Fix your rounded back with this simple bodyweight exercise Ring face pulls 5 reasons why this seemingly easy exercise can unlock your upper body strength again (Bookmark for later)

Today, we sit more than ever This leads to rounded upper backs and weak supportive muscles A key player in shoulder health is your scapula and the ability to control it

Your scapula moves in several directions 1. Depression (down) 2. Elevation (up) 3. Retraction (back) 4. Protraction (forwards) Due to prolonged sitting during the day, our scapula is mostly in elevation and protraction To offset this, the ring face pull is an awesome exercise ⬇️

1. Targets middle and lower trapezius and rhomboids The key muscles for scapula depression and they counteract the constant internal rotation are shoulders are in by sitting

2. External rotation Since we sit so much, another side effect is that our shoulders are constantly internally rotated When we look at athletic performance external rotation plays an important role The external rotation behind the back acts like a sling shot for throwing for example So (re)strengthening this position is crucial for injury prevention

3. Easy to adjust Minimise the backwards lean to make these easier If you are just starting out, focus on understanding the movement rather than trying to show off

4. More natural movement Cable face pulls can be a starting point, but there are quite fixed The rings allow for a more freely movement of your shoulder girdle

5. Strength Carry-over to other exercises The better you understand scapula movement and stronger it is The better your pull-ups, push-ups and other more advanced movement becomes Even if you are not into bodyweight training, improving scapula depression will improve your bench press technique for example

Do this exercise at the start or end of your workout for 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps Focus on control and keeping your scapula retracted + depressed

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I've done hinge rows in the past - very similar to this. Can't think of a better exercise that hits the rear delts, mid back and external rotators in one movement.

Those are really good as well. More dynamic so you’ll see them less