Face Pull

How to do the face pull with correct form: cable height, elbow path, and the mistakes that turn it into a row instead of a rear-delt and rotator cuff exercise.

Quick answer: Set a rope at face height, pull it toward your forehead with elbows high, rotate the hands apart, and return slowly without shrugging.

Cable machine beginner Rear Delts, Upper Back, Rotator Cuff

How to Do It

  1. Set a cable pulley to roughly upper-chest to head height and attach a rope.
  2. Grip the rope with both hands, palms facing each other, and step back so there's tension at the start.
  3. Pull the rope toward your face, leading with your elbows, so your hands finish near your ears.
  4. Rotate your hands slightly outward at the end range so your knuckles point behind you.
  5. Return under control to the starting position, keeping tension on the cable throughout.

Common Mistakes

  • Setting the cable too low, which turns the movement into a standard row instead of targeting the rear delts.
  • Using too much weight and letting the torso lean back to help pull it, losing the isolation effect.
  • Skipping the external rotation at the end range, which is where most of the rotator cuff benefit comes from.
  • Pulling the rope toward the chest instead of the face, shortening the range and shifting emphasis to the mid-back.

The face pull is one of the few exercises that directly targets the rear deltoids and external rotators, muscles that are chronically undertrained relative to the front and side delts in most pushing-focused programs, which is a common cause of rounded-shoulder posture and shoulder impingement over time.

It’s a low-load, high-rep exercise by design. The point is control and full range of motion, not heavy weight, so keep the load light enough to execute the external rotation cleanly on every rep.

Add it after your main pulling work, such as lat pulldown or a barbell bent-over row, on pull day, since it works well as posture-focused accessory volume rather than a primary lift.

Muscles Worked by the Face Pull

The face pull trains the rear deltoids and the external rotators of the rotator cuff as prime movers, with the mid and upper back, including the rhomboids and lower traps, working hard to draw the shoulder blades together.

  • Primary: rear deltoids, infraspinatus and teres minor (external rotators of the rotator cuff)
  • Secondary: rhomboids, mid and lower trapezius
  • Stabilizers: upper traps, core, and the scapular stabilizers that keep the shoulder blades pulled back and down through the rep[1][2]

This combination is why the face pull is prescribed so often for shoulder health: it directly loads the muscles that pressing and pulling with rounded shoulders tend to leave undertrained.

Face Pull Alternatives

If a cable machine isn’t available, or you want to rotate accessory work, these substitutes hit the same rear-delt and rotator cuff pattern:

  • Band pull-apart: anchor a light resistance band at chest height and pull it apart in front of you; the closest bodyweight-equipment substitute for the face pull’s horizontal pull and scapular squeeze.
  • Reverse pec deck fly: a machine variation that isolates the rear delts with a fixed, controlled path, useful if cable height is inconsistent at your gym.
  • Cable row: heavier and more back-dominant, but the rear delts still work hard as secondary movers, so it’s a reasonable substitute when programming volume rather than isolation.
  • Barbell bent-over row: trades isolation for load, building the same rear-delt and upper-back musculature at higher weights.[1][2]
  • Seated row: a supported alternative that keeps tension on the rear delts and upper back without the standing balance demand.

References

  1. National Strength and Conditioning Association. Anaerobic and Muscle Endurance Development: Lifting Guidelines. National Strength and Conditioning Association (2017)Back to claim
  2. Brad S Currier, Alysha C D'Souza, Maria A Fiatarone Singh, Caroline V Lowisz, Eric S Rawson, Brad J Schoenfeld, Abbie E Smith-Ryan, Jeremy P Steen, Gwendolyn A Thomas, N Travis Triplett, Tyrone A Washington, Timothy J Werner, Stuart M Phillips. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2026)Back to claim
  3. Deborah Riebe, Barry A Franklin, Paul D Thompson, Carol E Garber, George P Whitfield, Melissa Magal, Linda S Pescatello. Updating ACSM's Recommendations for Exercise Preparticipation Health Screening. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2015)

See our exercise methodology for how this evidence is applied and its limits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscle does a face pull work?
The face pull primarily works the rear deltoids and the muscles of the rotator cuff responsible for external rotation, along with the mid and upper back as secondary movers. These are muscles that chronically undertrained relative to the front and side delts in most pushing-focused programs, which makes the face pull a valuable posture and shoulder-health exercise.
Is face pulling effective?
Yes, the face pull is effective for training the rear delts and rotator cuff, muscles most pressing-heavy programs neglect, which can help correct rounded-shoulder posture and reduce the risk of shoulder impingement over time. It is a low-load, high-rep accessory exercise, not a primary strength builder, so its value comes from consistency rather than heavy weight.
Is face pull for back or shoulders?
The face pull trains both, though it leans more toward the shoulders. It directly targets the rear deltoids and rotator cuff, which are part of the shoulder complex, while also engaging the upper back and rhomboids as the shoulder blades pull together, making it a useful accessory for shoulder health and upper-back posture alike.
How do I know if I'm doing face pulls correctly?
You are doing face pulls correctly if the rope finishes near your ears rather than your chest, you rotate your hands outward at the end range so your knuckles point behind you, and your torso stays upright instead of leaning back to help pull the weight. If you cannot control the external rotation, the load is too heavy.
Are you supposed to lean back on face pulls?
No, you should keep your torso upright and stationary during face pulls. Leaning back to help pull the rope is a sign the weight is too heavy, and it shifts effort away from the rear delts and rotator cuff onto momentum, losing the isolation effect that makes the face pull useful in the first place.
What is a good alternative to the face pull?
The best face pull alternatives are band pull-aparts, reverse pec deck flys, and the cable row, since all three train the rear delts and upper back through a similar horizontal pulling pattern. If you don't have a cable machine, a resistance band anchored at face height reproduces the same external-rotation finish that makes the face pull effective.