If you’ve ever been to a gym, I guarantee you’ve seen this before: someone clearly in pre-workout mode…standing on the turf of a gym…using a resistance band to do band pull aparts.
The band pullapart is the quintessential warm-up before any kind of lifting–but is it actually worth the hype?
The short answer: Absolutely.
It’s a popular warmup exercise for a reason, and it comes with loads of benefits. For example…
- As long as you have a resistance band, you can perform this move anywhere.
- It’s great for shoulder strength and stability.
- As we know, it’s a perfect warm-up for BEFORE the workout.
- But it’s ALSO a great upper back and shoulder accessory exercise after upper body day.
- And finally, it’s a great way to build some muscle on your upper back with LOW risk of injury.
But there IS a catch.
Most people botch their actual execution of band pull aparts.
Because it’s a warmup move, so you can just rush through it, right?
Wrong.
Though it’s a simple move, there are lots of small ways you can go off the rails with your form. And once you do, it’s game over for the benefits you’d actually get from performing band pull aparts.
So today, I’m not just gonna show you how to do band pull aparts because then this would be just like every other article. We’ll get precise about grip, form, common mistakes, and all the most important pro tips!
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- How to Do Band Pull Aparts: The Basics
- Band Pull Aparts: Muscles Worked
- Reps, Sets, and Where to Fit in Your Workout Routine
- 3-Way Band Pull Aparts
- Band Pull Aparts: 9 Pro Tips
- Band Pull Aparts Alternative: Overhead Band Pull Aparts
- More Resources on Shoulder & Upper Back Health
- Band Pull Aparts FAQs
At Back Muscle Solutions, we focus on all things back health, so you can get the best tips on how to massage, stretch, and strengthen your back! Why do we care?
Because we’ve been through it ourselves. Our founder, Ben, used his 4 years of lower back pain as motivation to create the QL Claw, a lower back massage device. Now, it’s our mission to help people all around the world build BACKS OF STEEL, so you don’t have to go through what he did.
Today, the focus is on strengthening your upper back and shoulder muscles using the band pull aparts. Let’s get started.
How to Do Band Pull Aparts: The Basics
So, first let’s address the basic question: how to do a banded pull apart? Here’s a step-by-step guide:
1) Select a resistance band of choice. (I get into more detail about this in the pro tips section!)
2) Stand comfortably with your feet shoulder-width apart.
3) Hold the resistance band about shoulder-width apart.
4) Extend both of your arms straight out in front of you–holding the resistance band.
5) With your chest tall and core tight, bring both arms out to the sides, pulling the band until it touches your chest.
6) Pause here for a moment, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
7) Then, slowly allow the band to return to the starting position in front of you.
8) Repeat for the desired amount of reps.
Band Pull Aparts Muscles Worked
So, now let’s address the questions:
- What muscles do band pull aparts work?
- Where should I feel band pull aparts?
Band pull aparts work many similar muscles to another exercise: the face pull.
Learn more about the face pull in the article below:
“Unleash Shoulders of Steel With the Face Pull: Muscles Worked & Variations”
You’ll mostly feel band pull aparts in your upper back and shoulders.
Band pull aparts muscles worked:
- Traps
- Rotator Cuffs
The main movement during the band pull aparts exercise is called scapular retraction, and it just means your shoulder blades are moving in a backwards motion. Scapular retraction is a great movement for all those upper back and shoulder muscles.
Learn more about scapular retraction in the article below:
“Scapular Retraction And Protraction: Exercises, Muscles Worked, & More”
Reps, Sets, and Where to Fit in Your Workout Routine
You probably won’t use the band pull aparts exercise in the middle of your workout routine. As I mentioned before, it works best as a:
- Warm-Up
- Or an Accessory Exercise After Upper Body Day
Band Pull Aparts as a Warm-Up
You can literally use band pull aparts as a warm-up before ANY workout day. They’re a great move to incorporate before upper body day–especially if you’re planning on doing bench presses, overhead lifting, snatches, or cleans.
But if you’re doing deadlifts or squats for leg day, believe it or not–band pull aparts are good for those days, too. After all, think about all the back muscles you use for squats or deadlifts.
Because you’re really just using band pull aparts here to get warmed up, you can keep your sets and reps consistent without the goal of improving each day.
Keep it light with higher reps.
I recommend 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps.
Band Pull Aparts as an Accessory Exercise
Most workouts are comprised of compound exercises. These exercises work multiple muscle groups at once–such as the deadlift, which works your legs, back, and even your arms a bit.
Once you’ve completed plenty of compound exercises and feel fatigued, you can add an isolation exercise right after to follow it up. This is called an accessory exercise, and it typically happens at the end of a workout.
Since the focus for band pull aparts is really ALL upper back and shoulders, they’re considered an isolation exercise. And they’re a perfect accessory move to add in AFTER upper body day–particularly one using bench pressing, overhead pressing, snatches, or cleans.
