• Beginner Injury Prevention
Face Pulls
Why This Matters for Boxing
Rear delt strength for punch retraction. Every punch needs to come back as fast as it goes out — face pulls build the posterior shoulder muscles responsible for snapping your hand back to guard. Also prevents shoulder injuries from all that forward pressing.
How To Do It
- 1Set a cable or band at face height.
- 2Pull the handles toward your face, flaring your elbows out.
- 3Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end.
- 4Control the return — don't let the cable snap back.
- 5Keep your upper arms parallel to the floor throughout.
Sets
3
Reps
15
Rest
30s
Pro Tips
- This is a prehab exercise — do it every training day.
- Light weight, high reps. This isn't about ego lifting.
- Think about pulling your hands back to guard position.