Rotator Cuff Exercises | The Ultimate Guide!

Written by Dr. Mike Jansen, PT, DPT in Articles

Are you curious about rotator cuff exercises?

The rotator cuff is one of the most important muscles in the upper body.

It plays a critical role in stabilizing the shoulder joint, and preventing upper body injuries.

So what are the best rotator cuff exercises?

The best rotator cuff exercises include dumbbell external rotations, cable external rotations, and face pulls. All of these exercises work the external rotators of the rotator cuff, including the infraspinatus and teres minor, which are the weakest rotator cuff muscles in most trainees.

But before we talk about the best rotator cuff exercises, let’s take a quick look at the muscles that make up the rotator cuff.

The rotator cuff has 4 main muscles:

  • Muscle #1: The Supraspinatus
  • Muscle #2: The Subscapularis
  • Muscle #3: The Infraspinatus
  • Muscle #4: The Teres minor

Here is a perfect picture of the rotator cuff muscles:

How to train the rotator cuff

As you can see, these 4 rotator cuff muscles attach to the shoulder joint. They are responsible for stabilizing the shoulder during dynamic movement [1].

The rotator cuff muscles also help you to move your shoulder in specific directions. Check it out [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]:

  • Teres minor = externally rotates the upper arm
  • Infraspinatus = externally rotates the upper arm
  • Subscapularis = internally rotates the upper arm
  • Supraspinatus = helps to raise your arm to your side

The first 2 muscles (the teres minor and infraspinatus) are the most important, as they are very weak in most trainees.

The best rotator cuff exercises work these muscles more than the other 2. However, for optimal results, you should use exercises that train all 4 rotator cuff muscles.

Now let’s get to the action!

The 9 Best Rotator Cuff Exercises

Most trainees neglect the rotator cuff in their workouts. This is a huge mistake!

If you want to build a big, strong upper body,  then using some direct rotator cuff exercises is absolutely essential.

Here are 5 of the most effective rotator cuff exercises:

  • Exercise #1: Seated dumbbell external rotation
  • Exercise #2: Cable external rotation
  • Exercise #3: Cable face pulls
  • Exercise #4: Subscapularis pull up
  • Exercise #5: The hanging band overhead press

The first 3 exercises on this list are designed to train the external rotators of the rotator cuff. In other words, they target the infraspinatus, and the teres minor.

These are the 2 most important rotator cuff muscles to train, as they tend to be very weak in most trainees.

However, the other exercises are also extremely helpful for strengthening the rotator cuff.

Now let’s take a closer look at each of these exercises.

Rotator Cuff Exercise #1: Seated Dumbbell External Rotation

This exercise was popularized by the legendary strength coach Charles Poliquin.

In fact, he believes it is the #1 rotator cuff strengthening exercise that you can perform in the gym.

To perform this exercise, you sit on a flat adjustable bench with one foot positioned on the bench.

From there, you place your elbow on your knee, with your hand directly above the elbow.

Once you are ready, you slowly lower the dumbbell as low as you can, and then slowly raise the dumbbell back up to the starting position.

Because your elbow is in front of your body, this exercise will mostly target the infraspinatus muscle [7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12].

However, your teres minor will still receive some stimulation.

The key is to perform this exercise using nothing but your rotator cuff muscles. The only thing that should be moving is your shoulder! Everything else must be perfectly still.

This exercise is excellent for training the external rotators of the rotator cuff.

Most trainees will need to start with a 1-5 pound dumbbell for this exercise! Over time, you can safely use 10-30 pounds (or more!) on this movement.

It’s EXTREMELY important to use nothing but your rotator cuff during this exercise. For example, here is Nick Mitchell talking about the importance of isolating the external rotators throughout this movement:

One of the benefits of this exercise is that you get a very pronounced stretch on the external rotators in the bottom position of the exercise.

Make sure that you lower the weight as far as you comfortably can before raising it back to the starting position.

Of course, there are other ways to perform this exercise. An excellent variation is to perform it with your elbow pointing away from your body. For example:

This variation places a little more emphasis on the teres minor, and a little less emphasis on the infraspinatus [13, 14, 15].

