ExerciseGIF

Exercises / External rotation

External rotation GIF

Figure

Male figure; the female figure follows.

Muscles
Background

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Worked muscles

  • ShouldersMusculus deltoideus
  • Rotator cuffMusculi rotatores humeri
  • Rear shouldersMusculus deltoideus, pars spinalis
  • ForearmsMusculi antebrachii
Equipment
Dumbbells
Level
intermediate
Loop
One repetition, 2.13 seconds

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Part of the Chest and shoulders pack: male figure (the female figure follows), GIF, WebP and MP4 at 480 and 720 px, commercial license.

Get the Chest and shoulders pack, $49Whole library, $249

From the API

GET one exercise
curl https://api.exercisegif.com/v1/exercises/external-rotation \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXERCISEGIF_KEY"

Returns the exercise with GIF, WebP and MP4 links for both figures. Docs

How to do a external rotation

  1. Lie on your side with your head supported and knees slightly bent for stability
  2. Hold a light dumbbell in your top hand with your elbow bent at 90 degrees against your side
  3. Keep your wrist straight and maintain the 90-degree elbow angle throughout the movement
  4. Slowly rotate your forearm upward until it's vertical, focusing on controlled movement
  5. Pause briefly at the top position before slowly lowering back to the starting position
  6. Complete all repetitions on one side before switching to the other arm

Form tips

  • Start with very light weight (2-5 pounds) as the rotator cuff muscles are small and can be easily injured
  • Keep your elbow pressed against your side throughout the entire movement to isolate the external rotators
  • Move slowly and controlled - this exercise is about muscle activation and shoulder health, not speed or heavy weight
  • Stop immediately if you feel any pain in your shoulder joint
  • Focus on feeling the work in the back of your shoulder rather than using momentum

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