Face Pulls | How To Do Them Correctly | Sports Rehab Expert

Face Pulls are on the top of my list for upper back exercises to help someone have healthy shoulders, back and neck. The problem is that a lot of people do them poorly and actually irritate the shoulder or upper back when performed incorrectly. Many people choose to use bands, especially in rehab because so many physical therapy places just have bands. However, you must consider that the tension of the band increases as you get further into the movement where the hardest point of the exercise is. This means the most tension is at the highest position of difficulty. For that reason, going lighter then you'd think is a good idea when starting out using bands. Also, the resistance should never compromise form. A better alternative as you increase the load is a cable machine with the proper attachment because the resistance will be equal throughout the exercise. To keep safety on the rotator cuff and not irritate the shoulder we should also be aware of the attachment point. Which when done correctly is at about the level of your forehead. Too many people use a low attachment point which causes an awkward upright rowing moment. This almost removes the rotator cuff from the exercise and makes it more rear delt. But also places the arms in more of a internally rotated position generally. Which more times than not just irritates the shoulder when done for sets and reps. Be sure to use a thumbs back grip as this drives supination which leads to external rotation which helps...