10 Best Exercises to Superset with Face Pulls

If you’re looking to make your training program more efficient while hitting multiple muscle groups, supersets can be a great tool.

One exercise often overlooked but extremely beneficial for shoulder health and posture is the Face Pull. This often underutilized move is very effective for strengthening your rear deltoids, traps, and rhomboids, making it a perfect candidate for supersets.

Pairing Face Pulls with the right exercises can maximize your training effectiveness, targeting not just the upper back and shoulders but also engaging other muscle groups.

I’ve been a collegiate strength coach for 20 years and in this article, I’ll share the best exercises to superset with Face Pulls. Whether your focus is building muscle, improving sports performance, or enhancing overall functional strength, these combinations will help you make the most of your training plan.

Keys to Choosing a Quality Superset

Choosing the right exercises to superset with Face Pulls is crucial for optimizing your training program. The first key is to identify Exercises that complement the muscle groups targeted by Face Pulls.

Target Antagonistic Muscles

Since Face Pulls primarily work the rear deltoids, rhomboids, and traps, pairing them with exercises that target the antagonistic, or opposing, muscle groups like the chest or lateral deltoids can be the most effective combo.

Consider Your Overall Workout Plan

The second key is to consider your overall workout plan.

Are you doing a push/pull split or an upper/lower split?

Your weekly workout plan should help you determine whether you want to pair your Face Pulls with a pressing movement or perhaps a lower body movement. Or, when in doubt, you can almost never go wrong with supersetting Face Pulls with a core exercise.

Intensity and Equipment

Lastly, it’s important to factor in exercise intensity and equipment availability.

Make sure the exercises you choose can be easily transitioned to, allowing you to maintain workout intensity while making the best use of your time and resources.

All these elements should guide you in crafting a well-rounded and effective superset for your training program.

Best Exercises to Superset with Face Pulls

Here are the best exercises to pair with Face Pulls for a number of different situations:

Best Overall: Bench Press

Why: Bench Press is my personal favorite, and most often used, superset to go along with Face Pulls.

Bench Press is a large compound movement that I don’t like to interfere with too much with a superset, but Face Pulls are a low enough intensity exercise to not hinder your Bench Press sets.

This exercise is excellent for supersets with Face Pulls because it emphasizes the front of the upper body (chest, anterior deltoids), providing a nice balance to the rear deltoid focus of Face Pulls.

How To:

• Lie flat on a bench, feet firmly on the ground.
• Grip the barbell slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Lower the barbell to your chest in a controlled manner.
• Push the barbell back up until your arms are fully extended.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Best for Beginners: Push-Ups

Why: I like Push-ups as a superset to Face Pulls for all the same reasons I like Bench Press. Push-ups are just a little more beginner-friendly (and a great option if you’re limited on equipment).

Push-ups, like Bench, target the chest, shoulders, and triceps, providing a nice balance to the muscle groups worked during Face Pulls.

How To

• Lie face down on the floor.
• Pull your toes in so that you’re on the tip of your shoes.
• Eyes should be focused straight down or slightly up.
• Pull your hands close to about the nipple line of the chest and bring them out about 2-3 inches away.
• Take a deep breath, engage the core and brace.
• Push yourself up in one unit. There should be no sagging of the waist. The entire body from head to toe should move up and then back down in unison.
• Feel your scapula upwardly rotate and make sure the antagonist muscles (Back and biceps) are fully engaging.
• Lock out your push-up and pause.
• Slowly lower yourself back down and repeat.

Best for Shoulders: Lateral Raises

Why: Lateral Raises isolate the lateral deltoids, providing a well-rounded shoulder workout. They are excellent to superset with Face Pulls to hit all angles of your deltoids.

How To:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
• Keep your arms straight and raise the dumbbells outward to shoulder height.
• Lower the dumbbells back down in a controlled motion.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Best for Lower Body: Back Squat

Why: Back Squats focus on your entire lower body, adding leg work with an upper-body focused exercise like Face Pulls.

Similar to Bench Press, the Back Squat is one of the main compound movements in my programs.

I don’t like to superset any exercises that are going to take away from the quality of each set, but Face Pulls are low intensity and great to sneak in between sets.

How To:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, barbell on your upper back.
• Squat down by pushing hips back and bending knees.
• Push through the heels to return to the starting position.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Best Compound Set: Bent Over Rows

Why: A compound set is a superset where both exercises work similar (or the same) muscles.

Bent Over Rows are great for hitting the mid-back and lats. They further strengthen the back but target slightly different muscles compared to Face Pulls.

How To:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell in front of you.
• Bend at the hips and knees, keeping your back straight.
• Pull the barbell towards your lower ribcage.
• Lower the barbell back to the starting position.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Best for Core: Planks

Why: Planks focus on core stability, adding a core element to your superset which can enhance overall stability and balance.

Planks will also keep the shoulders, including the rear delts, engaged which can combo very well with Face Pulls.

How To:

• Begin in a forearm plank position, elbows directly under shoulders.
• Engage the core, keeping your body in a straight line from head to heels.
• Hold for the desired amount of time.

More Face Pull Superset Options

Dips

Why: Dips are another excellent pressing movement that fit perfectly with Face Pulls.

Dips target the triceps, anterior deltoids, and lower chest. They add a pushing element to your superset, contrasting well with the pulling nature of Face Pulls.

How To:

• Grip parallel bars with arms straight.
• Lower your body until your arms are at a 90-degree angle.
• Push yourself back up to the starting position.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Tricep Pushdowns

Why: Tricep Pushdowns are an isolation exercise for the triceps, and they balance out the pull movement from Face Pulls with a push motion.

I like supersetting supplemental movements like these together toward the back end of workouts to maximize efficiency.

How To:

• Stand in front of a cable machine with a straight or V-bar attachment.
• Grip the bar with palms facing down.
• Push the bar down until your arms are fully extended.
• Slowly return to the starting position.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Hammer Curls

Why: Hammer Curls work the brachialis, complementing the work you’re doing on your shoulders and upper back with Face Pulls.

How To:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing inward.
• Curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders.
• Lower them back down in a controlled motion.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Plate Raises

Why: Plate Raises target the anterior deltoids and upper traps, offering a balanced workout by working the front part of your shoulders, in contrast to the rear deltoid and upper back focus of Face Pulls.

How To:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a weight plate with both hands.
• Keeping your arms straight, raise the plate to eye level.
• Lower the plate back down in a controlled motion.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Final Thoughts

Incorporating supersets into your training program is a fantastic way to optimize your workouts for both time and effectiveness. Pairing Face Pulls with other targeted exercises can provide a balanced superset that hits various muscle groups.

This approach not only enhances muscle engagement but also allows for more optimized recovery between sets, letting you make the most out of your gym time.

Whether you’re an athlete looking to maximize sports performance or someone aiming to make consistent gains in the gym, understanding the best exercises to superset with Face Pulls can be a game-changer.

Remember, the key to a successful training plan is not just hard work but also smart work. Knowing how to pair exercises effectively can make all the difference in achieving your training goals.

More Links and Info

Want more superset ideas for your workouts? Check out the best exercises to superset with these popular movements:

Best Exercises to Superset with Incline Bench

10 Goblet Squat Supersets to Shake Up Your Training

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