Face Pulls are a great warm up exercise before a Bench Press workout or any upper body routine for that matter. You use a cable pulley machine to pull the weight toward straight toward your forehead. Exercising the rear delts will prevent muscular imbalance and build overall shoulder strength. This exercise isn’t hard to do as long as you pay attention to your form.
They are a great exercise for the rear delts, trapezious and upper back muscles. Robert Herbst, a 19 time World Champion Powerlifter and Personal Trainer once said “They help keep the shoulders squared and back so someone doesn’t get the pulled-forward look from doing too much chest and delt work. They also help build a thick upper back as a base to arch onto for a power bench press.”
Strong shoulders are critically important for everyday activities of lifting, pressing, pulling, and rotating your arms. The deltoids are the powerhouse muscle group of the shoulders—responsible for all overhead actions (putting items up on high shelves, lifting a child onto your shoulders, or even playing basketball).
Face Pull Instructions:
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.
Common Mistakes
Avoid these errors so you get the most from this exercise and prevent strain or injury.
Poor Form
If you have access to heavy-duty resistance bands, you can hang them over a high attachment point, like a pull-up bar, and mimic the movement using bands. This is good for those who are new to training the rear delts, but the bands might not provide enough resistance to challenge advanced exercisers.
If you don’t have access to a cable machine or resistance bands, you can do dumbbell exercises designed to target the rear delts, such as the rear delt dumbbell flys. It’s not a perfect replacement for face pulls, but it does target the same muscle groups.
Safety and Precautions
If you have any back or shoulder problems, talk to your doctor or physical therapist about whether this exercise is appropriate for you. If you feel any pain during the exercise, stop
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