The fifteenth in a series by Scot Willingham.

@##=#<1,R>@##=#16 Shoulder rotator cuff exercises

Muscles worked:
Primary: Infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis
Secondary: synergistic humeral muscles
Equipment: Band/tubing, door

Moment to show off my anatomical expertise:
The shoulder (gleno-humeral) is the only joint in the body that is held in place by muscle. In fact, if your muscles were paralyzed or something horrific like that, the weight of the arm would pull the shoulder out of it’s socket.
And the key muscles that do this are the rotator cuff muscles. (the supraspinatus, the infraspinatus, the teres minor and the subscapularis) So what do you do to keep these babies strong and secure, thus insuring joint integrity of the shoulder?

Rotator 1

Get off that step, riser, STEP or box. Grab your band/tubing from the floor. Find a door. Figure out the side of the door that will not open if you pull on the handle. Stand on that side. Now close the door. Tie your band/tubing to the door handle. Stand with your side to the door and hold onto the band/tubing with the hand furtherest from the door, so that your arm is hanging straight down from your shoulder. Without moving your upper arm, bend your elbow 90 degrees. Your forearm will be sticking out in front of you at about belly button height. Start with some resistance on the band (step away from the door if you need). Holding your elbow close to your ribcage, pull your hand away from the door increasing the resistance from the band. Your forearm will move like a windshield wiper if you look down while you do this.
(If you feel no resistance, then you are doing something wrong. Reread the above paragraph. If you still feel no resistance, put the band/tubing down and walk away. You are not ready for this exercise.)
Your elbow should stay by your side and you should be stretching the band across your body. We do not have a lot of range with this movement, so don’t think that this is a big move. Keep your abs engaged to prevent arching your back as you do this exercise.

Rotator 2

Stay at that door. Put the band/tubing in your other hand and bend your arm as in the first exercise. Step away from the door so that there is some resistance on the band. This is your starting position. Pull the band across your body, but keep your upper arm and elbow pressed against your ribs. Return to the starting position. Repeat until fatigue.

Turn around and do the other side starting with Rotator 1.