However, heavy presses do not stimulate the rear deltoids directly. Overhead presses are generally considered the best movement for building strength and muscle mass in the shoulders. Depending on the form, including the angle of pull, the grip and the amount of external rotation, you may feel face pulls very strongly in the side deltoids as well as the rear delts. Almost every gym has a cable pulley machine, but if you don't have access to this equipment, you can also do this exercise with a resistance band.īodybuilders use this exercise to sculpt their rear deltoids while getting some extra upper back work at the same time. To perform the rope face pull, you need a high cable pulley machine, or ideally a fully adjustable cable pulley machine (so you can adjust the height of the pulley as you prefer). If you want to train the exercise more frequently, you can even do your face pulls on shoulder day and back day, as long as they're not done two days in a row. But because face pulls are a pulling exercise, some people prefer to do it on back day (or "pull" day). Most people consider rope face pulls a shoulder (deltoid) exercise, primarily rear deltoid, though the side deltoids work more than most people realize, especially when you do the variation with external rotation.Īs such, rope face pulls are usually done on shoulder day (and you call it a rear delt exercise). The biceps and elbow flexors are assisting muscles, but face pulls are not a direct arm exercise.įace pulls also strengthen the rotator cuff muscles (teres minor, supraspinatus, subscapularis, inrfraspinatus), especially when you change your form so your thumbs are up and you externally rotate your arms (see video demo below). Muscles in the upper back, especially the mid trapezius and rhomboids are also activated. Like all pulling movements, the rope face pull hits multiple muscles, but the exercise is used most often by physique athletes for developing the rear deltoids. Rounding out your routine with accessory exercises like face pulls can solve these problems. While overhead presses usually get more attention and publicity as superior strength and size builders, if presses are the only shoulder exercise you do, you'll never develop every section of your deltoids completely, and you may actually expose yourself to higher injury risk. The cable face pull with a rope is one of the most widely recommended exercises for all types of resistance training goals because it has so many benefits with so little risk.
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