Face Pull
Rear DeltsCableBeginner
A shoulder-health staple that trains rear delts, upper back and posture.
Muscle worked
Rear Delts, Upper Back
Equipment
Cable, Resistance Bands
Difficulty
Beginner
Time per set
30-60s
How to perform
Step by step, every rep
01
Set cable high
Attach a rope around upper chest to face height.
02
Step back and brace
Arms straight, ribs down, shoulders relaxed.
03
Pull to the face
Drive elbows back and pull rope ends toward the sides of your face.
04
Rotate and squeeze
Finish with hands near ears, shoulder blades gently squeezed, then return slowly.
Common mistakes
Avoid these
✕
Turning it into a row
Lats take over and rear delts miss out. Fix: Pull high with elbows out, not low to the ribs.
✕
Leaning back hard
Body English replaces shoulder work. Fix: Use a lighter weight and stand still.
✕
Shrugging
Upper traps dominate. Fix: Keep shoulders down and think elbows wide.
Progressions
Scale it up or down
Make it easier
- Band face pull
- Rear delt fly
- Light cable face pull
Make it harder
- Paused face pull
- Face pull to external rotation
- High-rep finisher sets
How to program it
Sets, reps, rest
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest | Load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build Strength | 3-4 | 6-8 | 90-120s | Heavy enough to need focus, light enough to control. |
| Build Muscle | 3-4 | 8-15 | 60-90s | Moderate. Last 2 reps should burn without breaking form. |
| Build Endurance | 2-3 | 15-25 | 45-60s | Lighter. Smooth tempo and constant tension. |
Want this exercise programmed into a full plan?
Learning the form is step one. Fitting it into a plan built around your body, your equipment, your schedule and your food is what actually changes things. Fuel your sessions with enough protein using the Indian Food Database.
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