Targeted Muscles: Traps, Rear Delts, Rhomboids

Equipment: Face Pull Machine

No of Reps: 12-15 per Set

However, huma body has different muscles group and every part of the body plays a dominant role. Strengthening of muscles is so important in order to stay fit. Similarly, traps and other major muscles of the shoulder gains significance for athletes and normal persons. Strong shoulders will allow to perform daily activities easily and leaves a good impact over other joints. In this brief article, we will come to find general information about face pull and discuss some face pull alternatives.

 Face Pulls

Face pull is one of the best and effective shoulder exercise that will require you to use a pulley machine. If you are targeting your upper body then don’t forget to include this in your routine. Initially, you will find this hard to perform as it needs a lot of power to pull the ropes. But with the regular use, it may become a part of your fitness.

Not only your traps and delts will attain attention but your arms and biceps will also be the resultant.  To perform face pulls, you must go to the fitness centers or gyms as the machine is available in the common gymnasium.

Benefits of Face Pulls

There are multiple benefits of this particular exercise and some of them are listed below:

Muscular Strength: Face pulls are very beneficial for development of muscles. Cable pulls put a lot of pressure on different muscles simultaneously and empowers them accordingly.

Boosts Functionality: However, proper pulls will make muscles functional and let your shoulder joints bear pressure. Making your muscles functional will let you perform domestic or official activities effectively.

Injury Prevention: Face pulls is not an easy exercise but it does not require to lift weights. Instead, you need to pull weights that will make this exercise highly convenient for fitness lover.

Flexibility and Stability: This significant workout is best for making your shoulder’s shape and provide flexibility between muscles. However, you will also feel stable while carrying this workout.

Better Posturing: this exercise requires you to stand and pull the cables in front of the face. But proper form is crucial for maximize output and it also offers best posturing.

How to Perform

To perform face pulls, you need to consider some of the following steps discussed below:

• Stand straight in front of the cable with face towards the ropes.
• Grab the ropes firmly with inward palms directing towards the rope points. Make sure to extend the arms by taking some steps back.
• Now make a slight bend in the knees and back for around 20 degrees (estimated roughly).
• Its time to pull the ropes close to your face. Ensure not to stretch the shoulders and don’t drive the elbows forward.
• Reverse the movement and perform it at a slow pace according to your capacity.

Performing it with perfect technique will give you crucial benefits and its important to carry this with proper way. To avoid injuries and pains in the joints, you must follow above mentioned steps and avoid a few mistakes.

Face Pull Alternatives

There are many exercises that are designed particularly for the shoulders. But some of the most familiar exercises that can be suitable face pull alternatives are as follows:

1. Band Face Pulls

Band Face Pulls are one of the prime face pull alternatives just because of its similar targeted muscle group. Instead of using ropes, you will bring band in use and pull it towards your face. Your delts and rhomboids will gain strength but make sure to have full range of motion. Start with the same things as you do in the face pulls and perform it on a slow pace.

Moreover, you can build stability and grow muscles with this simple exercise. But proper posturing is all above to gain maximum results. However, you should avoid some common mistakes including band slacking, overweight, and too much momentum.

2. Reverse Pec Desk

Considering Reverse Pec Desk as face pull alternatives will not be a bad option. It is just because this exercise is special for strengthening the upper back and shoulder muscles. This machine-based exercise will activate your delts and traps while seated. Proper adjustment of the machine and feasible sitting approach are most crucial things to consider.

Start with low weight to let the muscles boost up. When you will become familiar with it, start weighting much accordingly. Avoid some common mistakes life sitting too low, using extra retraction, overweighting, etc. to gain most benefits.

3. Band Pull Apart

Band Pull Apart is one of the dedicated exercise for your upper back and shoulders. You can consider this as face pull alternatives if you want to take rest from machines. This simple to perform exercise will require to make use of resistance bands only for the activation of muscles. With this workout, you can increase shoulder stability and make ready these muscles for heavy exercises.

Like other exercises, you must learn proper technique and perform it with extreme care to avoid injuries. Make sure to choose weight that is accessible with the body and make slow movements. Don’t shrug the shoulders too much and avoid stretching it in a forward direction to avoid pain in the joints.

Related Article: 6 Suitable Alternatives to Preacher Curls

4. Seated Dumbbell Press

Seated Dumbbell Press gains significance as top most exercises for shoulder muscles. To build stability I the upper body and activate shoulder muscles rapidly, dumbbell press is an important workout. All you need is to hold the dumbbells tight and raise them over the shoulder one after another.

Make proper contraction of the deltoids when you approach the peak point and try to perform it slowly. Don’t make a bend in the lower back otherwise it will become painful and contraction of the muscles may not possible. A slight bend in the elbow is required but make sure not to lock the elbow angle.

5. Cable Reverse Flys

Cable Reverse Flys is one of the most favorable shoulder exercise as it targets deltoids, rotator cuffs, and traps. In the list of face pull alternatives, this workout has a special position as it is also a machine-based exercise. You will feel a slight difference in this workout as the procedure of implementation is quite similar to face pulls.

You will start by standing in the middle of the machine and make sure to perform with proper form. Keep your shoulders engaged and target the right muscles while pulling the cables. Elbow movement is recommended but ensure that arms will remain stable. Excessive momentum in the movement will bring too much stress on the lower back and it will cause pain during exercise.

Bottom Lines

Face pull is one of the comprehensive and dominating exercises for your shoulders and upper back. But lack of machine or improper techniques, it becomes tough to perform. Therefore, we must have some other shoulder exercises in mind to make our shoulder day best. Therefore, this article contains some face pull alternatives to consider and work for the shoulder muscle growth.