So, unlike using band pull aparts as a warmup, you’ll only use them as an accessory exercise whenever you do an upper body day.
If using band pull aparts as an accessory move, you’ll want to go a bit heavier with the weight and with less reps. You’ll also try to push till exhaustion–or close to exhaustion. And keep track of that weight, because you’ll want to improve on it next time.
I recommend 2-5 sets of 8-15 reps.
3-Way Band Pull Aparts
Now that you know the basics of:
- Band pull aparts how to
- Band pull aparts muscles worked
- And how to use them in your workout routine
…we can start leveling up our knowledge about this exercise.
The first thing to know: there are 3 hand-grip variations of the band pull aparts exercise.
3-Way Band Pull Aparts: Palms Down / Pronated Grip
The first of the 3-way band pull aparts variations is the palms-down version.
This is the most common grip you’ll see people using, and it’s called a pronated grip.
Shoulder Position: Internal Rotation
Muscles Favored: Rear delt
Benefits: This motion created scapular retraction, which is great for offsetting and balancing the pressing movements often performed during a conventional bench press. A bench press pushes your shoulder blades forward while banded pull aparts pull them back.
3-Way Band Pull Aparts: Palms Up / Supinated Grip
Some people swear by the palms-up version of the band pull aparts, which creates a supinated grip.
Shoulder Position: Eternal rotation
Muscles Favored: Rotator cuff, middle delt
Benefits: The external rotation opens up your shoulder blades, making this a great option for people struggling with a shoulder impingement. [1] The external rotation also provides some variety in shoulder movement.
Most benchpresses–while pushing shoulder blades forward–STILL take place in internal rotation. Adding in that external rotation through the supinated grip is a perfect way to add variety and increase shoulder mobility.
3-Way Band Pull Aparts: Neutral Grip
The third 3-way band pull apart variation is the neutral grip version, which is exactly what it sounds like. Your palms are held in neutral position–facing inward towards each other.
You’ll want to position your thumbs over the resistance band to prevent your hands from caving downward due to the resistance from the band.
Shoulder Position Neutral
Muscles Favored: Middle Delt
Benefits: The neutral grip is a comfortable band pull aparts alternative because your shoulders are truly allowed to sit in their most natural position as you perform the exercise.
Band Pull Aparts: 9 Pro Tips
But even with knowledge of the 3-way band pull apart variations, you still need to know all the little ways people mess up form ALL THE TIME with this basic exercise.
So now, let’s take you from randomly flexing a resistance band on the gym turf TO utilizing this move as a key warmup or accessory exercise like a pro!
Band Pull Aparts Pro Tip #1: Choose the Right Resistance Band
As promised, I want to help you know what to look for when choosing a resistance band for your band pull aparts.
Because resistance bands are more complicated than you might think.
Types of Resistance Bands
Some band options you can choose from:
- Loop Band
- Tube Bands With Handles
- Figure 8 Bands
- Therapy Bands
Is one of these types better? Not really. It’s totally up to personal preference.
For me personally, I think therapy bands are difficult to grip, and I prefer the Figure 8 bands (shown in the images) or tube bands with handles because I like holding the handles.
If you do end up choosing a loop band, you have the option of using one or both sides of the loop, which adds some versatility to the amount of resistance you’re using.
Speaking of, let’s talk about HOW MUCH resistance you should choose.
Level of Resistance to Use
If you’re using band pull aparts as a warmup to your workout or an accessory exercise, you probably won't be looking to push it too much with the weight here.
I recommend using a light to medium resistance band for warm-ups, and no need to progressively increase the intensity here.
If you’re using it as an accessory move after a workout, you can go a bit heavier. But still, don’t overdo it. And you can gradually increase the resistance.
Band Pull Aparts Pro Tip #2: Always Keep Tension on the Band
I see a lot of people who bring the band too far in at the bottom of the motion. So, what happens is the band bends in, and there’s no longer ANY tension. This causes your muscles to relax mid-exercise, and it’s not ideal.
Keep constant tension on the resistance band–even when your hands come back together.
Band Pull Aparts Pro Tip #3: What Grip to Take
I already mentioned keeping your hands shoulder-width apart when you grip the resistance band, but that’s the watered-down version of it.
In truth, WHERE you grip the resistance band is totally up to you and your personal preference.
Looking for more of a challenge? I recommend taking a grip that’s slightly CLOSER than shoulder-width.
Or if you need the exercise to be easier, you can go slightly WIDER.
Just don’t keep your grip too wide, or you’ll totally lose any contraction in your upper back.
Band Pull Aparts Pro Tip #4: Don’t Extend Your Wrists
Our bodies like to make exercises easy for us, and I see lots of people doing this and not even noticing it.
