Shoulders · Isolation

Dumbbell Face Pull

A rear deltoid and upper back exercise performed with dumbbells in a bent-over position, mimicking the cable face pull. It brings the posture-balancing benefits of face pulls to home setups where no cable exists. Pulling high toward the forehead, elbows above wrists, is the detail that keeps it a rear delt movement rather than another row.

By Macros Inc Team Verified by Alex Dedmon Updated August 2026

Beginner Dumbbell Isolation Pull
dumbbell-face-pull-poster
  • Level Beginner
  • Equipment Dumbbell
  • Primary Muscles Rear Delts, Rhomboids, Traps
  • Movement Isolation Pull

Demonstration

Watch the Form Demo

Technique

How to Do the Dumbbell Face Pull

  1. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand and hinge forward until your torso is around 45 degrees.
  2. Let the dumbbells hang with your palms facing each other.
  3. Pull the dumbbells up and back toward your forehead, elbows high and wide.
  4. Finish with your knuckles beside your ears and shoulder blades squeezed.
  5. Hold for a beat at the top.
  6. Lower under control along the same path.

Anatomy

Muscles Worked

shoulders
Primary muscles
Rear Delts
Secondary muscles
Rhomboids Traps

Do This

Form Cues

  • Hinge forward and pull the dumbbells toward your forehead, not your chest.
  • Keep the elbows high and above the wrists throughout.
  • Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end of the pull.
  • Aim the pull at your forehead and keep the elbows above the wrists the whole way.

Avoid This

Common Mistakes

  • Rowing toward the hips, which makes it a back exercise.
  • Letting the elbows drop below the hands.
  • Using weight heavy enough that the traps take over.
  • Letting the pull drift down toward the chest, which turns it into a row and leaves the rear delts unworked.

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