Strength form guide
How to Do Face Pulls for Better Posture and Shoulders
Cable and band set-ups, step-by-step cues, an easy-to-hard progression and a simple 4-week plan for the back of your shoulders and upper back.
TL;DR
- Set a rope or band at about face height, pull it towards your forehead with your hands splitting apart and elbows high, pause, then return slowly.
- Face pulls train your rear shoulders, upper back and the small muscles that turn your arms outwards.
- Go light. Most beginners do best with 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 smooth reps and a one-second pause at the end of each one.
- They may help your shoulders feel more open, but no single exercise fixes posture. Moving often through the day matters too.
- A few sets after your pushing work, two or three times a week, fit easily around running.
12-15
reps per set, with a weight light enough to pause on every rep
1 sec
pause with your hands beside your ears before you return
2+
days a week of muscle-strengthening activity, as the UK Chief Medical Officers recommend
To do face pulls, set a cable rope or resistance band at about face height, hold it with your thumbs pointing back towards you, and pull it towards your forehead, spreading your hands apart so they finish beside your ears with your elbows high. Pause for a second, then let the rope or band return slowly. Face pulls are one of the most popular ways to strengthen the back of your shoulders and upper back, muscles that often get far less work than your chest and the front of your shoulders.
What muscles do face pulls work?
The main target is your rear deltoids, the back part of your shoulder muscles. Your middle and lower trapezius and rhomboids, the muscles between your shoulder blades, pull your shoulder blades back and together. At the end of the move, as your hands spread past your ears, the small rotator cuff muscles at the back of the shoulder (infraspinatus and teres minor) help turn your upper arms outwards.
That mix is why many coaches use face pulls to balance out pushing. Push-ups, bench press and overhead pressing all train the front of your body, and a day spent leaning towards a laptop does little for your upper back either. If you already do the bent-over row, face pulls add a higher pulling angle and that outward turn of the arms, which rows do not train much.
Do face pulls really improve posture?
Maybe a little, but be wary of anyone promising a fix. Reviews of the research suggest that strengthening work for the upper back and shoulders may help reduce rounded shoulders and a forward head position, but most of the studies are small and researchers say better evidence is still needed. There is little research on face pulls on their own, so treat any claim that one exercise will change how you stand with caution.
Many physiotherapists also now say there is no single perfect posture, and that staying in any one position for hours tends to matter more than its exact shape. So treat face pulls as one useful part of the picture, alongside moving often. If you sit for long stretches, our 5-minute mobility routine for desk workers is a quick way to break them up.
What do you need for face pulls, a cable or a band?
Either works. In the gym, use a cable machine with the rope attachment. A longer rope, or two short ropes on one clip, gives your hands more room to spread. At home, a light or medium loop band anchored at about face height does the same job. Loop it around a sturdy rack upright or post, or use a door anchor in a closed door that opens away from you, and check the anchor before every set.
| Cable face pull | Band face pull | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Gym cable station with a rope | Home, park or gym, anywhere with a safe anchor |
| How it feels | Smooth, even resistance through the whole rep | Gets harder as the band stretches, so the finish feels toughest |
| How to progress | Small jumps in weight | Step further back, or use a stronger band |
| Best for | Tracking progress week to week | Warm-ups, home sessions and travel |
How do you do a cable face pull step by step?
- Set up. Put the pulley at about forehead height or slightly above, clip on the rope and pick a light weight.
- Grip. Hold one end of the rope in each hand, palms facing each other or slightly down, with your thumbs pointing back towards you.
- Step back. Walk back until your arms are straight in front of you and the weight lifts off the stack. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart or in a small split stance, knees soft.
- Brace. Ribs down, a gentle squeeze through your stomach, and shoulders relaxed away from your ears.
- Pull. Lead with your elbows and pull the rope towards your forehead or eyes, spreading your hands apart as it comes in. Keep your elbows at about shoulder height or a touch higher.
- Turn and pause. Finish with your hands beside your ears, knuckles pointing up, a bit like a double biceps pose. Hold for one second and feel your shoulder blades squeeze together.
- Return. Take two to three seconds to let your arms straighten under control. That is one rep.
