Rotator cuff: do external rotations exercises

Many people having shoulder problems have very weak rotator cuff: they are small muscles in the shoulder joint responsible for joint stability.

It is a common injury with athletes in some sports like tennis, boxing, base ball, golf; all movements with throwing action put at risk the rotator cuff.
Strength trainees doing a lot of bench presses may have major problems in the shoulders.

The reason is the main muscles which act with power (front deltoid, pectoralis) are internal rotators: the imbalance between internal and external rotators leads to problems, pain and injuries.

The solution is to strengthen the external rotators: here are 2 exercices.
1- External rotation on a inclined position; you can do it also flat. Keep the elbow in contact with the body. Use a light weigth.

2- Seated external rotation: use a band for resistance. Keep your elbow very close to the body.

Do 2 to 4 sets of 12-15 reps; switch arm each set.

Do these exercises before you feel disconfort and pain, even if you are not an athlete. If your fitness program does not include these exercises on a regular basis, I'm telling you straigth: something is wrong!

Here an excellent resource: The Ultimate Rotator Cuff Training Guide.