Band Pull-Apart

Also known as: Resistance Band Pull-Apart, Banded Pull-Apart

StrengthPullRehabilitationWarm-up

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Body Part: Shoulders

Description

A standing upper-back exercise: hold a resistance band in front of you with straight arms at shoulder height and pull it apart until your arms point out to the sides. It targets the rear delts, rhomboids and middle trapezius and is often used in warm-ups and as light upper-back work.

How to Perform

Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and hold a resistance band with an overhand grip, hands slightly narrower than shoulder width.
Raise your arms straight in front of you to shoulder height, elbows soft and the band lightly tensioned.
Brace your core, keep your ribs down and set your shoulders down, away from your ears.
Pull the band apart by moving your hands out to the sides in a wide arc, keeping your arms straight and level with your shoulders.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together and stop when your arms are in line with your body and the band touches your chest.
Bring your arms back to the front slowly, keeping the band under tension.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Pick a light band you can pull apart fully for 15 to 20 smooth reps.
Adjust the resistance with your grip: hands closer together make the band harder, hands wider apart make it easier.
Keep your wrists straight and in line with your forearms for the whole set.
Hold the end position for one to two seconds with your shoulder blades squeezed together.
Keep your neck relaxed and your head still, chin slightly tucked.
Breathe out as you pull the band apart and breathe in as you return.

Common Mistakes

Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears
Bending the elbows and turning the movement into a row
Leaning back or arching the lower back to finish the rep
Letting the hands drop below or rise above shoulder height
Pulling the arms behind the body instead of stopping when they are in line with it
Snapping the band apart with momentum instead of moving under control
Letting the band pull the arms back together quickly on the return
Rounding the upper back and letting the shoulders roll forward