ProgreviaFace pull: proper form, muscles worked and common mistakes
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How to do it
Rope at face height: pull toward your forehead spreading the hands and driving the elbows high and back. It trains the rear delts and rotators; go light and controlled.
Muscles worked
Main muscle: shoulders. Also worked: traps. When it plans weekly volume, the generator counts each set of this exercise as one full set for shoulders and half a set for each secondary muscle (what is known as fractional counting).
Face pull vs. front raise: two shoulder moves that pull in opposite directions
The front raise drives the arm forward and up and works the anterior head of the deltoid, the same one your bench press and overhead press already load. The face pull does the opposite: you pull toward yourself with high elbows, spread your arms and rotate the shoulders outward. That works the rear delt, the external rotators of the shoulder, the middle trapezius and the rhomboids. It isn't a movement for heavy weight; it's there to balance the pushing volume you pile up during the week. Compared with the bent-over reverse flye, the rope keeps tension through the whole path and adds the rotation.
Put it at the end of push sessions or use it as a light warm-up block, in sets of 12 to 20 reps. If you press a lot and row little, it's one of the easiest movements to forget and one of the most worthwhile. Pair it with rows rather than using it to replace them.
At the finish, your hands end up beside your ears with thumbs pointing back and elbows above your wrists. To progress, don't add weight until you can hold that end position for one second without leaning your torso back.
Technical sheet
- Movement pattern
- Isolation
- Minimum level
- Beginner
- Technical demand
- Basic
- Fatigue it generates
- Low (0.5 out of 2.2)
- Risk if technique breaks down
- Low
These are the values the generator uses to decide where the exercise goes within the session.
Recommended sets and reps
As an isolation exercise, it works best in 3–4 sets of 10–15 reps with 0–2 RIR. Use it at the end of the session to add volume without systemic fatigue.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Shrugging your shoulders up to your ears: the upper traps take over from the rear delts.
- Letting the weight stack touch down between reps: the cable loses its constant tension, which is its whole advantage.
- Using too much weight at the cost of technique and full range of motion.
What the research says
This is an isolation exercise. For beginners, adding it on top of compound lifts does not always help: in the trial by Gentil and colleagues (2013), people who only did lat pulldowns gained as much arm size as those who also did curls. It earns its place with experience, and for muscles the big lifts leave short.
On how hard to push: the meta-analysis by Refalo and colleagues (2023) found no clear advantage in going to failure over stopping just short of it. That is why the generator programs it with reps in reserve (RIR) instead of asking for failure on every set.
- Gentil P, Soares SR, Pereira MC, et al. Effect of adding single-joint exercises to a multi-joint exercise resistance-training program on strength and hypertrophy in untrained subjects. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 2013;38(3):341-344.
- Refalo MC, Helms ER, Trexler ET, Hamilton DL, Fyfe JJ. Influence of resistance training proximity-to-failure on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2023;53(3):649-665.
How Face pull compares with other shoulders exercises
Of the 15 shoulders exercises in the catalogue, ranked from least to most fatiguing by the values the generator uses, Face pull is number 4 (tied with 4 others).
That makes it a good candidate for adding shoulders sets at the end of a session or in heavy weeks, when you want volume without extra fatigue.
With different equipment, the same movement pattern offers 6 alternatives, such as Band pull-apart, Band lateral raise and Bent-over reverse flye.
| Exercise | Equipment | Fatigue | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band pull-apart | resistance band | Low (0.3 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Band lateral raise | resistance band | Low (0.4 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Bent-over reverse flye | dumbbells | Low (0.4 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Front raise | dumbbells | Low (0.5 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Lateral raise | dumbbells | Low (0.5 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Cable lateral raise | cable | Low (0.5 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Machine lateral raise | machine | Low (0.5 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Face pull | cable | Low (0.5 out of 2.2) | Basic |
An isolation exercise. In the trial by Gentil et al. (2015), with untrained young men over ten weeks, the biceps curl and the lat pulldown were equally effective for gaining strength and size in the elbow flexors: isolation is not filler.
- Gentil P, Soares S, Bottaro M. Single vs. multi-joint resistance exercises: effects on muscle strength and hypertrophy. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine. 2015;6(2):e24057.
Related guide
Deltoids: the best exercises for each head
Alternative exercises
More isolation exercises
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does Face pull work?
Face pull mainly works the shoulders muscle group, plus synergist and stabilizer muscles depending on the variation.
How many sets of Face pull should I do?
Between 3 and 5 sets per session, adjusting the total weekly volume for shoulders to your level (about 10–20 sets per muscle per week).
Does the face pull work shoulders or back?
Both. The rear deltoid and the shoulder's rotators do a large share of the work, and the upper and mid back, mainly the middle trapezius and rhomboids, helps as you bring the elbows back. That's why it fits equally well on a shoulder day or a back day.
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