Bodybuilding Wizard

    Subscribe to Updates

    Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates from our team.

    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout Review
    • Crazy Nutrition 100% Tri-Protein Review
    • Hilarious video: Woman complaining about gaining weight
    • Labrada Elasti-Joint Review: The First Choice for Joint Health
    • High Calorie Fruits for Weight Gain and Muscle Building
    • 8 Signs Of Protein Deficiency
    • 10 Vegan Pre-Workout Meals For Energy and Motivation
    • Why The Number On The Scale Doesn’t Matter?
    RSS Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Pinterest Instagram
    Bodybuilding Wizard
    Subscribe
    • Home
    • Training
      • Weight training basics
      • Advanced bodybuilding
      • Workout programs
      • Home weight training programs
      • Cardio workout
      • Bodybuilding glossary
      • Exercise equipment
      • Weight training accessories
      • Weight lifting injuries
    • Exercises
      • Chest exercises
        • Middle chest exercises
        • Upper chest exercises
        • Lower chest exercises
      • Back exercises
        • Middle back (latissimus dorsi)
        • Upper back (trapezius)
        • Lower back (erector spinae)
      • Bicep exercises
      • Tricep exercises
      • Shoulder exercises
        • Front deltoid
        • Side deltoid
        • Rear deltoid
        • Rotator Cuff
      • Neck strengthening exercises
      • Quadricep exercises
      • Hamstring exercises
      • Calf exercises
      • Tibialis anterior exercises
      • Abdominal exercises
        • Upper abdominal exercises
        • Lower abdominal exercise
        • Oblique exercises
      • Core exercises
      • Forearm exercises
      • Glute & Hip exercises
      • Kettlebell exercises
      • Foam rolling & Stretching
      • Explosive (dynamic) lifts
    • Motivation
      • Videos
        • Motivational videos
        • Funny workout videos
      • Pictures
      • Quotes
      • Funny Fitness
      • Transformations
    • Diet
    • Supplements
    • Anatomy
    • FAQ
    • Forums
    Login
    Bodybuilding Wizard
    You are at:Home»Exercises»Back exercises»Upper back (trapezius)»Cable Face Pull Exercise Guide

    Cable Face Pull Exercise Guide

    0
    By krunoslav on March 4, 2017 Upper back (trapezius)
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Tumblr WhatsApp

    Cable Face Pull Exercise Guide

    Cable face pulls improve posture and help build muscles in the upper back, especially your trapezius, rear (posterior)  deltoids, and rotator cuff. Training these muscles not only helps you break through plateaus in almost every upper-body lift but also keeps your shoulders balanced and injuries at bay. To perform cable face pulls you will need the cable machine and the rope. You can do this trapezius exercise standing or seated.

    Face Pull Exercise Instructions

    Follow these guidelines to ensure safe exercise technique. Cable face pull is a very safe exercise but only if performed properly.

    Standing Face Pulls

    STARTING POSITION (SETUP): Setup your pulley so that ti is about chest height or a little bit lower. You don’t want to be pulling from to high. Attach the rope handle to the pulley machine, and grab the ends with your palms either facing down (overhand grip) or up (underhand grip). Both grip positions will be effective.

    cable face pull
    cable face pull

    MOVEMENT (ACTION): With your head facing forward and still, pull the center of the rope attachment towards the center of your face, keeping your palms down and elbows up. As you pull the rope make sure that your elbows are always higher that your wrists. While pulling, imagine that you’re also trying to pull the rope apart. This will enable scapular retraction. Hold this contraction for a second and think about squeezing the back of the deltoid muscles and upper back muscles. In other words, really squeeze your shoulder blades at the end of the movement while keeping your elbows higher that your wrists. Pause for a second and then return the weight to the starting position.

    Seated Face Pulls

    STARTING POSITION (SETUP): Sit on the bench with your feet against the supports, knees slightly bent, and torso upright. You want your abs tight and your neck and head aligned with your torso. Your arms should be fully extended in front with tension on the cable.

    seated rope face pulls
    seated rope face pulls

    MOVEMENT (ACTION): Lift your elbows and bend them as you pull the rope towards your neck (chin) while squeezing your shoulder blades together behind you. As already mentioned in the standing variation, imagine that you’re also trying to pull the rope apart while pulling. Hold the contracted position for a second or two, then come back slowly to the starting position.

    Additional Tips & Key Points

    Some helpful hints (key elements to consider) on how to perform rope cable face pulls safely and effectively.

