Rotator Cuff Exercises

Why do you need a specific set of rotator cuff exercises? Isn't it enough to do the weekly dumbbell lateral raises and military presses to keep the shoulders strong and healthy? If you're lucky, sure, you may get away with training hard and never have rotator cuff problems. But for most of us, there'll be some point where the shoulders just don't quite keep up, with pain and compromised exercise as a result.

The rotator cuff is a collective name for four small but important muscles you may never have heard of. These are:

• Subscapularis
• Infraspinatus
• Supraspinatus
• Teres Minor

Bluntly put, their function is to secure the upper arm against the rest of your body. This is no small feat, seeing how the shoulder joint enjoys a very wide range of movement.

Problems typically develop when you do a lot of repetitive and/or one-sided motions (swimming, basketball free throws) or use too heavy weights. In either case, the tiny rotator cuff muscles simply can't keep up. The good news are you can pre-empt most of these issues by building rotator cuff strength ahead of time.

• Dumbbell Side External Rotator Raises - Lie on your side on a bench with the "up" elbow against your side so that your upper arm is parallel to the floor and the forearm hanging down in front of your body (dumbbell in hand, knuckles out). If you're fit and thus end up with less than parallel upper arm, fold a gym towel and keep between your side and elbow. Now rotate the upper arm so that you raise the dumbbell towards the ceiling. It's a short motion, so don't start twisting your body or moving the elbow out of place just to raise the dumbbell too high. Do two sets of 15-20 reps.

• Cable External Rotator Pulls - Move the pulley to about waist-high on a cable machine and attach a single handle. Stand straight next to it, with your side facing the handle. Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and abs tight. Grab the handle with the far-side hand, so that your upper arm is hanging straight down, elbow snug at your side, and your forearm parallel to the floor across your belly. You may hold the side of the cable machine with the spare hand for balance, if you like. Now rotate the upper arm so that your hand moves away from your belly in a neat arc, making sure the elbow stays against your side at all times. Do two sets of 15-20 reps.

• Cable Internal Rotator Pulls - This exercise is the same as the external pulls above, except you pull so that the handle rotates in towards your belly, similar to the movement of arm wrestling. Again, make sure to keep your elbow stationary at all times and let the full rotation movement originate in the shoulder. Do three sets of 15-20 reps.

• Stretching - Finish with two good stretches. First grab a machine, door handle or other waist-high immovable item with straight arms (both hands), bend forward and pull back/down for 20-30 seconds. Then stand in front of a door opening, raise your arms like the "I surrender" gesture (upper arms straight out at the sides, elbows at 90 degree angle), take a step forward and let the doorframe pull your elbows back for a good shoulder stretch.

Use very light weights when training rotator cuffs. If you use more than a few pounds, odds are you start involving other, stronger muscles and end up robbing yourself of most of the benefit of the exercise. Check the ego at the door and focus on hitting the target muscles.

Of course, there are many other rotator cuff exercises, but these are among the safest out there. If you feel pain, stop immediately and assess the situation. If you're doing the exercise wrong, wait a minute and try again. If you're doing it right and still feel pain, it may be time to check in with a professional; some injuries feel very similar to weakened rotator cuffs, but may require more thorough treatment. Good luck!

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