The rear deltoids also assist with externally rotating the arm when your arm is held out to the side. 

Both variations of the dumbbell external rotation are excellent, so don’t be afraid to use both in your training program!

Rotator Cuff Exercise #2: Cable External Rotation

Cable exercises are FANTASTIC for training the rotator cuff.

In fact, many fitness experts like Jeff Caveliere (the founder of Athlean X) believe that cables are a better choice than dumbbells for training the external rotators.

Here is a perfect demonstration of the cable external rotation exercise:

As always, you want to perform this exercise with perfect technique. If you get “sloppy” and start using other muscle groups, then your rotator cuff won’t get any stronger!

The key to performing this exercise is to keep your elbow pinned against the side of your body. This forces you to use nothing but your rotator cuff to move the weight.

Many rehabilitation experts recommend that you perform this exercise with resistance bands. This is an excellent choice when rehabilitating a rotator cuff injury such as a tear within the infraspinatus muscle.

Unfortunately, resistance bands are a poor choice when working with a healthy, athletic population.

The cable does a much better job of applying tension throughout the entire range of motion of the lift. The cable also makes it easier to increase the resistance as your strength increases. 

You can also perform this cable rotator cuff exercise with your elbow pointed out towards the side. For example:

This is another fantastic variation of the cable external rotation.

The big difference here is that your elbow is pointing out towards your side and supported on a bench or some other fixed object.

This variation is helpful for isolating the teres minor. It also recruits the rear delt as an external rotator.

For optimal results, I recommend using both of these rotator cuff exercises in your training program. Don’t worry – I’ll give you a sample rotator cuff program that you can start using TODAY at the end of this article!

Rotator Cuff Exercise #3: Seated Cable Rope Face Pulls

The face pull is one of THE BEST rotator cuff exercises that you can perform in the gym.

Many fitness experts like Charles Poliquin and Jeff Cavaliere believe it is the fastest way to strengthen your rotator cuff, and improve the health of your shoulders.

So what does the cable face pull look like?

The truth is, there are a couple of different ways to perform this exercise. The first variation puts more emphasis on the rotator cuff, while the second version puts more emphasis on the upper back muscles.

Here is the best way to perform the face pull for strengthening the rotator cuff:

Now THAT is what I call perfect form!

To perform this exercise, you need a rope attachment, and a cable pulley station. The key to performing this movement is to pull the rope attachment towards you, WHILE externally rotating your shoulders at the same time.

In the fully contracted position, your hands should be directly over your elbows.

This exercise works the rotator cuff very hard, which means you may have to use very light weights on this movement.

Don’t worry – that is perfectly normal. As your rotator cuff muscles get stronger, you will be able to use more weight on this movement.

Here is the second way you can perform the cable face pull:

For the second version, you keep your hands closer to your shoulders. In the fully contracted position, your hands should be directly over your shoulder joint.

This version of the face pull puts more emphasis on your upper back muscles (like your traps and rhomboids), and less emphasis on your rotator cuff. However, it still works the rotator cuff very hard, so it deserves a place in your overall training program.

I recommend you start with the first version of the exercise – especially if your rotator cuff is very weak. Over time, you can try the second variation, which lets you handle more weight.

Rotator Cuff Exercise #4: Subscapularis Pull Up

The subscapularis pull up was popularized by the legendary strength coach Charles Poliquin.

This exercise trains the internal rotators of the rotator cuff, rather than the external rotators.

Most trainees should focus on exercises that work the external rotators of the rotator cuff, such as dumbbell external rotations, cable external rotations, and face pulls.

However, the subscapularis pull up is excellent for advanced athletes who already have strong external rotators.

Here is a perfect demonstration of this exercise:

The subscapularis pull up is an advanced rotator cuff exercise. It targets one specific muscle group: the subscapularis [16].

For this exercise, you want to use an overhand, wider-than-shoulder-width grip on the pull up bar.

The concentric range of the motion is performed as usual. Once you reach the top you begin pushing yourself away from the bar as you lower yourself down.

