Cable Seated Rope Face Pull
Seated rope face pull that removes body English and isolates the rear delts and upper back.
How to do it
- Set the pulley above head height and attach a rope, then sit on the floor facing the cable stack with your legs extended in front of you.
- Grab the rope with palms facing each other, arms extended in front at eye level with tension on the cable.
- Sit tall with your heels on the floor, brace your core and start with no slack in the cable.
- Pull the rope toward your forehead, flaring your elbows wide and high and leading with your shoulders.
- Split the rope ends apart and squeeze the rear delts and upper back hard at the end of the pull.
- Slowly return the rope to the start over 2 seconds and repeat for 12–20 reps.
Key technique cue
Torso still, pull with high, wide elbows — not to the chest or chin.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Pulling the rope to the chin or chest, which turns it into a row.
- ✕ Dropping the elbows, which swaps rear-delt work for biceps work.
- ✕ Rounding the upper back during the pull, which hides the mid-back contraction.
- ✕ Going too heavy and shrugging the traps up, which buries the rear delts under upper-trap dominance.
Benefits
- ✓ Isolates the rear delts in a locked-in seated position.
- ✓ Reinforces healthy shoulder posture for office workers and athletes.
- ✓ Strengthens the small stabilizers around the shoulder blade for joint health.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Cable Seated Rope Face Pull
- Band High Face Pull
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Step 2
About the exercise
The cable seated rope face pull is a pulling exercise from a high pulley done seated on the floor with a rope attachment. The seated position takes the lower body out and stops you from leaning or swinging, which forces the rear delts and upper back to do all the work. The rope lets the hands split apart at the end of the pull for a deeper contraction than a straight bar. It is a good inclusion in any shoulder-health work, posture-correction program or pull-day accessory block. It's a solid choice for office workers, where rear-delt strength supports better everyday posture. It is a good fit for beginners who can't yet hold a stable kneeling face pull.
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