The Death of Face Pulls (2009-2024)

If you had to choose between face pulls and lat pulldowns to build more muscle, which would you choose? In this video, I am going to compare the two and explain the application of each in order to build muscle. Now, you might think that you have the answer already, but pay attention to the end of this video to see if you were right or not.

When looking at the lat pulldown, especially done in the way that not only I show them, but the way that Sam Sulek shows it as well – do you notice anything different? Now compare it to the face pull. Is there any difference between the two? Well, if you keep up with the trends in YouTube fitness, you should be able to identify it pretty quickly.

What we are talking about right here is long length partials. Partial reps are nothing new, but they are currently in vogue with recent research highlighting the benefits of introducing them into your training. With a recent comment left by a viewer here on YouTube, the common sentiment might be that the lat pulldown is the superior exercise simply because it features these partial reps. If long length partial repetitions are the superior way to train and they do not lend themselves to use with the face pul, then obviously the face pull is the inferior exercise.

Wait a moment. That can’t be true, can it?

Well, it’s not really a fair comparison. Just because the exercise doesn’t apply long length partial reps, doesn’t mean that it is not an effective exercise. The commenter themself thinks that it’s time to move on from the face pull, but I can’t agree. There is an important reason to keep the face pull in your exercise arsenal.

The face pull offers itself as an incredible corrective exercise to reinforce strength and stability in the shoulder girdle and the muscles of the upper back, including the rear delts. Not only is it a great corrective, it still has the ability to build muscle as well. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at the development of Jesse’s upper back.

Now this underscores the point of the importance of corrective exercises, especially the face pull. Jesse was able to build himself up to a 560 lb deadlift over time, without injury. By attacking the muscles in the upper back and the rear delts, he was able to maintain greater strength and resiliency that allowed him to progressively overload with the deadlift to get to where he is today. If he had avoided the exercise altogether, it stands to question, would his upper back be strong enough to assist in pulling such heavy weights? Would he have stayed healthy enough and injury free in order to continue progressing? Would he have the same upper back development that he does now if he only did exercises with long length partials applied?

Partial reps, while not a new concept, have gotten a lot of attention in the fitness industry as of late with recent research showing that partial reps are able to provide 5-10% more muscle gain than if they are ignored. That sounds like a significant amount of muscle gain. However, if you dive deeper, you might find that that 5-10% is not as significant as you thought it was.

If a significant amount of muscle gain over the course of the year is 10 pounds, then what is a 5-10% increase? That would be 10.5-11 pounds total. Does 10 lbs vs 11 lbs seem like a major difference? I think you would be hard pressed to find that 5-10% increase to be noticeable in the mirror, especially if you have clothes on.

Does that mean you should just throw out partial reps completely? No, of course not. As with most things in fitness, they have their time and place, just like the face pull. It’s important to know when to apply the exercise or the technique in order to build muscle. So no, I don’t think that you should avoid an exercise because it doesn’t lend itself to long length partials. I also don’t think that long length partials should be avoided because when applied as an intensity technique, they can extend a set to and through failure.

Face Pulls vs Lat Pulldowns – http://athleanx.com/x/face-pulls-vs-lat-pulldowns
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Jeff Cavaliere MSPT, CSCS served as both the head physical therapist and assistant strength coach for the New York Mets. Jeff earned his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor’s of Physioneurobiology from the College of Health Sciences University of Connecticut Storrs. He is a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).