rear-delt and upper-back contraction are more important than using maximum resistance.