Face Pull
In short
The face pull trains your rear delts, with your back and shoulders helping. You need a cable station, and do 12 to 20 reps per set. Mitta rates it B.
At a glance
- Main muscle
- Rear delts
- Also works
- Back and shoulders
- Equipment
- Cable
- Rep range in Mitta
- 12 to 20 reps
- Skill level
- Beginner
- How tiring
- Low
- Weight step in Mitta
- 2.5 kg
How to do it
- Cable at eye level.
- Pull to your forehead, elbows high.
- Rotate your hands outward.
Pick a weight you can lift for 12 to 20 reps with good form, and stop each set with a few reps left in the tank.
Why rating B
Good rear-delt and rotator cuff exercise, but no hypertrophy data and often performed trap-dominant.
Mitta rates every exercise from S to C, based on research where it exists and on how the exercise loads the muscle. When Mitta builds your plan it picks from S, A and B exercises and prefers ones that load the muscle at long length. C exercises are never picked automatically, but you can still choose them yourself.
Alternatives
These train the same muscle. Use one if you lack the equipment, if this exercise does not feel right, or for some variety.
- Reverse Pec Deck · Machine · rating S
- Cable Reverse Fly · Cable · rating A
- Rear Delt Row · Dumbbell · rating B
Keep learning
- What is progressive overload, and how do you do it?
- How many sets per muscle per week?
- What is RIR, and how do you estimate it?
- One-rep max calculator: your max from any hard set of the face pull.
Let Mitta set the weight.
Mitta plans the face pull with a weight and rep target for every set, worked out from your last sessions.
Questions about the
face pull
What muscles does the face pull work?
The face pull mainly trains your rear delts. Your back and shoulders help.
How many reps of the face pull should I do?
Mitta plans the face pull at 12 to 20 reps per set. Most sets should end with only a few reps left in the tank.
What can I do instead of the face pull?
Good alternatives that train the same muscle are the reverse pec deck, cable reverse fly and rear delt row.
Is the face pull good for beginners?
Yes. It is easy to learn, so it suits people who are new to lifting.
Why does the face pull have rating B?
Good rear-delt and rotator cuff exercise, but no hypertrophy data and often performed trap-dominant.