Next time you do band the pull aparts exercise, check your wrists.
Are they extending out? If so, they’re doing this to shorten the range of motion and make your muscles work LESS.
Very kind of your wrists, but we need to ask them to straighten up if we want full muscle work here.
Keep your wrists straight throughout the entire exercise.
Band Pull Aparts Pro Tip #5: Keep Hands in Line With Shoulders
It’s also easy to get lazy mid-workout. When this happens, your arms might start to drop and lose form.
But you want to make sure your hands are level with your shoulders from start to finish.
Band Pull Aparts Pro Tip #6: Keep Your Elbows Straight
It’s okay to have a slight bend to your elbows, but I recommend focusing on keeping them on the straighter side throughout band pull aparts.
Some people will even use their elbows to help perform the motion, which again takes away from the upper back actually contracting and working against the resistance band.
Band Pull Aparts Pro Tip #7: Don’t Go Too Far Back With the Band
It’s also super easy to pull the band too far back.
Any time you extend the resistance band PAST your shoulders on either side, you go into scapular adduction, which pushes the shoulder too far back for this exercise.
STOP as soon as your hands are in line with your shoulders–forming a straight line from one hand through your shoulders and to the other hand.
Once you reach that point, imagine extending your hands out on either side to accentuate the stretch.
Band Pull Aparts Pro Tip #8: Don’t Shrug Up Your Shoulders
Maybe you’re carrying some extra stress from work, but don’t take it out on your band pull aparts by tensing up your shoulders and shrugging them up to your neck.
This is BOUND to give you neck problems, and it can lead to shoulder impingement as well.
And just like so many of the other form tweaks we’ve talked about, rounded shoulders will stop your upper back muscles from engaging the way they need to.
To fix this: Picture bringing your shoulder blades slightly DOWN and squeezing them TOGETHER at the full stretch.
Band Pull Aparts Pro Tip #9: Don’t Flare Your Ribs
This is probably the MOST common mistake people make when performing the band pull aparts exercise.
Lots of people tend to flare their ribcage out, and this causes lots of problems.
This will make your scapula compress against your spine, which is as bad as it sounds.
And it will also cause your lower back to round, bringing you out of neutral spine, and potentially causing lower back pain.
More often than not, flaring out your ribcage during band pull aparts is your body compensating for trying with too much weight. So if this is happening to you, an easy fix is to lower the weight.
It also helps to bring your ribs down and posteriorly tilt the pelvis to get back into a neutral spine.
You can also use a wall behind you or lie down on the floor to help keep your back flat during band pull aparts.
Band Pull Aparts Alternative: Overhead Band Pull Aparts
You can also try overhead band pull aparts for a great band pull aparts alternative.
Overhead Band Pull Aparts
This is very similar to regular band pull aparts, but you’ll hold your arms up and then bring them down to the sides of your body as you place resistance on the band.
This band pull aparts alternative exercise is a great way to level up your shoulder mobility.
More Resources on Shoulder & Upper Back Health
If you found this article helpful, check out some of our other resources on shoulder and back health.
“Rhomboid Muscle Pain | How To Fix Pain In Shoulder Blade”
“Shoulder Impingement Exercises: A Comprehensive Guide”
“8 Trapezius Stretches to Loosen Tight Traps”
“Rear Delt Cable Fly: How to, Best Pro Tips & Alternatives”
Video:
“Rhomboid Pain”: How To Fix Shoulder Blade Pain Quickly”
Band Pull Apart FAQs
What muscles do band pull aparts work?
Band pull aparts work your rear delts, rhomboids, traps, and rotator cuffs.
How to do a banded pull apart?
To do a band pull apart, hold a resistance band straight out in front of your body. Then, move both arms out to the side, stretching the resistance band until it hits your chest.
How often should I do band pull aparts?
If you’re using band pull aparts as a warm up, you can use this every day before your lift.
If using band pull aparts as an accessory move, use this after upper body days.
Do band pull aparts build chest?
Band pull aparts do not build your chest; instead, they build your upper back and shoulder muscles.
Where should I feel band pull aparts?
You should feel band pull aparts in your upper back and shoulders–particularly your rear delts, rhomboids, traps, and rotator cuffs.
Are banded pull aparts good?
Banded pull aparts are a good warm-up or accessory exercise.
How many reps for band pull aparts?
When using band pull aparts as a warm-up, I recommend 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps.
When using band pull aparts as an accessory exercise, I recommend 2-5 sets of 8-15 reps.
Do band pull aparts build rear delts?
Yes, band pull aparts are one of the best exercises for rear delts.
Do band pull aparts build traps?
Yes, band pull aparts work your upper back muscles–like your traps–when performed correctly.
[1] https://goums.ac.ir/journal/article-1-2191-en.html&sw=Proprioception
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8566100/
[3] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/sms.12695