Weak Upper Back in the Deadlift? Face Pulls Aren't for You!

[@yashhgami]

Heavy bent over (Pendlay) rows and pullups mostly helped me strengthen my upper back 👀 I use face pulls for shoulder health and rear delts mostly.

[@LeeH3nson]

The Pendlays did you pull with your ekbows high or near to your side?

[@elijah5452]

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[@elijah5452]

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[@elijah5452]

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[@elijah5452]

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[@andrewgoss4328]

Face-pulls for world peace t-shirt confirmed

[@MuradiNn]

Great video! Zercher stuff,Front Squats,Front Rack holds and Cable Dips variations also worked for my upper back control...Love you guys! Hail from Turkey! ✊

[@Schwertfisch198]

Perfect timing, right before my deadlift workout and to fix my upper back weakness

[@matwoods3505]

Never felt much with heavier face pulls but still keep them as a warmup for the bench. Excellent content on this one!

[@helmutkrusemann9194]

100% quality information, 100% elitefts! Thank you guys for so much great content

[@bmstylee]

Pull-ups, rows, and overhead press variations are my go to.

[@Greg-wz6fp]

The algorithm is real…just got done doing face pulls for one of my bench press dynamic bench accessory …would have never thought it had much carryover to deads …thx for the video like always

[@DCJayhawk57]

I would add straight arm cable pullovers as a great exercise for learning to depress (and protract) the scapula for deadlift. As a variation, lat prayers are also great (basically a "full ROM" version of pullovers with emphasis on full stretch and full contraction). These are especially great when combined with active bracing, which for me is "ribs down". I feel like learning to use the lats is one of the pillars of a good deadlift setup and one that a lot of people overlook. Getting your lats turned on goes hand in hand with a proper brace. Combine that with a strong slack pull, and your torso position will stay locked in.

[@prescottosegie]

Good discussion elitefts I appreciate it very much 💪🏾💯

[@Thumper1986]

This was a hugely informative video. Just what I needed!

[@dalecook4805]

Doing the thing. Thanks again for the content

[@YairvanEer]

I use these more as an accessory for the bench. Never thought of face pulls helping my deadlift.

[@Hextho3]

also this pull up hack is fu!king gold 💪

[@BudgieBurgess1972]

I did face pulls for 6 months for rear delts upper back and general shoulder health and found them largely useless. Band pull a parts, rear delt machine, rear dumbell fly's and many types of rows helped way more. Eliminating any shoulder issues. Now allowing me to push my bench up. Keep the the good work up lads. There's people out here really appreciating your hard work and knowledge.💪

[@esthetics4512]

Athlean x would like a convo with you😂

[@hunterbidensaidslesion1356]

I was in physical therapy for shoulder tendonitis 2 separate times, with very lackluster results. I randomly clicked on a EliteFTS video a little over a year ago featuring faceplate and Serrano presses for shoulder health, and that cleared up my tendonitis in about a week.

[@joecowan3719]

This video was perfect: very informative, funny, and showed off your incredible equipment, THANKS!

[@jamesgrant]

Great stuff as always and thanks so much for putting out all of this content.

[@FMRaDiO55]

Band pull apart and Yates row are my goto for this.

[@xxcrysad3000xx]

I'm a fan of heavy static holds with the barbell in the front rack position, for 20-30 seconds. Just 3-4 sets of those and you're mid, lower and upper traps are gonna be screamin' the next day. Really helped me to keep an upright posture in the squat.

[@vicenteochoa6498]

New guy here. Why chest supported? My noob guess is: non chest supported bent over row would also stress the lower back. Which isn’t a bad thing but if specifically going for upper back use chest supported. Correct me if I’m wrong. Only been deadlifting like 6mo

[@eliteftsofficial]

If the goal is building the upper back having your chest supported can help put more tension through the upper back and keep your low back from fatiguing out first. It is an externally stabilized version of a row that helps you crank up the output and really tax the muscles more than your form.

[@eliteftsofficial]

aka you are correct

[@littlefinkle7757]

Great information! Dave "pushing that to your desk" - that's called delegating. Dave is a smart man! You fit in with the company well Sam. 🇺🇸💪

[@clarkyow1418]

Once again, Elitefts delivers!

[@guitarsandcheesecake1632]

I only do deadlift and chins for my back. And I've pulled over 3 times body weight many times!!

[@NZGEEK]

Facepulls are great but for I do that for shoulder health / push-pull balance. Bent-over rows and chest supported rows make a lot more sense as deadlift assistance exercises.

[@emacliftsalot]

Straight-arm pull down is a better exercise for the deadlift. Face pulls are for scap retraction for the squat and press.

