Band High Face Pull
Band face pull from a high anchor that builds rear-delt strength and balances out heavy pressing.
How to do it
- Anchor the band just above eye level and grab both ends with your palms facing down.
- Step back until the band is taut with your arms fully extended, and stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Pull both hands toward your face, leading with your elbows and keeping them at or above shoulder height.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the pull, feeling your rear delts and mid-back engage.
- Slowly return to the start over 2–3 seconds, keeping tension on the band the whole time.
- Do 12–20 reps, prioritizing a clean squeeze over heavy band tension.
Key technique cue
Keep elbows at shoulder height or higher — pull to the face, not the chest.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Dropping the elbows below shoulder height, which turns the movement into a row and misses the rear delts.
- ✕ Pulling with the biceps instead of the elbows, leaving the upper back underloaded.
- ✕ Using a band that's too heavy so your form breaks down — light tension with clean reps beats heavy, sloppy ones.
- ✕ Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears at the end of the pull, loading the traps instead of the rear delts.
Benefits
- ✓ Strengthens the rear delts and upper back to balance out heavy pressing.
- ✓ Improves posture and shoulder-blade control after long days at a screen.
- ✓ Adds a low-impact prehab element that works anywhere with a band.
Progression: from easier to harder
-
Step 1 You are here - Band High Face Pull
- Cable Seated Rope Face Pull
-
Step 2
About the exercise
The high band face pull is one of the most underrated shoulder-health exercises in any program. By pulling the band from above eye level toward the face with the elbows held high, it directly trains the rear delts and the muscles between the shoulder blades — both of which suffer from desk work and bench pressing. It belongs in pull workouts, daily mobility blocks and any program for people who spend their day in front of a screen.
Updated
Similar exercises
A week of training and meals built for you
Workoutify plans workouts around your days, time and equipment — and a menu for your goal and macros.