Liftworthy
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Liftworthy

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

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General training information, not medical advice. If something hurts, stop and see a professional.
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Explore/Shoulders

Face Pull

CableIsolationEasy to learn
Front
Back
Primary Secondary

Works

Delts, Upper back & lats

Also traps

You need

Cable station

How to do itPictures · 3 steps
1Start
2Squeeze
Main musclesAlso working
  1. 1Rope at face height
  2. 2Pull toward your forehead, elbows high
  3. 3Rotate your hands back at the end

Most common mistake

Going heavy and leaning back to row it.

Watch a demo

Good for

  • Top 10 for swimming
  • Easy on the joints and recovery

Compare with

vs Incline Y-Raisevs Band Pull-Apartvs Cable External Rotation
B
For shoulders
#13 of 27
See the full list →
Research
68
Scored by hand
Results
Soon
From the app
How lifters rate itBe the first
S
A
B
C
D
F
Why research scores it 68
Target tensionStrong
Loaded stretchFair
ProgressionStrong
Low costExcellent

Research behind these criteria

  • Target tension: Zabaleta-Korta et al., 2021 · Kinoshita et al., 2023
  • Loaded stretch: Maeo et al., 2021 · Maeo et al., 2023 · Pedrosa et al., 2022 · Kassiano et al., 2023
  • Progression: Plotkin et al., 2022 · Pelland et al., 2026
  • Low cost: Schoenfeld et al., 2021 · Refalo et al., 2023
How scores work

Machine taken? Swap to

  • SMachine Lateral RaiseMachine
  • SReverse Pec DeckMachine
  • ALean-Away Lateral RaiseDumbbell
  • SCable Lateral RaiseCable

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