    • Keep your back as straight as possible and your chest sticking out.
    • When you get to the top of the movement, your forearms should be angled slightly upward and your elbows should be held out away from your sides.
    • Use just enough weight that allows you to perform three of four sets of 8 to 12 smooth reps.
    • Avoid jerking and focus on performing one continuous and fluid movement.
    • Do not allow your elbows to drop down below your shoulders.
    • Either keep your elbows and wrists in line with your shoulders or, preferably, as you pull the rope make sure that your elbows are always higher that your wrists. That’s why you should attach the rope at about chest level or a little bit lower. If you attach the rope on a higher level you will not be able to keep your elbow higher that your palms.
    • Squeeze your shoulder blades as you pull the rope towards your face.
    • Keep your head straight and stable. Avoid pushing your head towards the rope. Instead, pull the ropes towards your head.

    Exercise Variations

    For this exercise you can use many different pieces of equipment, but ideally, face pulls are performed with a pulley machine with the fulcrum at upper-chest height. You can use rope  or dual handles (triangle attachment for cable row).

    Muscles Engaged

    Exercises that employ the vertical plane of motion (such as shrugs or upright rows) primarily hit the upper traps, while the lower (and middle) traps need to be trained with movement patterns that are more in the horizontal plane (like with the face pulls).

    Muscles engaged while performing cable face pull: trapezius (lower and middle portion), posterior (rear) deltoid, rotator cuff, biceps, forearms

    Replacement Exercises

    Trapezius is best engaged using vertical and horizontal pulling exercises. While cable face pull employ the horizontal plane of motion, exercises such as shoulder shrugs and upright rows employ the vertical plane of motion.

    Both shoulder shrugs and upright rows work your trapezius, but upright rows also work your shoulders. So while upright rows work more muscles, the shrug allows you to work a solitary muscle harder, as you can use far more weight when performing shrugs. For best results, combine both exercises in your exercise program.

    Closing Thoughts

    Since there are many muscles and more than one joint being worked during a face pull exercise, this is considered a compound movement. Compound exercises are truly beneficial for building muscle and burning fat. Improving scapular movement and increasing trap strength are the two most important reasons why we recommend cable face pulls to anyone who’s looking to grow bigger and healthier traps. Finally, this trapezius exercise will improve your posture. As you probably already know, posture is important for a number of reasons – from proper digestion to spine health. That’s why adding face pulls to your routine is very beneficial for your overall health.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email WhatsApp
    krunoslav
    • Twitter

    Hey! My name is Kruno, and I'm the owner and author of Bodybuilding Wizard. I started this website back in late 2014, and it has been my pet project ever since. My goal is to help you learn proper weight training and nutrition principles so that you can get strong and build the physique of your dreams!

    Related Posts

    Hex Bar Shrugs

    Smith Machine Shrug

    Machine shrug

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    WE ARE SOCIAL
    • Facebook 181
    • Twitter 474
    • YouTube 97
    • Instagram
    RECENT POSTS
    8.8
    May 14, 2022

    Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout Review

    9.0
    May 11, 2022

    Crazy Nutrition 100% Tri-Protein Review

    May 8, 2022

    Hilarious video: Woman complaining about gaining weight

    9.0
    May 7, 2022

    Labrada Elasti-Joint Review: The First Choice for Joint Health

    May 1, 2022

    High Calorie Fruits for Weight Gain and Muscle Building

    RECENT COMMENTS
    • Justin Dew on Designing your own home gym
    • krunoslav on Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?
    • Christina on Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?
    • jack on Types Of Whey Protein
    • igtropin on Stiff-Leg Deadlift Technique
    LATEST GALLERIES

    Subscribe to Updates

    Join our mailing list to receive the latest updates from our team.

    ABOUT
    ABOUT

    We are a group of bodybuilding enthusiasts and this is our effort to have all the details about bodybuilding at a single website. Bodybuilding Wizard will make your dream body your reality.

    We're social, connect with us:

    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest YouTube
    POPULAR POSTS
    April 2, 2014

    Lying Leg Curl Exercise Guide

    February 18, 2019

    Meet Your Muscles: How muscles are named?

    March 30, 2014

    Workout Frequency

    BODYBUILDING WIZARD
    Bodybuilding Wizard Footer Logo
    Copyright © 2014-2021 BodybuildingWizard. All rights reserved. Powered by WordPress.
    • About
    • Privacy
    • Contact
    • Terms of Use
    • Friends
    • Advertising

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Sign In or Register

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below.

    Lost password?