Cable face pull

Muscles worked: Shoulders
Shoulders
🔧 cable machine 🔄 Also works with resistance band ↕ Pull 🏋️ kg × reps Difficulty:

Muscle outlines from Body Muscles by Ivan Vulović, Apache 2.0 — regrouped and recoloured for Muscle Train.

How to perform

Select the load on the cable machine. Start with no more than 20 to 25 pounds. Attach a rope in the high position of the cable machine.Grab the rope with both hands and have your thumbs facing the ceiling.With your arms straight, take a step back to lift the weight off its stack.Bring your chest out and shoulder blades back.Engage your abs, stagger your stance, and lean back slightly for balance.Take a breath and pull the rope toward your face. Pull and split the rope so your hands end up on either side of your head. Your elbows should be at shoulder level.Hold the top position for a moment, engaging your rear deltoids as best as possible.Release the rope slowly and exhale.Take another breath and repeat.

Muscles Worked

Rear DeltSide Delt
Secondary: Rhomboid, Infraspinatus, Traps

Tips

Keep your shoulders back. Don’t let your shoulders roll forward at the end of each rep. Retract them and keep them in that position throughout the set for better posture and muscle activation. Use light weight with control. Face pulls are for precision, not ego. Choose a weight that allows you to perform 15–20 controlled reps with a full range of motion. Focus on squeezing your rear delts.Don’t skip them. Face pulls are not just for aesthetics — they improve shoulder stability and posture. Train your rear delts directly to stay balanced and injury-free.

Similar exercises

Cable supine face pull Shoulders · 🔧 cable machine 1/10 Lying cable face pull Shoulders · 🔧 cable machine 1/10 Rings face pull Shoulders, Back · 🔧 Rings 3/10 Dumbbell face pull Shoulders · 🔧 Dumbbells 2/10 TRX face pull Back · 🔧 TRX 2/10 Seated face pull Shoulders · 🔧 cable machine 2/10 Resistance band face pull Back · 🔧 Resistance band 1/10
Feedback

Found a bug or have an idea?

MuscleTrain is actively being built. If something looks broken, or you have a suggestion, let us know — it really helps shape the app.