Dumbbell Face Pull

How to Perform the Dumbbell Face Pull

Set an adjustable bench to a 30-45 degree incline and lie face down with your chest against the pad, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Let your arms hang straight down toward the floor with palms facing backward.
Pull the dumbbells upward and outward by driving your elbows back and externally rotating your shoulders.
At the top position, your upper arms should be roughly parallel to the floor with your forearms pointing downward.
Squeeze your rear deltoids and upper back muscles, holding briefly at the top.
Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position under control and repeat.

Using too heavy a weight and compensating with momentum

Use light to moderate dumbbells and focus on slow, controlled movements.

Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears

Keep your shoulders depressed and focus on pulling with the rear delts and upper back.

Not externally rotating at the top

Actively rotate your shoulders outward at the top to fully engage the external rotators.

✓Builds the rear deltoids and upper back muscles critical for balanced shoulder development.
✓Improves posture by strengthening the muscles that counteract forward shoulder rounding.
✓Trains the external rotators of the shoulder, supporting long-term joint health.

●Focus on leading with the elbows rather than the hands to maximize rear delt activation.
●Use a pronated or neutral grip depending on which feels more natural for your shoulders.
●This exercise is excellent as a warm-up before pressing movements.

Strength

4-5 sets of 3-5 reps at 80-90% 1RM

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 8-12 reps at 65-75% 1RM

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-20 reps at 50-60% 1RM

Join 2,000,000+ lifters tracking their workouts with Stronger. Available on iOS and Android.