Face Pull Form

Prop up your phone and RepSensei counts your face pull reps and flags some visible issues, right on your device. Video never leaves your phone.

How to do it

1. Set a cable pulley at about face height and attach a rope.
2. Grip the rope with palms facing in or down, thumbs towards you, and step back until your arms are straight.
3. Stand tall with a staggered or hip-width stance and a slight lean back.
4. Pull the rope towards your face, splitting the ends apart so your hands finish beside your ears.
5. Keep your elbows high, at or above shoulder height, and rotate your hands back at the end.
6. Return slowly to straight arms without letting the stack pull you forward.

Coaching cues

Pull the rope apart

Separating the ends lets your hands travel past your face and works the rear shoulders through a full range.

Elbows high

Elbows at shoulder height keep the work on the rear shoulders, not the lats.

Show your biceps

Finishing like a double-biceps pose adds rotation that works the small shoulder muscles.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Going too heavy

Heavy weight forces a lean and turns it into a row using the back and arms. Fix: Pick a weight you can hold at the end position for a second.

Elbows dropping

Low elbows shift the effort to the lats and biceps. Fix: Keep elbows level with or above your shoulders.

Pulley too low

A low pulley makes it a high row and hides the rotation. Fix: Set the pulley at forehead to nose height.

Shrugging

The upper traps take over and the neck tenses. Fix: Keep your shoulders down and neck long.

Leaning back to finish

Using body weight to move the stack skips the target muscles. Fix: Stay tall and still; only the arms move.

Muscles worked

Main: Shoulders, Traps. Also: Biceps, Forearms, Lats.

Who should take care

Face pulls are usually easy on the joints with light weight. If you get shoulder pain during the movement, stop and see a physiotherapist.

Variations

• Band Pull Apart: Home option: a light band with no cable needed.
• Reverse Flyes: Alternative: rear shoulder work with dumbbells.
• Cable Rear Delt Fly: Alternative: straight-arm rear shoulder work on cables.
• Reverse Machine Flyes: Easier: a guided path on the pec deck machine.

Filming your face pull

Film side-on at shoulder height, about two metres away, so it can see your elbows relative to your shoulders. You can track it with the RepSensei camera, which counts reps and can flag some visible issues from one angle; it cannot see everything. See how to film your form.

Questions

How heavy should face pulls be?

Light enough to pause at the end position. This is a small muscle exercise, so 12 to 20 reps works well.

Do face pulls fix posture?

They strengthen the upper back and rear shoulders, which many people like for balance. Posture depends on many things, so no single exercise fixes it.

Overhand or underhand grip?

Thumbs towards you with palms facing in or down is common. Use what lets you keep the elbows high.

See the Face Pull exercise guide with a 3D figure.

More form guides

• Overhead Press form
• Barbell Row form
• Lateral Raise form

General guidance, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts. The camera can miss things, so no issue seen doesn't mean perfect form.