Cable External Rotation
A cable rotator cuff drill that rotates the forearm away from the stomach with the elbow fixed against the ribs.
How to do it
- Set a cable pulley to about waist height and attach a single handle.
- Stand side on so the working arm is furthest from the machine, and take the handle across your body.
- Tuck the working elbow against your ribs and bend it to ninety degrees.
- Brace your trunk and rotate the forearm outward, away from your stomach, without moving the elbow.
- Pause for about one second at the end of the rotation.
- Let the cable draw the hand back slowly to the start, then repeat and switch sides.
Key technique cue
Elbow at the ribs, bent 90°, torso still; let the handle return slowly.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Letting the elbow leave the ribs, which converts the rep into a row driven by the back.
- ✕ Turning the torso away from the machine, which produces range the shoulder never generated.
- ✕ Selecting a heavy plate, which recruits the lats and rear deltoid instead of the cuff.
- ✕ Releasing the eccentric quickly, which discards the phase where the cuff adapts most.
Benefits
- ✓ Holds tension on the external rotators through the whole range thanks to the cable.
- ✓ Strengthens the cuff stabilizers that protect the shoulder during pressing and overhead work.
- ✓ Sets up in seconds on any adjustable stack, so it fits into warm-ups without disruption.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Cable External Rotation
- Band External Rotation
About the exercise
Cable external rotation loads the infraspinatus and teres minor through the range they actually control, turning the upper arm outward. The pulley sits at about waist height and the lifter stands side on, so the cable pulls across the body and resistance stays constant from start to finish. The working elbow is pinned to the ribs and bent to ninety degrees; the forearm sweeps outward until the cable has passed in front of the stomach. Loads stay light because the rotators are small and the leverage is poor by design. It suits shoulder warm-ups and prehab work where a constant-tension option is preferred over an elastic one.
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