Once your arms are straight, and you are maximally away from the bar, you can lower yourself down to the starting position. The act of pushing yourself away from the bar strongly activates the subscapularis muscle.

This exercise can be a great way to further strengthen your subscapularis muscle.

In the long run, this will give you healthier shoulders and increase your potential for further strength gains on the big compound lifts.

Rotator Cuff Exercise #5: The Hanging Band Overhead Press

The hanging band overhead press is undoubtedly one of the most effective ways to strengthen the rotator cuff.

Here is a perfect demonstration of this exercise:

The hanging band overhead press is usually performed with a specialty barbell called a bamboo bar, or an earthquake bar. However, it can also be performed with a regular 45 pound barbell.

The basic idea is to hang weights or kettlebells from the bar using resistance bands.

As you perform the exercise, the weights shake around in a chaotic fashion. This forces your rotator cuff muscles to work far harder than normal to stabilize the weight.

The hanging band overhead press is EASILY one of the best rotator cuff exercises that you can perform. I highly recommend you give it a shot!

Part 2: The Worst Rotator Cuff Exercises

There are no “bad” rotator cuff exercises. However, there are some exercises that place a lot of stress on the rotator cuff complex.

You are probably better off avoiding these exercises unless your external rotators such as the infraspinatus and the teres minor are at least reasonably strong.

If you bench press 300 pounds, but can only use a 5 pound dumbbell on seated dumbbell external rotations, then you should consider holding off on these exercises until your external rotators are stronger.

The Worst Rotator Cuff Exercise #1: The Upright Row

Many fitness experts such as Jeff Cavalier of AthleanX have stated that you are probably better off avoiding the upright row altogether. There is definitely some truth to this statement.

The upright row places the shoulders into extreme end-range internal rotation. This places a lot of stress on the rotator cuff musculature and can lead to “impingement” of your shoulder joint.

If you have extremely strong external rotators and otherwise perfect upper body structural balance then the upright row can be a great exercise to train the delts and the traps.

However, if you are like most trainees it is probably best to avoid the upright row altogether.

I rarely prescribe this exercise to my online coaching clients. Most of the time the risk associated with this exercise does not justify the potential reward.

There are just too many other exercises that work just as well for me to risk prescribing the upright row.

The Worst Rotator Cuff Exercise #2: The Bench Press

If you have a very strong rotator cuff complex then the bench press is a FANTASTIC exercise. It is one of the best ways to strengthen the chest, delts and triceps.

However, there is a dark side to the bench press. The bench press is likely responsible for more upper body injuries than every other upper body exercise COMBINED.

One of the challenges with the bench press is that it places the shoulder joint into extreme internal rotation. It also places a lot of stress on the chest tendons and dramatically increases the pressure on the subscapularis muscle.

If you have a healthy shoulder joint including very strong external rotators then you should have no problems at all with the bench press.

However, if you need to use the pink dumbbells when you perform external rotation exercises then you are probably better off avoiding this exercise for now.

If this describes you, then I recommend you spend 8-12 weeks strengthening your rotator cuff while focusing on various overhead press variations. After an 8-12 weeks your rotator cuff strength should be where it needs to be and you can return to the so-called king of upper body lifts.

Don’t worry, your strength won’t decrease during this time period. You should find that your bench press actually increases after the break from the exercise.

At the end of this article I cover a sample 12-week training program focused on bringing up the strength of your external rotators and your overhead press.

I highly recommend you check it out.

Part 3: How To Train The Rotator Cuff

It is important to use the correct loading parameters when training the rotator cuff.

Here are some general guidelines that you may want to follow for the following loading parameters:

  • Parameter #1: Range of motion
  • Parameter #2: Sets and reps
  • Parameter #3: Exercise tempo
  • Parameter #4: Training frequency

Check it out:

Loading Parameter #1: Range Of Motion

It is absolutely critical that you use a full range of motion whenever you directly train the rotator cuff with isolation exercises.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not against partial range of motion lifts if they are used intelligently.

However, when training the rotator cuff you want to maximally stretch and contract the muscles on every rep. This is particularly true when training the external rotators.

