Tip One Exercise for Posture & Shoulder Health Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip One Exercise for Posture & Shoulder Health Many experienced lifters have added the face-pull to their training plan but here' s a challenging variation most haven' t tried by Andrew Heming November 28, 2018April 1, 2022 Tags Back, Shoulders, Tips, Training The Bodyweight Face-Pull You can do these with suspension straps (rings, TRX, etc.) or from a rope draped over bar in the squat rack or Smith machine. Initiate the movement by pulling your shoulder blades back. Let your arms externally rotate so you finish with your hands by your temples. Keep a rhythmic feel to your reps and maintain the mind-muscle connection with your upper back. Modify this as needed by moving your feet back so your body is more vertical. The more vertical you are, the easier it'll get. Why Do Them Face-pulls target the smaller, weaker muscles of your upper back: mid traps, rhomboids, posterior deltoids and external rotators. When these muscles are strong, they improve your posture, your shoulder health, and your bench press performance. Remember, pulling your shoulders back makes your chest look bigger! Built lats are known for creating the coveted V-taper. However, they're also internal rotators. If they overpower your upper back, they'll pull you into poor posture. Face-pulls reduce lat involvement so you can hammer your upper back. The straps are easy to set-up. Because you're not diverting attention to standing (as you would with traditional face-pulls), you get better upper back isolation. Most lifters tend to go too easy on these with bands or cables. While this is far from a max-effort exercise, you don't want to waste your time coasting through the exercise. When you have to lift your own body, you'll naturally work harder as your survival mechanism kicks in (i.e. you inherently want to avoid crashing to the floor). Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Tip The World s Hardest Curl Workout Shock your biceps into growing with this brutally effective, plateau-busting workout. Training Dan North August 2 Training Tip Nail the Back Lever Here s How The full-body tension and bracing you'll get from this exercise will improve just about every lift you do. Here's how to master it. Training TJ Kuster December 2 Training The Suicide Grip Dangerous or Smart A thumbless grip is scary to lifters who don't know how to do it, but it can be used safely. In fact, it's better for your shoulders. Here's why. Bodybuilding, Powerlifting & Strength, Training Dr John Rusin October 25 Training 10 Ways to Squat What s Best For You Everyone should squat. Not everyone should do the same kind of squat. Here are the best variations for YOUR body type and goal. Training Christian Thibaudeau April 5