WhatWorksWhat.
Rhomboids

Band Row to Neck

Mid and upper back squeeze; great for warmups and posture work.

Complexity · Lowstabilitybeginner+Resistance band
  • Rear delts
  • Rhomboids
  • Rhomboids - Rhomboids
  • Traps
  • Rhomboids

PrimarySecondary

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

  • Rhomboids

    Hit

    Squeeze the blades together.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

0:26· National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

How to do a Face Pull | Proper Form & Technique | NASM

Hands together

Open and squeezed

Band anchored at chest height. Step back, arms extended. Pull the band toward the neck/upper chest, leading with the elbows, hands ending up beside the ears. Pause.

Common mistakes

  • Pulling to the chest - turns into a row.
  • Letting the elbows drop.

Where you should feel it

Mid and upper back squeeze; great for warmups and posture work.

Injury risk · 1/10

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains rhomboids. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

  • Cable row to neck

    Rope handle at chest height.

    100% on target

    On target

    Same target, minor adjustment.

  • Band face pull

    Rope pulled to the forehead.

    100% on target

    On target

    Same target, minor adjustment.

Compare with another exercise

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

  • Lat Hang

    Dead hang from a bar, fully relaxed shoulders. 30–60s. Decompresses everything pulling-related.

    LatsRhomboids

  • Child's Pose

    Knees wide, big toes together. Sit hips back to the heels, arms long overhead, forehead to the floor. 60s. Walk the hands one direction to bias one side.

    LatsLower backRhomboids

  • Cross-body Shoulder Stretch

    Pull one arm across the body with the opposite hand at the elbow. Shoulder stays down - don't let it shrug. 30s per side.

    Rear deltsSide delts