#1 Face Pulls

Purpose: Reactivate rear delts, mid‑traps, and rhomboids to reverse screen‑slouch and set the scapulae for safe pressing.

Setup: Clip a rope attachment at eye level. Take a neutral grip, stagger your stance, and lock ribs over pelvis.

Execution: Pull the rope toward your brows while spreading the ends. Pause one full count with elbows wide, then lower on a strict three‑second eccentric.

Pro Cue: Drag your elbows along a bookshelf—keeps the pull horizontal and the biceps quiet.

Common Errors: Leaning back to finish the rep, letting elbows drop, or loading so heavy the upper traps dominate.

Programming: 3 sets × 12–15 reps, 60‑second rest, two reps in reserve. Superset with push‑up‑plus to light the serratus.

Variation: Tall‑kneeling face pulls strip out leg drive, forcing pure scapular motion.

Posterior‑chain activation boosts rear‑delt EMG by 42 % (European Journal of Sport Science, 2022).

#2 Pendlay Rows

Purpose: Build raw horizontal pulling power, hip‑hinge rigidity, and mid‑trap density with every dead‑stop rep.

Setup: Feet hip‑width. Hip‑hinge until torso is parallel to the floor. The bar must settle dead on the ground between reps.

Execution: Explode the bar into the lower sternum while freezing the chest. Reset completely—no bounce, no torso lift.

Pro Cue: Rip, freeze, reset. This mantra keeps the lumbar neutral and eliminates momentum.

Common Errors: Rounding the lumbar spine, bouncing the bar, or cutting the range short.

Programming: 4 sets × 5–8 reps at 70–80 % of bench‑press 1 RM with two‑minute rests.

Variation: Single‑arm landmine rows add a rotational‑core challenge while sparing the lower back.

Pendlay rows generate 11 % more concentric force than classic bent‑over rows (Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 2024).

#3 Y‑Raises

Purpose: Isolate lower traps and serratus anterior, two muscles that guide healthy overhead mechanics and scapular upward rotation.

Setup: Set a bench to 30 °. Use 2–5 lb plates—ego ruins the movement. Thumbs stay up to maintain external rotation.

Execution: Raise arms into a “Y,” squeeze blades down, hold two counts, then lower for three seconds with full control.

Pro Cue: Keep your nose one inch off the pad. This locks the cervical spine and wards off neck extension.

Common Errors: Grabbing heavy plates, jerking through the top, or arching the low back.

Programming: 3 sets × 15 reps, 45‑second rest. Pair with band W‑raises for complete cuff activation.

Variation: Standing cable Y‑Raises provide constant tension and suit home gyms with cables.

A six‑week Y‑Raise protocol slashed overhead‑pain scores by 28 % (Clinical Biomechanics, 2023).

#4 Inverted Rows

Purpose: Body‑weight horizontal pull that grooves scapular rhythm, lights the lats, and forces total‑body tension.

Setup: Place a bar at hip height or rings waist‑high. Heels on floor, body locked in a rigid plank.

Execution: Row the sternum to the bar, squeeze blades hard, then lower under a two‑second negative. Elevate feet when 12 pristine reps are easy.

Pro Cue: Row your chest, not your chin. Prevents neck craning and shifts work to the mid‑back.

Common Errors: Sagging hips, half reps, speed‑repping the eccentric.

Programming: 4 sets × 10–12 reps, 90‑second rest. Use a density goal—50 total reps in minimum time—for variety.

Variation: Suspension‑ring rows add instability, forcing micro‑adjustments that hard‑wire scapular control.

Novices added 15 % to pull‑up max in eight weeks of inverted‑row progression (International Journal of Exercise Science, 2021).

#5 Farmer’s Carries

Purpose: Forge isometric upper‑back endurance, granite grip strength, and trunk anti‑flexion under heavy load.

Setup: Grab kettlebells or a trap‑bar loaded to roughly 50 % body‑weight per hand. Stand tall with shoulders depressed and ribs stacked.

Execution: Walk 30–40 m at a controlled cadence, blades in back pockets, exhaling through the nose every third step.

Pro Cue: Pretend you’re pinching wallets under your armpits. Keeps scapulae depressed and neck long.

Common Errors: Shrugging traps to the ears, leaning back like a strongman showboat, or sprinting the distance.

Programming: 4 carries × 30 m, 90‑second rest. Progress by raising load to 70 % BW, then shortening rest intervals.

Variation: Single‑arm suitcase carries introduce anti‑rotation torque, lighting up the obliques and QL.

Loaded‑carry cycles increased lumbar‑spine endurance 21 % in eight weeks (Spine Journal, 2020).