Dumbbell Bent Over Face Pull

1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
2. Hinge forward at the hips until your torso is close to parallel with the floor, keeping a flat back.
3. Let the dumbbells hang directly below your shoulders with a slight bend in your elbows.
4. Brace your core and keep your neck neutral, eyes looking slightly ahead of your feet.
5. Pull both dumbbells outward and upward toward your face, leading with your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
6. Keep your elbows high, roughly in line with your shoulders, as the weights rise.
7. Pause briefly at the top when you feel your rear delts and upper back fully contracted.
8. Lower the dumbbells back down with control to the starting hang and repeat.

Common Mistakes

• Rounding the lower back at the hinge: Letting the spine round while bent over shifts stress from the hips to the lower back. Keep a flat back by hinging from the hips, not the waist.
• Turning it into a row: Pulling the elbows straight back toward the ribs works the lats and mid back instead of the rear delts. Keep the pulling path outward and upward toward the face.
• Using too much weight: Heavy dumbbells make it impossible to keep the elbows high, turning the movement into a shrug. Use a light to moderate weight and prioritize the pulling path.
• Standing too upright: A shallow hinge reduces the range and lets momentum take over. Bend forward until your torso is close to parallel with the floor before pulling.