

Always start lower than you might think as the emphasis will be on slow, controlled movements. Set the appropriate weight resistance for the cable pulley. Set the anchor high, slightly above head height so that you will be pulling from high to low. Secure rope attachment to cable pully with dual handles
#Face pulls with rope how to
Our step-by-step guide on how to perform face pulls helps to ensure the correct form for face pulls, allowing you to slowly but surely strengthen the powerhouse muscle groups in your shoulders, upper body and core. To perform this exercise, stability and posture is key. To perform the standard face pull, follow the steps below. Heavy duty resistance bands can be used (see variations) but the preferred option is a cable pulley machine. Similarly, face pulls could be done using resistance bands, or other personal training equipment. The adjustable height and ability to hold the rope in different grips also means there are actually many different ways of doing face pulls and lots of variations you can try. The adjustable height on cable machines means they allow you to do all sorts of exercises, from tricep pushdowns, to face pulls. The rope allows you to grip with both hands and pull the cable weight towards you. The exercise usually involves using a gym rope that attaches to the cable machine. It also requires good stability so uses core stabilizing muscles to keep you balanced during the movement. What are Face Pulls?įace pulls is a term used to describe the movement of pulling a gym cable rope towards your face, which engages the backs of your shoulders, traps and back. Whatever your fitness goals, it’s likely face pulls can help. It’s a great exercise for combatting bad posture and depending on the weight/reps you do, face pulls can help to build explosive power and strength, or be used to tone and sculpt your upper back. As a bonus, all of this applies perfectly to triceps rope pressdowns too.Face pulls are an upper body exercise that require core strength whilst isolating specific muscles in your shoulders and upper back. In short, it won't take as much weight to get the same result due to your "utilization of space" within your range of motion.

Intentionally trying to "spread the ropes" on each rep requires a lifter to create outward (lateral) force at the same time he creates resistance against a horizontal force angle.īecause of this, it proves much more challenging for the target muscles (kind of the same way squatting with banded knees works). Now you've instantly got a double-sized rope to do your pulls.Īnother benefit comes in the form of physics. Put two sets of ropes on one carabiner and pull them long. Since they usually attach to a carabiner, a smart move would be to instantly increase the length of the ropes by doubling them up. Ropes come in varying lengths, but many gyms feature ropes that are fairly short. The same problem exists for big guys with tight shoulders, pecs, or triceps. This difference can hinder how much rotation they can achieve at the shoulder joint, compared to what they could achieve if given the opportunity for a wider grip. Guys with longer arms who use a standard rope will be at a much smaller (more acute) elbow angle when compared to shorter-armed guys at the end point of each rep. Since a face pull starts in internal rotation and finishes at or above forehead level, its purpose is to exploit not only the scapular retractor muscles, but also to exploit a rotary component of the shoulder, dominated mainly by the rear deltoid. If you're tall with long arms, or if you're very muscular, you may have trouble doing face pulls.
