Exercise of the Week: Resistance Band Face Pull
Luke Lewitzke
Certified A.C.E. (American Counsel on Exercise) Personal Trainer
Weight and Lifestyle Management Specialist
Performing the Resistance Band Face Pull
- Attach the band to something sturdy at about chin height.
- Keeping the shoulders relaxed, brace the core, and slowly pull the hands towards your shoulders while you externally rotate the hands up towards the ears to form a W.
- The elbows should be slightly below shoulder height and hands should be about mouth/nose height, so that you get a little shoulder depression and muscle recruitment down below the shoulder blades.
- Make sure to keep the wrists straight. Don’t let them collapse forward from the resistance from the band.
- Perform up to 10 face pulls and then rest for roughly 30-60 seconds before repeating.
Regressions
Prone Body Weight Shoulder “W”
- Lie on your stomach on the floor with your arms forming a ‘W’ and palms facing the floor.
- Slowly lift your arms up off the floor.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades and contract the muscle just below the shoulder blade.
- Make sure that your shoulders stay down away from your ears and that your neck stays neutral as you look down at the floor.
- Hold this position for 3 seconds and then return to the starting position.
- Perform 10-15 repetitions.
Contraindications
- If you have pain in your shoulder when externally rotating it, it is recommended that you don’t perform the Face Pull exercise.
- If you experience fatigue in your Upper Trapezius (top of shoulders) muscle and/or neck, that is an indication that you are elevating (shrugging) your shoulders and need to lower your elbows and hands so that you feel more muscle recruitment between the shoulder blades and just slightly below the shoulder blades.
- You should not perform the Resistance Band Face Pull if you experience any tingling or numbness in the arms when performing the exercise.