Exercise · form guide
Face Pulls
- Primary muscle
- Rear Delts
- Also works
- External Rotators, Mid Traps
- Equipment
- Cable Machine + Rope
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Tempo
1-2-2-0
This exercise saves shoulders. The external rotation at peak is everything — most people forget it. Hands should end up beside your ears, not your chin.
Sets & reps
General programming defaults by goal — not specific to this lift. Pick the row that matches yours.
| Goal | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4–6 | 3–5 | 8–9 | 3–5 min |
| Hypertrophy | 3–5 | 8–12 | 7–9 | 90–120 s |
| Endurance | 2–4 | 15–25 | 6–8 | 45–60 s |
Form
Cues
- Cable set at forehead height or higher
- Pull rope apart as you pull it toward face
- External rotate at peak — thumbs point behind you
- Elbows stay at or above shoulder level
- Light weight. Always. This is not an ego exercise.
Common mistakes
- Heavy weight destroys form and range
- Pulling to chin level — front delt bias
- Elbows dropping — loses rear delt isolation
Injury notes
Mandatory for rounded shoulders. Do 20–25 reps, 3x/week minimum
Progression
Volume over load. 2–3 sets of 20 reps. Add reps before weight.
Indian gym reality
Cable stations in most tier-2 and tier-3 Indian gyms sit at the back with one shared pulley — expect a queue during peak hours (7–9 am and 6–9 pm). Bring supersets or plan this lift for off-peak windows.
If your gym doesn't have this equipment
- Loop a resistance band around a fixed pole or rack — mimics the constant-tension profile of a cable.
- Use the free-weight version of the same pattern; the machine's guidance is convenience, not necessity.
Home & hostel version
Pike push-ups (feet elevated) and handstand holds against a wall scale to real overhead pressing strength.
Nutrition & recovery around this lift
Isolations recover fast — 24 hours is usually enough. You can hit the same muscle again the next day with a different exercise. For an Indian lifter, land 30–40g of protein within 90 minutes of finishing — 200g paneer, 4 whole eggs, 150g chicken, or a whey shake all work.
Frequently asked
What muscles does Face Pulls work?
Primarily Rear Delts · External Rotators · Mid Traps. Load and rep range shift the emphasis — heavy triples bias the primary mover, sets of 12+ bring more of the secondaries in.
How many sets of Face Pulls per week?
For hypertrophy, 10–20 direct working sets per week across all exercises for that muscle. This exercise usually contributes 3–8 of those sets, depending on where it sits in your program.
My Indian gym doesn't have this machine — what do I do?
See the "If your gym doesn't have this equipment" section above — every variant listed is a legitimate substitute, not a compromise.
How often should I do Face Pulls?
Most intermediates do best with 2× per week frequency on any given lift — one heavier session and one lighter, or two matched sessions with different rep ranges. Beginners can add a third if recovery holds up.
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