Face Pull

Also called face pull and rope face pull.

Works

Shoulders, plus upper back

Equipment

Cable

Level

Intermediate

Type

Compound

How to do it

Setup. Facing a high pulley with a rope or dual handles attached, pull the weight directly towards your face, separating your hands as you do so. Keep your upper arms parallel to the ground.

Cues

• Rope at face height.
• Pull to the forehead, hands outside the ears.
• Squeeze the rear delts, pause.

Common mistakes

• Pulling to the chest.
• Using too much weight and leaning back.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. Tempo is seconds down, pause, up. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.