How to Correctly Do the Face Pull Exercise
Face pulls are a fantastic exercise to incorporate into your workout routine BUT only when done correctly. I see people doing this exercise wrong so often. And for good reason because there are countless tutorials online showing you the wrong way to do this exercise. When done incorrectly, this exercise can lead to injury.
First off, I’ve seen people do this exercise on a cable machine using a bar. This limits the amount of shoulder external rotation you can achieve which doesn’t allow you to gain the full benefits of the exercise. Instead, it is best to use the rope attachments. I find that using two ropes and grasping one in each hand is ideal as it provides enough length for most people to achieve sufficient external rotation at the shoulders.
Next, make sure to position the machine appropriately. The best way to set up the machine is to position it so that you will be pulling from high to low. This allows for more natural shoulder movement into external rotation and increased thoracic (mid-back) extension. If the machine is set where you are pulling from low to high, this places undue stress on the external rotators of the shoulder and can lead to injury. It also places you…
