Band Face Pulls

Muscles worked

Shoulders

Primary muscle

Rear delt

Equipment

Resistance band

Movement pattern

Pull

Difficulty

Beginner

What it is for

Hypertrophy

Watch the full tutorial

• Anchoring the band too low. If the band comes up from the waist, the pull travels upward and the upper traps take the work. Hook it at eye level or a little higher.
• Starting with the band slack. The first inches of the range load nothing and only the second half works. Step away from the anchor until the band is taut with the arms straight, before the first rep.
• Pulling toward the chest with the elbows down. That turns it into a row and the work shifts to the lats, with the rear deltoid almost out. The elbows travel at shoulder height and the hands finish beside the ears.
• Finishing the rep without rotating the shoulders. If the hands reach the face with the knuckles forward, the external rotators stay out and the best part is lost. At the end, turn the forearms until the hands point up.

Which muscles does the band face pull work?

The rear deltoid pulls the elbows back, and the infraspinatus and teres minor rotate the shoulders outward as the hands pass beside the ears. The middle and lower traps and the rhomboids squeeze and lower the shoulder blades at the end. With a band, resistance rises right in that final position, so the external rotators and the mid-back get the peak of tension. The abs stop the band from pulling you forward.

Band or cable face pull: when should you choose each?

The band is the option for warming up the shoulders before pressing, for slotting sets between press exercises and for training at home: it anchors anywhere and its rising resistance loads the final part, where the external rotators come in. The cable with a rope keeps tension even from the start and progresses plate by plate, so it is the better tool when the face pull is a main exercise of the back or shoulder day.

How many reps of band face pulls should you do, and with which band?

As a warm-up, 2 sets of 15 to 20 reps with a light band, nowhere near failure. As a session exercise, 3 sets of 15 to 20 with a band that leaves 1 to 3 reps in reserve and a one-second pause with the hands beside the ears. Choose the band by the finish: if you cannot rotate the shoulders outward and separate the hands at the end, it is too stiff.

Where should you anchor the band, and what if there is nowhere to hook it?

Anchor the band at eye level or slightly above, on a rack or door anchor, and step back until it is taut with the arms straight. Grip the ends with the palms facing each other and pull toward the eyes with the elbows at shoulder height. If there is nowhere to hook it, hold the band with both hands at chest height and pull them apart until it touches the sternum: that is the pull-apart, which works the same muscles.