For rear-delt growth
For rear-delt growth, face pull rates higher on our research criteria: easier to progress.
Incline Y-raise gives more stretch.
Both are good choices, and they train the rear delts differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
For swimming, incline Y-raise rates higher on our research criteria: easier to learn and fit in.
For climbing, incline Y-raise rates higher on our research criteria: easier to learn and fit in.
For rear-delt growth, face pull rates higher on our research criteria: easier to progress. Incline Y-raise gives more stretch. Both are good choices, and they train the rear delts differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
Face pull needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Incline Y-raise needs dumbbells and a bench, so a home gym covers it.
About the same: both rate Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.