Shoulders that last a school year

Face Pull

Rope to your face. Elbows high. Pause. This is not a max-out. This is how your pressing stays available in April.

Hunter: I throw these in when I have pressed a lot. Light stack. Strict. If I have to lean, I dropped the pin.

Cues

Set the cable around face height.
Grab the rope ends. Step back so the stack is floating.
Pull to your face. Elbows stay high, like a goal post.
Externally rotate at the end: knuckles toward the wall behind you.
Return slow. Do not let the stack dump.

Setup

You need a rope and a cable. If the rope is gone, two handles work. Light weight. 12-15 reps. This is not the lift you load to impress anyone walking by.

Why it is on a lift-cues week

Beginners copy bench and skip the stuff that keeps shoulders durable. Face pulls are boring on purpose. Three sets at the end. Log them so they actually happen next session.

Band version at home

Loop a band at face height. Same cues. Log it as a band face pull if that is what you did. Do not call it a cable set.

Common misses

Turning it into an upright row with a shrug. Using so much stack that you have to jump. Pulling to your belt. If it does not finish near your face, it is a different row.

FAQ

How heavy?

Light enough that the last reps still rotate. If you cannot pause, it is too heavy.

Log face pulls in the free Vitality Engine. Accessory work counts when it has a number.

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