Face pull
Facing a band anchored at face height, the elbows pull back high and wide as the hands draw toward the ears and the shoulder blades squeeze: NASM's intermediate face pull, which loaded the rear deltoid about as much as a bent-over lateral raise and more than a row.
Shoulder blades family
Face pull
DemandMedium
Equipment requiredA band
Muscle focusShoulders · Back
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Source-researched guide. Clinical review is pending.
How to move
- Stand tall facing a band or rope anchored at face height, an end in each hand, the arms long toward it.
- Pull the elbows back high and wide, drawing the hands toward the ears as the forearms turn up.
- Squeeze the shoulder blades, then let the arms return slowly.
Form cues
- Keep the ribs down; don't lean back.
- Lead with the elbows.
Practice and cautions
No universal dose is assigned. Choose a manageable amount for your current capacity, leave room for controlled repetitions, and allow recovery. A clinician’s individual plan takes priority.
Check the band or cable attachment before you load it, and keep a firm grip on both ends. A band that slips at full stretch snaps back towards your face. This is movement education, not an assessment or treatment prescription. Stop for sharp or increasing pain, dizziness, numbness or tingling; seek individual guidance for symptoms, injury or restrictions.
Sources and review status
Sources support the educational description; they do not establish that this exercise is suitable for you.
- NASM · Face pull (intermediate; the rear deltoid, rhomboids and middle trapezius) ↗
- Zhu 2025 · Posterior deltoid loading modelled (the face pull and the bent-over lateral raise alike, both above the bent-over row; Acta Bioeng Biomech) ↗
- ACE · High row with a rope (intermediate) ↗
- Free Exercise DB · alias and muscle metadata ↗
Unlicense · Free Exercise DB contributors; derived from wrkout/exercises.json. Text import; no photographs or media. · Revision f00c92c7dcf1216a928a52c3706c7ce8e2f71ed5
No variation is labeled clinically validated.
What it works
Muscles
Anatomy: Deltoid, Rotator cuff, Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Subscapularis, Teres minor.
Equipment
A band
Level
Intermediate. See the easier and harder options above.
Workouts that use it
- Back workout (gym) · 45 min
- Shoulder workout · 40 min
- Upper body gym workout B · 50 min
- Upper body workout at home · 30 min
- Pull day workout · 55 min
- Bench press technique workout · 30 min
- Climbers' antagonist and shoulder workout · 30 min
- Overhead press technique workout · 30 min
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- Strength workout for martial arts: hips, grip, neck and shoulders · 45 min
- Throwing arm strength workout · 35 min
- Strength workout for American football: power, legs, upper body, hamstrings and neck · 55 min
- Bodybuilding upper-body workout: chest, back, shoulders and arms · 60 min
- Strength workout for lacrosse: power, legs, hamstrings, groins and rotation · 50 min
- Aerial conditioning workout: pull-ups, hangs, inversions, shoulders, grip and landings for silks, hoop and trapeze · 50 min
- Resistance band workout B: rows, push-ups, split squats and hip hinges · 35 min
- Shoulder workout at home: presses, lateral raises and rear-shoulder work · 30 min
- Back workout at home: dumbbells, a band and an optional bar · 40 min
- Shoulders and arms workout: presses, raises, curls and extensions (gym) · 45 min
- Bench press strength workout: heavy sets, close-grip presses and the upper back · 60 min
- Landmine workout: presses, rows and rotations with one barbell · 40 min
- Handstand push-up progression: pike push-ups to the wall · 30 min
- Cable shoulder workout: presses, lateral raises and rear-shoulder work on one cable station · 35 min
- Machine shoulder workout: the shoulder press machine, lateral raises and rear-shoulder work · 35 min
- V taper workout: lats, side shoulders and rear shoulders (gym) · 45 min
Pain guides that use it
Part of a staged plan, with when to get help first.
