

In addition, a strong, stable shoulder girdle may help reduce your risk of shoulder pain and joint injury.įinally, hours of sitting hunched over your computer, too much chest training, and not enough pec stretching, and the irresistible pull of gravity means that many people have rounded shoulders and a hunched upper back. Being able to hold your shoulders back and still during exercises like bench presses, deadlifts, and pull-ups makes these exercises safer and more effective. The middle trapezius, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids play a crucial role in the function and stability of your shoulder girdle. As such, face pulls work your biceps in addition to the muscles of your upper back and rear shoulders. The posterior deltoids are especially active during face pulls.īiceps – as a compound pulling exercise, face pulls involve elbow flexion as well as horizontal shoulder extension and shoulder girdle retraction. The three deltoids work together to control your upper arm. Posterior deltoids – there are three deltoid muscles: anterior (front), medial (side), and rear (posterior). There are two rhomboid muscles, rhomboid major and rhomboid minor, and both are involved in face pulls. Like the mid-traps, they pull your shoulder blades back and together.

Rhomboids – the rhomboids are located under your middle trapezius and between your scapulae. The middle fibers pull your scapulae or shoulder blades back and together, which is called retraction. The upper fibers pull your shoulder girdle upward, which is a movement called elevation. The lower traps pull your shoulder girdle downward in a movement called depression. There are three sets of fibers, the alignment of which dictates their function. Middle fibers of trapezius – the trapezius is the large, diamond-shaped muscle of your upper back. Specifically, face pulls work: Face Pull Muscle Worked Instead, face pulls target the muscles that retract your shoulder girdle.

But, unlike things like lat pulldowns and seated rows, face pulls do not involve your lats. Face pulls are a compound pulling exercise.
