Cable Lying Face Pull

Description

How to Do Cable Lying Face Pull

1. 1
   Setup

   Position a flat bench perpendicular to a cable machine. Set the cable pulley to chest height or slightly above when lying on the bench.

2. 2
   Setup

   Lie supine on the bench with your head close to the cable machine, feet flat on the floor for stability. Grab the rope attachment with an overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder-width, palms facing each other.

3. 3

   Initiate the pull by retracting your shoulder blades, then externally rotating your shoulders to pull the rope towards your face, aiming for your forehead or ears.

4. 4

   Squeeze your rear deltoids and upper back muscles at the peak contraction, ensuring your elbows are flared out and high.

5. 5

   Slowly and controllably extend your arms back to the starting position, maintaining tension in your shoulders and resisting the weight.

Tips

• Focus on initiating the movement by squeezing your shoulder blades together before pulling with your arms to maximize upper back engagement.
• Maintain a neutral spine throughout the exercise; avoid arching your lower back as you pull the weight.
• Keep your elbows high and wide, aiming to pull the rope ends past your ears to ensure full external rotation and rear delt activation.
• Adjust the cable height to find the sweet spot where you feel the best contraction in your rear deltoids and traps, often slightly above shoulder height.

Common Mistakes

• ×Using too much weight often leads to shrugging the shoulders or using momentum, so lighten the load and focus on controlled shoulder blade retraction.
• ×Allowing elbows to drop low reduces rear delt and external rotator activation; keep elbows elevated and flared out throughout the pull to target these muscles effectively.
• ×Pulling with only your biceps instead of your rear delts and upper back means you're missing the target; consciously think about pulling with your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades.