Shoulders · Resistance bands

Band Pull Apart

The band pull apart is an isolation movement designed to strengthen the posterior deltoids, rhomboids, and middle trapezius. It fits well into any routine as a dynamic warm-up for the shoulder girdle or as high-repetition accessory work to counteract forward-rounded shoulders.

Muscles: Shoulders, Back
Equipment: Resistance bands
Type: Strength
Animation: Men and women

How to do it

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the band by its handles in front of you at shoulder height, hands about shoulder-width apart.
Extend your arms forward with a slight bend in the elbows and take up the slack in the band.
Keep your back straight and core braced, then inhale.
As you exhale, pull the handles apart, moving your arms out to the sides until the band touches your chest and your shoulder blades squeeze together.
Pause for a moment with your chest open.
Inhale and slowly bring your hands back together to the starting position.

Common mistakes

Shrugging your shoulders toward your ears shifts tension from the mid-back to the upper trapezius.
Arching the lower back to force the band open compromises core stability and masks limited shoulder mobility.
Allowing the band to snap back quickly eliminates eccentric tension and cuts the training effect in half.
Bending the elbows too much turns the movement into a rowing motion rather than an effective reverse flye.

Tips

Brace your core and keep your ribcage down throughout the entire set to prevent lumbar extension.
Initiate the pull by retracting your shoulder blades rather than just pulling with your wrists.
Adjust the tension on the fly by gripping the band narrower for more resistance or wider to make it easier.

Sets and reps

Perform 2 to 4 sets of 15 to 25 controlled repetitions with 30 to 60 seconds of rest between sets to build muscular endurance and scapular stability.

Muscles worked

Your coach guides every set

Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.

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Questions

Which muscles do band pull aparts primarily work?

The exercise focuses on the rear (posterior) deltoids, rhomboids, and middle trapezius, with secondary involvement from the rotator cuff muscles.

What can replace the band pull apart if no bands are available?

You can replace it with bent-over dumbbell reverse flyes, cable face pulls, or reverse pec-deck flyes.

Similar exercises

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