The Cable Rope Face Pulls is a beginner-friendly cable strength exercise that targets the shoulders. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesShoulders
Secondary muscles—
EquipmentCable
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Cable Rope Face Pulls
Set the cable to slightly above eye level and attach a rope handle at the end of the cable.
Grip the rope with palms facing inward and step back until the cable has tension in the start position.
Plant your feet shoulder-width apart and brace your core, leaning back only slightly to balance the load.
Pull the rope toward your face, leading with the elbows and keeping them high and wide.
Squeeze the rear shoulders and upper back hard at the end of the pull, ears between the rope ends.
Return slowly to the start over 2 to 3 seconds, keeping the elbows up the entire way back.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Strengthens the rear delts and upper back for healthier, more durable shoulders.
Counteracts forward shoulder posture from desk work and heavy pressing.
Easy to load progressively without straining the joints or low back.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Dropping the elbows low so the lift becomes a row, which loses the rear-delt isolation.
Going too heavy, forcing the body to lean and yank instead of pulling cleanly with the upper back.
Cutting the range short and never bringing the rope to the face, which limits the muscle stretch.
Letting the rope rip back forward and skipping the slow return, where most of the rear-delt work happens.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Cable Rope Face Pulls, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
