Banded Face Pull
The band face pull is a rear-shoulder and upper-back exercise in which you pull a resistance band, anchored at about face height, towards your forehead with your elbows high and wide. It works the rear shoulders and the middle and upper-back muscles that pull the shoulder blades together, and it is a common warm-up or high-rep accessory when no cable machine is available.
Also called: Face Pull (resistance band), Resistance Band Face Pull, Band Face Pull, Band Rear Delt Pull · Equipment: band · Pattern: pull
Step by step
- Fix the band to a solid anchor at about face height, such as a rack upright or a door anchor, and check it for nicks or wear first.
- Hold one end of the band in each hand with your palms facing down, then step back until the band is taut with your arms straight in front of you.
- Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart, knees soft, ribs down and shoulders drawn away from your ears.
- Pull the band towards your forehead, leading with your elbows and keeping them high and out to the sides.
- Finish with your hands beside your ears and your elbows level with or slightly above your shoulders, then squeeze your shoulder blades together for a moment.
- Return your arms under control until they are straight again, keeping tension in the band.
- After the last rep, walk towards the anchor to slacken the band before letting go.
- Pull towards your forehead, elbows high
- Elbows wide and level with your shoulders
- Hands finish beside your ears
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together
- Ribs down, torso still
- Control the band back to straight arms
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Posterior deltoid | Prime mover | C |
| Trapezius: middle | Prime mover | C |
| Trapezius: lower | Secondary | C |
| Rhomboids | Secondary | D |
| Rotator cuff: infraspinatus / teres minor | Secondary | C |
| Trapezius: upper | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Shrugging towards the ears
Fix: Draw your shoulders down before each pull and keep your neck long.
Elbows dropping to the sides
Fix: Keep your elbows high and wide, level with your shoulders.
Leaning back to finish the rep
Fix: Stand tall with ribs down and let only your arms and shoulder blades move.
Letting the band snap back
Fix: Take two seconds to return to straight arms, keeping the band taut.
Poking the head forward
Fix: Keep your chin tucked and bring the band to your face, not your face to the band.
What the research says
Rehab & prehab · first choiceGeneral fitness · first choiceEndurance · first choiceMuscle growthSport performance
- Bands and strength — A meta-analysis of eight trials found training with elastic bands produced strength gains similar to training with weight machines and dumbbells. It measured strength only, not muscle size.
- Load and effort — Research finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure, although very light loads have produced less growth.
- Rep ranges — Band face pulls are commonly done for 15–25 reps, with a thicker band or a step further from the anchor once the top of the range comes easily.
- Volume — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns. There is no research specific to the band face pull.
- Placement — Many lifters use band face pulls as a warm-up before pressing or as a high-rep finisher at the end of an upper-body session.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the banded face pull in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.