- Tech neck: what really helps desk and phone neck pain
- Pinched nerve in the neck (cervical radiculopathy): exercises and what to expect
- Shoulder pain: exercises that help, and when to get it checked
- Shoulder impingement and rotator cuff pain: the exercises that help, and what surgery trials found
- Rotator cuff tear: exercises without surgery, and when a tear needs a surgeon
- Upper back pain: exercises, and the signs it isn't your back
- Thoracic outlet syndrome: exercises, the warning signs, and when surgery helps
- AC joint injury and pain: a separated shoulder, AC joint arthritis and weightlifter's shoulder
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- SLAP tear: why most don't need surgery, exercises that help, and getting back to throwing
- Winged scapula: why a shoulder blade sticks out, the nerve causes to rule out, and exercises that help
- Calcific tendonitis of the shoulder: the painful phase, what helps, and whether you need barbotage
- Exercises after a broken collarbone: the sling, the recovery stages and getting back to sport
- Scheuermann's disease (Scheuermann's kyphosis): a stiff, rounded upper back in teenagers, and what helps
- Stingers and burners: a burning, dead arm after a tackle, when it's an emergency, and playing again
- Shoulder pain when bench pressing: what's likely, what to change and how to build back
- Upper back and shoulder pain when cycling: reach, bar height, the shoulder blades and what helps
- Shoulder pain when swimming (swimmer's shoulder): what to change in the pool and how to build back
- Shoulder pain at night: lying on your side, the rotator cuff, frozen shoulder and how to sleep
- Shoulder pain when lifting your arm: the painful arc, rotator cuff, frozen shoulder and what helps
- Upper back pain from sitting: the desk, the screen, posture, breaks and what helps
- Pain under the shoulder blade: the muscles, neck, ribs and shoulder, and causes that aren't the back
- Collarbone pain: a break, the AC and SC joints, the muscles, glands above it, and how to build back
- Back of shoulder pain: the rotator cuff, the joint, the neck, a trapped nerve and how to build back
- Neck and shoulder pain: the neck, a trapped nerve or the shoulder, desk and sleep, and the heart
- Shoulder pain after a workout: soreness or injury, the lifts behind it, and training again
- Arm pain at night: numb hands, the shoulder, elbow and neck, how to sleep, and the signs to check
- Shoulder pain in pregnancy: posture, the neck, sleeping on your side, and ectopic and other signs
- Upper back pain in men: desk work, lifting and the gym, ankylosing spondylitis, and heart signs
- Shoulder pain when reaching behind your back: the rotator cuff, frozen shoulder, the front, dressing
- Neck pain when looking down: phones and screens, the muscles and joints, nerve pain and what helps
- Upper back pain when lifting your arm: the shoulder blade, the rotator cuff, the neck and what helps
- Shoulder pain when doing overhead presses: the rotator cuff, the AC joint, grip and what helps
- Shoulder pain when doing lateral raises: the rotator cuff, height, angle, thumbs and what helps
- Shoulder pain when doing dips: the front of the shoulder, depth, the AC joint and what helps
- Shoulder pain on the lat pulldown: the front of the shoulder, behind the neck, grip and what helps
- Shoulder pain when doing rows: the front of the shoulder, seated, cable and bent-over rows, grip, elbows and what helps
- Shoulder pain when squatting: the low-bar position, the elbows and wrists, mobility and swaps
- Shoulder pain when doing upright rows: the pinch at the top, grip width, elbow height and swaps
- Neck pain when bench pressing: the traps, your head on the bench, straining, the set-up and swaps
- Shoulder pain when doing bicep curls: the biceps tendon, swinging, elbows drifting and swaps
- Upper back pain when bench pressing: between the shoulder blades, the set-up, rib joints and swaps
- Shoulder pain on the chest fly: the front of the shoulder, the pec tendon, depth and the pec deck
- Neck pain when doing shrugs: the upper traps, your head, rolling, heavy loads, headaches and swaps
