Face pulls.

A new exercise I've been working into my shoulder routines is the face pull. By no means a new or exciting movement, I read about a little twist on it that I tried and have been getting great results from.

So, to back up a little, what is a face pull?  A very similar motion to a row, but, instead of puling towards your stomach, ribcage, or even chest, you pull towards your (you guessed it) face. This activates the muscles of the upper back, trapezius, and (rear) delts.

Here is a short video to use as a baseline.

However, here's how I would recommend setting it up. Set the cable at about chest level and attach the rope. Grab the rope as he does the video (palms down), but try to stand up straight, staggering your stance if need be- I wouldn't advice leaning as much as he is. From there, pull the rope towards the top of your forehead, ending in a pose very similar to front double biceps- palms facing forward. While you're pulling, think about pulling with your traps and delts- NOT your arms. Once you get the metal piece of the rope almost or just touching the top of your forehead, pause and squeeze for a 1 count. Let your arms extend all the way back for the negative and a stretch, then repeat. I've programmed this with light weight, high reps, higher volume. Something like 20, 20, 20, 15, 15. In the beginning, if you're cheating or unable to pause at 15, lower the weight. If you do this correctly, your entire delt should be SCREAMING towards the end, and very pumped.

The other positive aspect of the exercise is that it strengthens the rotator cuff as you move from having your fists in front of you, to your fists beside your head. As a person with past shoulder injuries, I have found this a way to help work towards a healthier shoulder joint while getting a hell of a workout on my traps and delts. I use this as a replacement for the upright row because of said shoulder injuries, but you can certainly work this in alongside.