Face Pulls: The Underrated Exercise That Can Transform Your Upper Body

When it comes to building a balanced, injury-resistant upper body, few exercises rival the face pull. Whether you’re a seasoned lifter or just starting out, adding face pulls to your routine can improve posture, shoulder health, and upper-back development in ways that pressing movements alone can’t touch.

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What Are Face Pulls?

A face pull is a cable or resistance band exercise that involves pulling a rope attachment toward your face, usually at eye level. The movement emphasizes external rotation of the shoulders and retraction of the scapulae, making it a powerful tool for developing key postural muscles.

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Muscles Worked in Face Pulls

One of the most common questions is: what muscles do face pulls work? The exercise primarily targets:

• Rear deltoids (back of the shoulders)

• Rhomboids (between your shoulder blades)

• Trapezius, especially the mid and lower traps

• Rotator cuff muscles, particularly the infraspinatus and teres minor

Together, these muscles are responsible for pulling your shoulders back, rotating your arms outward, and stabilizing your upper back. This makes face pulls an ideal remedy for forward-slouched posture caused by too much time at desks or on phones.

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What Do Face Pulls Do?

Face pulls are often misunderstood. Some assume they’re just another shoulder movement, but they serve several unique purposes:

• Correct muscular imbalances from overtraining the chest and front delts

• Improve shoulder mobility and health by strengthening the rotator cuff

• Enhance posture by training the muscles that retract and stabilize the scapula

• Support pressing strength by improving shoulder joint alignment

This makes face pulls not just a "bodybuilding" move, but a corrective exercise that belongs in both athletic and rehabilitation settings.

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Rope, Cable, or Bands: Which Version is Best?

Each variation of the face pull has its place:

• Cable face pulls are most common in gyms, offering consistent tension throughout the range of motion.

• Band face pulls are great for home workouts or as warm-ups due to their versatility.

• Rope face pulls allow for a greater range of motion and natural rotation, making them especially effective.

Regardless of the setup, form is critical. You should pull the rope toward your eyes or forehead, flare your elbows out, and externally rotate your arms so your hands finish higher than your elbows. Avoid letting your shoulders shrug or your lower back arch.

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Personal Experience: The Posture Fix I Didn’t Know I Needed

I started incorporating face pulls into my workouts years ago after dealing with nagging shoulder discomfort and worsening posture from too much bench pressing. Within a few weeks of adding them 3 times a week—usually at the end of upper-body workouts—I noticed major improvements. My shoulders sat more naturally, my upper back felt stronger, and I no longer felt “crunched forward.” It wasn’t a flashy transformation, but it changed how I moved and lifted in every other exercise.

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How to Program Face Pulls

If you’re new to face pulls, start light and focus on technique:

• Reps: 12–15

• Sets: 3–4

• Frequency: 2–4 times per week

• Load: Moderate weight that allows full range without momentum

You can use face pulls as a warm-up, a finisher, or even a dedicated postural movement on rest days. For lifters doing a lot of pressing, they’re one of the best insurance policies you can buy for long-term shoulder health.

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Final Thoughts

So, what do face pulls work? In short: they hit the muscles your other lifts probably miss. Rear delts, rotator cuff, rhomboids, and traps—all essential for a strong, balanced upper body. Don’t let their simplicity fool you. Master the movement, stay consistent, and you’ll feel the difference in everything from your bench press to your posture walking down the street.