- Neck pain when deadlifting: head position, the upper traps, straining and headaches, and swaps
- Shoulder pain when deadlifting: the shoulder blades, a mixed grip and the biceps tendon, and swaps
- Neck pain when doing rows: shrugging, the upper traps, your head, upright and inverted rows, swaps
- Shoulder pain when doing face pulls: the rotator cuff, pulley height, elbows, neck and what helps
- Shoulder pain on the rowing machine: the front of the shoulder, shoulder blade, grip and the damper
- Shoulder pain from tennis: the serve, rotator cuff, labrum, racket and strings, and what helps
- Shoulder pain from pickleball: overheads, the rotator cuff, a stiff shoulder, falls and what helps
- Shoulder pain when driving: steering, the seatbelt, the rotator cuff, slings and after surgery
- Shoulder pain after shovelling: rotator cuff, throwing snow, a fall on ice, the heart and what helps
- Shoulder pain after painting: walls, ceilings, holding a roller up, the rotator cuff and what helps
- Shoulder pain from surfing (surfer's shoulder): paddling, pop-ups, wipeouts, the neck and what helps
- Shoulder pain from volleyball: spiking and serving, the rotator cuff, the labrum and what helps
Guides that use it
- Pilates for rounded shoulders guide
- Shoulder joint guide
- Upper back guide
- Chest guide
- Sitting posture guide
- Forward head posture guide
- Rounded shoulders guide
- Uneven shoulders guide
Show all 75 guidesShow fewer guides
- Military neck guide
- How to build muscle guide
- How to bench press guide
- How to overhead press guide
- Face pulls guide
- Lateral raises guide
- Chest flys guide
- How to get wider shoulders guide
- How to get a bigger back guide
- Increase your bench press guide
- Shrugs guide
- Arnold press guide
- Upright rows guide
- Incline bench press guide
- T-bar rows guide
- Reverse flys guide
- Dumbbell rows guide
- Close-grip bench press guide
- Inverted rows guide
- Pec deck guide
- Cable crossovers guide
- Kettlebell snatch guide
- Kettlebell press guide
- Landmine press guide
- Push press guide
- Pendlay rows guide
- Decline bench press guide
- Pike push-ups guide
- Decline push-ups guide
- Battle ropes guide
- Chest-supported rows guide
- Landmine rows guide
- Band pull-aparts guide
- External rotations guide
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- Kettlebell halos guide
- Kettlebell high pulls guide
- Wall angels guide
- Y-T-W raises guide
- Handstand push-ups guide
- Cuban press guide
- Kettlebell rows guide
- Chest press machine guide
- Dumbbell bench press guide
- Squeeze press guide
- Cable lateral raises guide
- Assisted pull-ups guide
- Shoulder press machine guide
- Seated row machine guide
- Dumbbell shoulder press guide
- Negative pull-ups guide
- Overhead carry guide
- Bigger traps guide
- How to lose back fat guide
- How to bulk up guide
- How to get a V taper guide
- Muscle imbalances guide
- Build muscle at home guide
- Strengthen your shoulders guide
- Strengthen your rotator cuff guide
- Climbing guide
- Boxing guide
- Rugby guide
- American football guide
- Bodybuilding guide
- Lacrosse guide
- Aerial arts guide
Similar moves
3D demoBand pull-apartIntermediate · A band
3D demoIncline bench pull (45-degree incline row)Intermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoSeated band pull-down (from shoulder height)Beginner · A band + An anchor point + A bench or box
3D demoBack leverExpert · Pull-up bar
3D demoBent-over reverse flyIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoBent-over cable rear raiseIntermediate · A cable machineBrowse more
Questions people ask
What muscles does the Face pull work?
Mainly the shoulders and back.
What equipment do I need for the Face pull?
A band.
Is the Face pull good for beginners?
It is graded intermediate. If it is too hard right now, start with the Prone Y-T-W raises.
What is an easier alternative to the Face pull?
Try the Prone Y-T-W raises or the Wall angel. Both are written steps in the same progression.
How do I make the Face pull harder?
Progress to the Tuck back lever or the Barbell rear-delt row. Follow that guide’s technique and any stated timing.