Let’s take another look at the seated dumbbell external rotation:

If you watch closely, the athlete is letting the dumbbell lower down towards the ground as far as possible on every rep.

He is NOT doing this by moving his entire shoulder forward.

Instead he is just letting his shoulder joint internally rotate until he reaches the end of his range of motion. Then on every rep he raises the weight back up until he reaches his end range of motion.

The seated cable rope face pull is another exercise where many individuals fail to use a full range of motion:

Notice that the female is achieving maximal shoulder extension AND external rotation on every rep! Her hands are literally directly over her shoulders at the end of every rep.

This is how the exercise should be performed.

I have seen hundreds, if not thousands of trainees perform the cable rope face pull in various commercial gyms my lifetime. However, as of yet I have never seen a single trainee perform this exercise through a full range of motion.

Don’t let this be you!

Loading Parameter #2: Sets And Reps

Thumb the rotator cuff should be performed for relatively higher repetitions.

As a general rule of thumb, I recommend you perform 2-4 sets of 5-20 reps for the rotator cuff isolation exercises. It is absolutely critical that you fully isolate the target muscle on these exercises.

If you are performing an exercise for the external rotators, then you want these muscles and only these muscles to be performing the work.

For most trainees this is very hard to do unless the reps are higher.

A great option is to slowly increase the weight and decrease the repetitions on your rotator cuff exercises over the course of 2-4 months. For example:

  • Month #1: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
  • Month #2: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
  • Month #3: 4 sets of 5-8 reps

You don’t need to use any special high-intensity techniques and I generally do not recommend you perform your sets to failure.

Fortunately, the rotator cuff tends to respond quickly from very basic set and rep schemes.

Loading Parameter #3: Tempo

Slower tempos are very helpful when training the rotator cuff.

I recommend that you perform all of your rotator cuff isolation exercises with a 2-5 second eccentric tempo. This means you lower the weight over 2-5 seconds.

These slow eccentric tempos are very helpful for increasing strength and for improving your ability to properly recruit these muscles.

During the concentric range fast or slow tempos can be utilized. Often times slower concentric tempos are helpful for increasing your ability to recruit the correct muscles. It is very easy to let momentum take over the lift if you are not careful.

For example here is how you might periodize your rotator cuff isolation exercise tempos over a 3-month period:

  • Month #1: 2/0/2/0 (2 second lowering phase, 2 second lifting phase)
  • Month #2: 4/0/1/0 (4 second lowering phase, 1 second lifting phase)
  • Month #3: 3/0/X/0 (3 second lowering phase, explosive lifting phase)

Loading Parameter #4: Training Frequency

The rotator cuff does not need an ultra-high training frequency or anything like that.

It actually responds well to a relatively “normal” training frequency.

Training your external rotators with 1-2 isolation exercises once every 3-5 days is an excellent place to start.

One of the simplest strategies is to simply perform them at the end of your upper body workouts. Once your external rotators are as strong as they should be you can probably maintain them on far less frequency.

Many of my trainees only need to train their rotator cuffs directly once every 1-2 weeks to keep them strong.

Part 4: 2 Sample Rotator Cuff Training Programs!

Now we’re getting to the good stuff: I am going to give you 2 separate 3-month rotator cuff training programs!

These programs are specifically designed to increase the strength of your external rotators so that you achieve optimal upper body structural balance.

The key strength ratio is as follows:

  • Close grip bench press: 100% x 1 rep
  • Seated DB external rotation (elbow on knee): 9.8% x 8 reps

In other words, if you can close grip bench press 300 pounds for a single then you should be able to perform seated DB external rotations with a 30 pound dumbbell for 8 reps.

If you are nowhere near achieving this strength norm, then you are missing out on a lot of upper body strength and size gains.

These programs will help you achieve this strength norm as quickly as possible. 

The first program features rotator cuff isolation exercises that you can perform at the end of your regular upper body workouts. You don’t need to make any other changes to your workouts. I recommend you perform these workouts once every 3-7 days. 

