The face pull is one of the best exercises you can do for healthier shoulders, better posture, and stronger rear delts — but only if you do it the right way.
While training with my good friend Dr. Andrew Huberman, I got the chance to show him proper form on the face pull.
That said; most people turn the face pull into a simple pulling exercise and miss the most important part: external rotation. The goal isn’t just to pull the rope toward your face. The goal is to finish in that “biceps flex” position, with your hands wide, thumbs pointing back behind you, and your shoulders rotating outward.
That’s why rope setup matters. If the rope is too short, you won’t have enough room to get your arms out wide enough to reach that true externally rotated position. By using two ropes, you create the width needed to pull back, open up, and actually train the rotator cuff the way the exercise is meant to.
Think of it this way: thumbs toward your belly button equals internal rotation. Thumbs pointing away and behind you equals external rotation. On every rep, pull to face level, open the hands, rotate back, and hold that finish position.
Do the face pull this way and you’ll stop just moving weight — and start building stronger, more resilient shoulders.
For more tips on how to build muscle and strengthen your rotator cuff, be sure to stay tuned to this channel and remember to subscribe so that you never miss another video from a physical therapist with a pro sports background as a PT and strength coach.
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Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).