Breathe out as you pull and in as you return. Keep your head still: the rope comes to your face, not your face to the rope. Face pulls should feel like work in the back of your shoulders and upper back, never a pinch in the joint. If something pinches, go lighter or stop, and see a physio if it keeps happening.
How do you do face pulls with a resistance band?
The movement is the same. Anchor a light band at about face height, hold one side of the loop in each hand with your thumbs towards you, and step back until there is light tension with your arms straight. Pull towards your forehead, spread your hands until they sit beside your ears, pause, then return slowly. Because a band gets harder the more it stretches, step closer to the anchor if you cannot reach the full finish, or further away to make it harder.
What is the best face pull progression for beginners?
Think of it as a ladder, from easier to harder. Climb it at your own pace.
- Rung 1: Band pull-apart. Light band, arms straight at chest height. Learn to squeeze your shoulder blades without shrugging.
- Rung 2: Light band face pull. Standing, band at face height. Focus on the hands-by-ears finish.
- Rung 3: Light cable face pull. The lightest weight on the stack, with a two-second return.
- Rung 4: Paused cable face pull. A one-second hold at the finish and a three-second return.
- Rung 5: Half-kneeling face pull. Kneel on one knee with the pulley lowered to match your face height. You cannot lean back or use your legs, so it is harder than it looks.
- Rung 6: Heavier or longer sets. Small jumps in weight, or build to 3 sets of 20 at the same weight, with no change in form.
Move up a rung when you can do 3 sets of 15 smooth reps with a clean pause on every one.
What are the most common face pull mistakes, and how do you fix them?
| Common mistake | What it looks like | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Going too heavy | Leaning back and yanking the rope | Drop the weight until you can pause on every rep |
| Pulling too low | The rope ends at your chin or chest, more like a row | Aim at your forehead or eyes, with the pulley at forehead height |
| Elbows dropping | Elbows sink below shoulder height | Think elbows high and wide, and lead with them |
| Shrugging | Shoulders creep up towards your ears | Set your shoulders down before each rep and go lighter |
| Skipping the turn | Hands stay together in front of your face | Spread the rope and finish with your hands beside your ears |
| Head poking forward | Your chin reaches towards the rope | Keep a long neck with your chin slightly tucked |
| Arching your lower back | Ribs flare and hips push forward | Brace, go lighter, or switch to half-kneeling |
How many sets and reps of face pulls should beginners do?
For most beginners, 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps, two or three times a week, is plenty. Face pulls work fairly small muscles, so many coaches favour light loads and higher reps. Rest 45 to 60 seconds between sets and finish each set with two or three good reps left. Once every set hits 15 clean, paused reps, add the smallest weight jump or a slightly stronger band and drop back to 12. The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days a week, so a few sets of face pulls in each strength session keep your upper back covered.
What does a 4-week face pull plan look like?
Follow this two or three times a week with a day in between. Warm up with arm circles and a set of light band pull-aparts first.
| Week | Face pull set-up | Sets and reps | Pair it with | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Light band or the lightest cable weight | 2 x 12 | Incline push-ups, 3 x 8 to 10 | Hands finish beside your ears |
| Week 2 | Same as week 1 | 3 x 12 | Bent-over row or band row, 3 x 10 | One-second pause at the finish |
| Week 3 | Same, or one small step up if week 2 felt easy | 3 x 12 to 15 | Overhead press, 3 x 8 to 10 | Three-second return |
| Week 4 | Same as week 3 | 3 x 15 | Plank, 3 x 30 seconds | Film one set side-on and check your elbows |
How do face pulls fit a hybrid week with running?
Face pulls barely tire your legs, so they slot into almost any week. Add 2 to 3 sets near the end of your upper-body or full-body strength sessions, ideally after pushing work like push-ups or the overhead press. Because the load is light, you can also do a couple of band sets before or after an easy run without affecting your legs.
- Monday: easy run, then 2 sets of band face pulls.
- Tuesday: full-body strength, with face pulls after your pressing.
- Wednesday: rest or mobility.
- Thursday: HIIT or a quality run session.
- Friday: upper-body strength with rows, presses and face pulls.
- Weekend: a long easy run and a rest day.
If you would rather not juggle it yourself, Edge treats running, strength and HIIT as one plan, so your upper-body work sits around your key runs rather than on top of them, and you can message a real coach about your form.
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This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.