Check it out:

Rotator Cuff Program #1: Month 1

  • A1: Seated cable rope face pulls, 3 x 15, 2/0/2/0, 60 seconds rest
  • B1: Cable adducted external rotations, 3 x 15, 2/0/2/0, 60 seconds rest 

Rotator Cuff Program #1: Month 2

  • A1: Standing cable external rotations (arm adducted), 4 x 10, 3/0/1/0, 90 seconds rest

Rotator Cuff Program #1: Month 3

  • A1: Seated DB external rotations (elbow on knee), 4 x 6, 4/0/X/0, 120 seconds rest

The second program is a little different: it is an entire 12-week upper body training program! Every exercise for your upper body is covered.

This program is great for improving not only your rotator cuff strength but also your scapular retractor strength, your overhead pressing strength and your brachialis strength.

These are the muscle groups / lifts that Charles Poliquin found were weak in almost all of his first-time clients. My own experience as a coach has confirmed Charles’ findings.

For this program I recommend you use an upper body / lower body split performed 4 days per week. For example:

  • Monday: Upper Body
  • Wednesday: Lower Body
  • Friday: Upper Body
  • Saturday: Lower Body

Another option would be to perform a 3 days per week upper body / lower body split.

It is very important to perform these workouts in the correct order.

Each 3-week training block builds on the previous 3-week block so that your strength is peaked at the end of the training cycle.

Check it out:

Rotator Cuff Program #2: Weeks 1-3

  • A1: Standing unilateral DB overhead press (neutral grip), 4 x 8-10, 2/0/X/0, 60 seconds rest
  • A2: Wide overhand grip cable pulldowns, 4 x 8-10, 2/0/X/0, 60 seconds rest
  • B1: Decline DB triceps extension, 4 x 10-12, 3/0/1/0, 60 seconds rest
  • B2: Seated cable rope face pull, 4 x 10-12, 2/0/2/0, 60 seconds rest
  • C1: Seated zottman curl, 4 x 10-12, 3/0/1/0, 60 seconds rest
  • C2: Cable adducted external rotations, 4 x 10-12, 2/0/2/0, 60 seconds rest 

Here are the exercise videos: exercise A1, exercise A2, exercise B1, exercise B2, exercise C1, exercise C2.

This first 3-week phase is designed to lay the foundation for the rest of the training cycle. On the overhead presses and the lat pulldowns I recommend you perform all of your sets 1-2 reps shy of failure.

For example here is what your sets of seated DB overhead presses might look like:

  • Set #1: 80’s x 10 reps
  • Set #2: 80s x 10 reps
  • Set #3: 80’s x 9 reps
  • Set #4: 80’s x 8 reps

It is extremely important that you use the correct “2/0/2/0” tempo on both the seated face pulls and the cable external rotations. The slower concentric and eccentric tempos will enhance your ability to properly recruit the external rotators.

Rotator Cuff Program #2: Weeks 4-6

  • A1: Seated military press from pins (shoulder-width grip), 6 x 6/4/2**, 4/0/X/0, 90 seconds rest
  • A2: Narrow neutral grip pull ups, 6 x 6/4/2**, 4/0/X/0, 90 seconds rest
  • B1: Lying ez-bar extensions (to forehead), 4 x 5-7, 2/1/X/0, 60 seconds rest
  • B2: T-bar row, 4 x 7-9, 2/0/X/0, 60 seconds rest
  • C1: Seated DB external rotations (arm abducted / supported), 4 x 6-8, 3/0/X/0, 60 seconds rest
  • C2: Preacher ez-bar curl (wide / pronated grip), 4 x 6-8, 3/0/X/0, 60 seconds rest

**Performed as a 6/4/2 wave loading scheme. Perform 6 reps on your 1st set, 4 reps on your 2nd set, 2 reps on your 3rd set, 6 reps on your 4th set, 4 reps on your 5th set, and 2 reps on your 6th set.

Here are the exercise videos: exercise A1, exercise A2, exercise B1, exercise B2, exercise C1, exercise C2.

