Face Pulls Exercise: The Best Way To Get A Perfect Shoulder
Face pulls exercise and rounded shoulders, what is the relationship? Read this article to find out more.
More...
Figure 1: rounded shoulders
Rounded shoulders usually come as a result of too much slouching. If you have a poor upper body posture, then the probability of you developing health problems like Kyphosis is extremely high.
Interestingly, most people fail to realize that some of their day to day activities cause poor upper body posture. Most commonly, too much desk work where you are hunched on the computer all day 5 days a week could result in a poor upper body posture. Additionally, a poor workout routine with poor exercise techniques could also lead to the above problem.
Some people, especially men, work out to develop a muscular and wider upper body; this tends to overdevelop the chest area and as a result, weakens the back muscles thus leading to a misaligned body posture.
Here Is How Everything Happens
When you focus on the wrong exercises that only work on your chest and partake in tasks that require long hours of sprawling, you tend to injure the rotator cuff muscles. The ‘rotator cuffs’ are the group of muscles responsible for the stability and mobility of the shoulder joint.
When you keep on doing things that encourage rounded shoulders, the rhomboid and trapezius (the upper back muscles) tend to lengthen and weaken. The posterior deltoids which are also responsible for keeping the shoulders pulled also weaken in this case.
When the deltoids weaken, the chest muscles also shorten therefore pulling on the shoulder joint which eventually prevents your shoulders from maintaining a healthy range of motion, thus rounded shoulders.
How To Correct Rounded Shoulders
First of all, you need to stop paying attention to how aesthetically pleasing your upper body muscles should be; this is the reason why many tend to focus on the wrong type of exercises that work out a particular muscle group and weaken the other. Concentrate more on having a balanced workout routine with exercise techniques that work all your upper body muscles. Avoid too many pressing movements and if you must do them, incorporate some pulls like the face pulls exercise to balance things out.
Face Pulls will help to work out your deltoids better than any other exercise would. It is a great exercise for correcting rounded shoulders and strengthening the back muscles. Additionally, face pulls also improve your overall physical strength, increase your mobility and loosen overly done chest muscles.
How To Perform Face Pulls
Face pulls like every other exercise needs to be performed correctly to achieve the desired results. Here is a simple guide on how to do this exercise;
Step 1
First of all, you will need an adjustable cable pulley. Adjust the cable pulley at heads height and stand slightly at arm’s length away from the pulley.
Step 2
Next, you will need to grasp both ends of the cable or rope with a firm grip. For the grips, there are various forms of grip, but for face pulls, pronated grip and the neutral grip are the best as they allow you to keep the rope level to the face. This brings out a maximum face pull effect.
Step 3
Once you have both ends of the ropes in your hands, step back with your arms completely straightened out. While doing this ensure that you maintain a split stance where one foot is put forward while bending your knees slightly for more stability.Note that in this step, your shoulders should be kept back and your shoulder blades squeezed together. You should also put your chest out.
Step 4
Figure 2: face pulls
Pull the rope towards your face while maintaining the height at forehead level. When pulling, both your hands should be on the sides of your head, if not then you are not the exercise correctly. Also, you should pull the ropes with your hands as much apart as possible to enable scapular retraction.
Step 5
Hold the pull position for a while before pulling back to starting position. Remember, that everything needs to be done in slow motion. Additionally, all movements need to be controlled and hold the face pull position for maximum effect.
Things To Consider When Doing Face Pulls Exercise
Like it is stated above, all movements should be in slow motion and controlled
- When pulling, ensure that you pull the rope towards your face/head and not your head/face towards the rope
- Try to keep your hands as much apart as possible
- Your elbow and wrist should be in line with your shoulders, and not below, this is the correct form of the pull
- Be reasonable with the weight you load. Remember that this is not a weight lifting exercise but a face pull. So load an amount of weight you are sure you can pull, it should not be too heavy nor too light, just moderate
At first sight, face pulls might seem like an easy exercise to perform but in real sense, if you are not in good form then the exercise might prove to be a hard task. Additionally, doing face pulls the wrong way might give you contrary results so be careful when following the guide.
Conclusion
When it comes to the upper body, everything should be in good form; well built and toned muscles, a straight back with well-postured shoulders. When you have such an upper body, you not only look aesthetically pleasing but also are more confident and happy with yourself. Additionally, you keep yourself safe from constant backaches and other back related problems.
Remember, that rounded shoulders come around due to what you do daily like poor exercise and maintaining a poor body posture throughout the day. In short, putting too much stress on your back and not relieving it at the end of the day will do your back more harm than good. To be on the safe side and to look good, create a proper workout routine with the right form of exercises, eat well, and most importantly, maintain the correct posture by standing straight, sitting upright and making sure that your shoulders are pulled back.
Most importantly, let face pulls exercise be a part of your exercise routine as it will ensure that your upper body is worked sufficiently and satisfactorily.
