Band Standing External Rotation

Also known as: Band External Rotation, Banded External Rotation, Resistance Band Shoulder External Rotation

RehabilitationMobilityWarm-up

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Body Part: Back

Description

A standing rotator cuff exercise with a loop band around both wrists. With your elbows bent to 90 degrees and tucked against your sides, you rotate both forearms outward at the same time, stretching the band across your body. It works the shoulder's external rotators: infraspinatus, teres minor and rear deltoid.

How to Perform

Place a loop band around both wrists and stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart.
Bend your elbows to 90 degrees and keep them lightly pressed against your sides.
Start with your forearms in front of your abdomen. Keep your shoulders down and relaxed and your wrists straight.
Keeping your elbows at your sides, rotate both forearms outward at the same time, away from your body, as far as you can without moving the elbows.
Pause briefly with the band stretched across the front of your body.
Bring your forearms back slowly in front of your abdomen, controlling the pull of the band.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Use a light band and higher reps, around 12 to 20 per set. The external rotators are small muscles and respond best to slow, clean reps.
Pick a band that is already slightly taut when your forearms are in front of your abdomen, so the tension stays on through the whole rep.
Picture your forearms as two doors swinging open on hinges at your elbows.
Keep your chest up and your shoulder blades gently drawn back.
Breathe out as you rotate outward and breathe in on the way back.
Use this exercise in your warm-up before bench or overhead pressing, or at the end of an upper-body workout.

Common Mistakes

Letting the elbows drift away from your sides to make the movement look bigger.
Pulling the elbows back behind your torso instead of rotating at the shoulders.
Straightening the elbows during the rotation, which turns the exercise into a band pull-apart.
Shrugging the shoulders up toward your ears.
Leaning back or pushing the ribs forward at the end of the rotation.
Bending the wrists back to stretch the band farther instead of keeping them in line with the forearms.
Letting the band snap your forearms back together instead of controlling the return.
Letting the stronger arm rotate farther than the weaker one.