External Rotation

What it is

This isolation exercise strengthens your rotator cuff, a group of muscles surrounding your shoulder joint. Using a dumbbell, you externally rotate your forearm while keeping your upper arm stable. This movement specifically targets the muscles responsible for shoulder stability and health.

Technique tips

• Maintain a strict 90-degree angle at your elbow throughout the movement.
• Keep your upper arm completely still, aligned with your torso on the bench.
• Control the dumbbell through the entire range of motion, avoiding momentum.
• Exhale as you lift the dumbbell, then inhale slowly as you lower it.
• Pause briefly at the top of the movement to maximize muscle engagement.
• Focus on slow, deliberate movement to isolate your shoulder muscles.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.