[@StrengthHacksCoaching]

For bench carryover, weighted wide grip inverted rows have done me well. One of my favorites to help build a shelf for squatting is the upright row

[@strongmindcomplex315]

Great video gentlemen. My question is: which camera are you using to shoot this video? Thank you for your time.

[@snorlaxcom]

Face pull for external rotation health to offset benching. Why would you even be thinking of using it for DL? Great video guys 👍

[@eliteftsofficial]

We get the questions....so we give the answers! Thanks for watching!

[@brianhickey5949]

Good biomechanics - good explanation. Heaven knows I hate pull ups, but anything I hate usually works the best :)

[@arlenep7093]

LOL! Funny intro! Is this the start of "Sam's List" as a series content? Or maybe it's been happening with all the great content already?👍😁

[@farhanhussain_]

Face Pull is more for a corrective, postural, and injury prevention purpose. It can't be loaded significantly by virtue of its technique. Pull ups, rows, and all types of frontal loadings are definitely better options and can be loaded very heavily.

[@posterchild8486]

This video is how product placement should be done. Also, good tips.

[@louderthangod]

I can deadlift nearly 600lbs and Pendlay row 315 for 5 but I can’t do a pull up (I weigh about 310). Should I not deadlift?

[@scottpoll6357]

I find that trap bar farmers walks either light for distance or heavy for brute strength will make your upper back strong AF. Same thing with low handles deficit trap bar deads for 3 sets of 10 at about 65 percent. Or Reeves trap bar deads 3x10 at about 70 percent.

[@scottpoll6357]

Having said that, this is great advice Sam. Excellent video.

[@gerhards.oesterlein8746]

Just throwing this out there I've always been a big fan of heavy above the knee rack pulls really just focusing on the second half of the concentric portion of the deadlift feel like it worked pretty well for me especially as a conventional puller my back was the first thing to give it when I started😅

[@GolgothaBlack]

Been doing this variation lately myself.

[@georgeliousas9857]

One of my favourites for upper back and traps 👌

[@shifter8207]

Face pulls id say would be better for building up the shelf for the squat and in the bench to press up onto

[@Dr_Footbrake]

This is where I’ve noticed the biggest benefit.

[@ms08gouf]

Another thing that helps me is the video portion

[@GabrielMartinsFitness]

Hey sam, getting a lower back pump after squats and deads indicates too much movement, in general, of the spine?

[@eliteftsofficial]

Could be. Hard to tell without seeing you train but it’s a logical place to start

[@GabrielMartinsFitness]

@@eliteftsofficial Thank you! I have been struggling with over-extending the back while trying to reach neutral

[@outsidedawg]

Not sure you doing the facepull right, from how I understand it you are supposed to pull with elbows, and rotate and make a W at the end. Hold 3 sec squeeze and repeat. The cable needs to be the same level as your nose (hence face pull).

[@larskerkhof8835]

That’s another variation which is mostly focused on developing your back/shoulders in an externally rotated position

[@larskerkhof8835]

If I understand you correctly at least

[@JoshBenware]

That's the Athlean x version, which is almost pointless. Its suppose to be a rehabilitative/correctional type lift, but its debatable if it's even good for that. A traditional face pull (as seen on this video) can be overloaded much easier over time, therefore contributes more to development of the upper back, traps, and rear delts. Athlean x is just trying to reinvent the wheel so his inexperienced followers think he has some secret truths that others dont teach.

[@teamfreakshow13]

good stuff sam

[@Senick]

I like this video format a lot, +1 for the algo

[@briangentile7305]

stiff arm pull down?

[@user-he8lq8ny3v]

Face pulls with bands for warmup is just good for world peace

[@randalgordon8822]

I can deadlift 725 but can only do 3 proper form pull-ups

[@BeaterCar]

Great video Sam I like face pulls but its become overrated on the yfc

[@danoontjeh123]

"Find purple monsters" priorities right

[@LeeH3nson]

If there's a product company, that puts out more/better information than the great elitefts I'm a monkeys uncle

[@int0the3p1t32]

Wait, I shouldn’t listen to Jeff caviliere?

[@JoshBenware]

You should. Look how much fake weights he can deadlift from his magic facepulls!

[@catedoge3206]

"sam's list" XD

[@sophovot5079]

lots of people deadlift (light weight) who cant do a pullup like my grandma could do a deadlift

[@atrumpetwillsound]

me who can't do a pullup, deadlifting 4 plates. might be the only thing keeping me from 5 plates probably

[@kasper52173]

👍🏾

[@devinreed5725]

Bent over rows. Front squats. I've put 170 lbs on my dead lift this year.

[@kevshouse2]

Dont tell Athlean X to drop face pulls....he loves em PMSL

[@Hextho3]

Sam's list is actually purple. hhahaha

[@alexsnowden412]

You hurt me