Cable Rope Face Pulls
A high-cable rope pull to the face that trains the rear delts and upper back — the go-to fix for rounded-forward shoulders.
How to do it
- Set the pulley just above eye level and attach a rope handle.
- Grab the rope with palms facing in and step back until there is tension in the starting position.
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, brace your core and lean back slightly for balance.
- Pull the rope toward your face, leading with your elbows and keeping them high and wide.
- Squeeze your rear delts and upper back hard at the end, with your ears between the rope ends.
- Return slowly to the start over 2–3 seconds, keeping your elbows up the whole way.
Key technique cue
Elbows high, pull the rope to the face — don't drop them or lean back.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Dropping the elbows, which turns the movement into a row and loses the rear-delt isolation.
- ✕ Going too heavy, which forces you to lean back and yank instead of pulling cleanly with the upper back.
- ✕ Cutting the range short and not bringing the rope all the way to the face, which limits the muscle's stretch.
- ✕ Letting the rope snap back forward with no slow lowering phase.
Benefits
- ✓ Strengthens the rear delts and upper back for healthy, resilient shoulders.
- ✓ Counteracts the rounded-forward shoulders caused by desk work and heavy pressing.
- ✓ Easy to progress in load without stressing the joints or lower back.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 -
Step 2 You are here - Cable Rope Face Pulls
- Cable Bar Face Pull
- Cable Rope Kneeling Face Pull
About the exercise
Cable Rope Face Pulls are one of the most prescribed shoulder-health exercises in modern training. By pulling a rope from a high pulley toward the face with the elbows high and wide, the lifter loads the rear delts and the small upper-back muscles that stabilize the shoulder. Light weights, high reps and constant tension are the norm. It is a staple of shoulder prehab, posture correction and warm-ups.
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