Why you should include face pulls in your workout routine

Ah, the face pull. You’ve seen it in the gym, your friends do it, and you’ve heard of it, but you might not know why it’s important or why it should be part of your resistance training regimen. Well, you’re about to find out!

The face pull is a great exercise for anyone looking to build strength, increase muscular balance, and increase scapular strength and mobility. It’s an exercise that’s gaining a lot of popularity in the fitness world thanks to Jeff Cavaliere of Athlean-X fame. But before we get into why you should be doing it, let’s talk about what it is and how to do it.

What is a face pull and how do I do one?

The face pull is a multi-joint exercise that targets the muscles of the upper back, shoulders, and upper arms. It is performed using a cable machine and a rope attachment with a handle. To perform the exercise, you start with your arms extended in front of you, pulling the rope attachment towards your face. You then flex your elbows and pull the rope attachment back towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together and bringing your hands up to your ears. Finally, you return to the starting position and repeat.

Why should I do face pulls?

So why should you include the face pull in your resistance training regimen? For starters, the face pull is great for strengthening the muscles of the upper back and shoulder, which can help to improve posture and reduce the risk of shoulder and back injuries. In addition, the face pull helps to strengthen the scapular muscles, which can help to increase shoulder stability and improve shoulder mobility.

Face pulls help build more aesthetic shoulders

Face pulls also ’round off’ the shoulders for a ‘fuller’ look, adding depth by building the often neglected rear deltoid muscle. To get that proper ‘3d’ look, or ‘cannonball’ delts as they’re often known, you don’t want to rely only on the front and mid delts. They will grow sideways, or ‘outwards’ if you like, but they’ll lack depth – that’s where the rear delts come in to round things off.

Face pulls help prevent muscular imbalance in the back and upper shoulders

The face pull also helps improve overall shoulder muscular balance. Many people spend a lot of time working their chest and front shoulder muscles, but neglect the muscles in the back and upper shoulder. This can lead to muscular imbalances, which can cause pain and injury. The face pull helps to even out these imbalances, ensuring that your body is strong and stable.

Finally, the face pull is a great exercise for anyone looking to improve their overall strength. It’s a compound exercise that targets multiple muscle groups, so it’s a great way to increase your overall upper body strength and muscle size.

Face pulls – in summary, yes, you should do them

So there you have it – the face pull is an incredibly effective exercise that should definitely be part of any resistance training regimen. Not only does it help to strengthen the muscles of the upper back and shoulders, it can also help to improve posture, reduce the risk of injury, improve shoulder stability, and improve overall strength. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start face pulling!