Anchored Band Face Pull

How to perform it

1. 1Preparation and positioning. Inspect the anchor, stand or half-kneel facing it, and establish a stable base. Grip both sides symmetrically and remove slack without being pulled forward.
2. 2Start position. Hands are forward at shoulder-to-eye level, elbows soft, ribs stacked, and neck long. The band line stays clear of the face.
3. 3Concentric phase. Pull the hands toward the temples/upper cheeks while elbows travel outward and slightly back in the scapular plane. Allow controlled scapular retraction; do not initiate by thrusting the chin forward or arching the back.
4. 4End position. Finish only at a painless, symmetrical position where hands are beside—not behind—the head and shoulder blades are controlled. There is no requirement to maximally squeeze, retract, or externally rotate.
5. 5Return phase. Extend arms forward over 2–3 seconds while keeping the shoulder girdle organised and the band from snapping toward the anchor.
6. 6Breathing and bracing. Breathe continuously; use enough trunk tension to resist being pulled forward, not a breath hold or lumbar extension.
7. 7Valid repetition. Anchor height, elbow path, hand target, and head/rib position remain consistent; no rearward step, hip drive, shrug, or band-to-face collision occurs.

Common mistakes

• Pulling to the chin with elbows low

  Fix: "Hands toward temples; elbows travel in your shoulder plane."

• Head-forward finish

  Fix: "Keep back of neck long; let hands come to you."

• Back arch or hip drive

  Fix: "Ribs over pelvis; pull without moving your feet."

• Forced end rotation

  Fix: "Stop at the last equal, quiet position."

Safety

• Anchor a loop or two-handled band around upper-chest to eye height. Use a stable stance with sufficient distance to create light pre-tension in the arms-forward start. This record defines the face pull as a controlled pull toward the upper face: elbows travel in the scapular plane, hands separate to either side of the face, and the finish has no painful forced external rotation, cervical extension, or lumbar arch. The band must never cross the eyes or neck.
• Prerequisites: the athlete can keep the ribs and head still while both shoulders move symmetrically, can hold the band securely without wrist pain, and can reach the selected end position without symptoms or loss of scapular control. This is a coordination requirement, not a claim that every athlete needs a 90/90 shoulder position.
• Manual_review when the athlete has a known shoulder restriction that excludes the intended elevation/external-rotation range. This is not the first choice if the anchor cannot hold eye-level tension safely, visual tracking is impaired, or an asymmetrical neck/shoulder strategy persists despite a regression.

Progressions & alternatives

• regressionStanding Band Row— simplifies the hand target and external-rotation demand
• regressionBand Pull-Apart— reduces anchored vector and elbow-flexion coordination
• progressionFace Pull with External Rotation at a Defined End Position— only if a separately defined, symptom-free rotation finish is needed for the goal
• alternativeCable Face Pull— use where a stack gives safer, finer, and more reproducible loading