For weeks 4-6 you are going to use the 6/4/2 wave loading scheme. For example:

  • Set #1: 6 reps
  • Set #2: 4 reps
  • Set #3: 2 reps
  • Set #4: 6 reps
  • Set #5: 4 reps
  • Set #6: 2 reps

This is a fantastic way to boost your maximal strength.

You get to flirt with some relatively lower rep ranges but without burning out your central nervous system.

You should already notice a significant increase in your rotator cuff strength compared to your first 1-3 week phase.

Rotator Cuff Program #2: Weeks 7-9

  • A1: Standing behind the neck press (shoulder-width grip), 4 x 5**, 3/0/X/0, 90 seconds rest
  • A2: Medium overhand grip pull ups, 4 x 5**, 3/0/X/0, 90 seconds rest
  • B1: Eccentric seated unilateral DB french press**, 4 x 6-8, 3/0/1/0, 60 seconds rest
  • B2: Seated cable row (v-handle) 4 x 8-10, 3/0/1/1, 60 seconds rest
  • C1: Unilateral cable external rotation (arm abducted / supported), 4 x 8-10, 2/0/1/0, 60 seconds rest
  • C2: Standing bilateral cable ez-bar curl (wide / pronated grip), 4 x 8-10, 2/0/X/0, 60 seconds rest

**On your 4th and final set perform a “5 to 8” set. Perform 5 reps, rest 15-30 seconds, perform 1 rep with the same load, rest 15-30 seconds, perform 1 rep with the same load, rest 15-30 seconds, perform 1 rep with the same load, done! 

****Lower the weight like normal to isolate your triceps. In the bottom position roll your elbow forward and then perform an overhead press back to the lockout position. This sequence is repeated for the desired number of reps. See the video below for more details.

Here are the exercise videos: exercise A1, exercise A2, exercise B1, exercise B2, exercise C1, exercise C2.

This 3-week training block features the behind the neck press.

This is an excellent exercise to improve the overall health of your shoulder joint. If for some reason you cannot perform the behind the neck press with a shoulder-width grip then you may want to widen your grip on the bar. 

For this workout, you are going to perform a modified version of a rest-pause set on your 4th and final set of 5 reps on the behind the neck press and chin ups.

You perform 5 reps like normal. Then you rack the weight, rest 15-30 seconds and perform 1 more single.

This process is repeated until you have performed 8 total reps. These additional singles are fantastic for building strength.

They will set you up very nicely for the final 3-week training block:

Rotator Cuff Program #2: Weeks 10-12

  • A1: Standing military press (shoulder-width grip), 9 x 3/2/1**, 5/0/X/0, 120 seconds rest
  • A2: Narrow supinated grip chin ups, 9 x 3/2/1**, 5/0/X/0, 120 seconds rest
  • B1: Dead stop skull crushers, 3 x 5-7, 2/1/X/0, 75 seconds rest
  • B2: Barbell dead stop row, 3 x 5-7, 2/1/X/0, 75 seconds rest
  • C1: Unilateral preacher zottman curl, 3 x 5-7, 4/0/X/0, 60 seconds rest
  • C2: Seated DB external rotation (elbow on knee), 3 x 5-7, 4/0/X/0, 60 seconds rest

Performed as a 3/2/1 wave loading scheme. On your 1st, 4th and 7th sets perform 3 reps. On your 2nd, 5th and 8th sets perform 2 reps. On your 3rd, 6th and 9th sets perform 1 rep.

Here are the exercise videos: exercise A1, exercise A2, exercise B1, exercise B2, exercise C1, exercise C2.

The last 3-week training block features the 3/2/1 wave loading scheme on the 2 main exercises.

The 3/2/1 wave loading scheme is one of the best ways to train for strength and to peak your strength on a particular lift.

This training block also features the gold-standard of external rotation exercises: the seated DB external rotation with your elbow on your knee.

By the end of week 12, you should have achieved optimal rotator cuff strength.

In other words, if you can bench press 300 pounds for a single, then you should be able to perform seated DB external rotations with a 30 pound dumbbell for 8 reps. 

Conclusion | Rotator Cuff Exercises – The Ultimate Guide!

The rotator cuff is one of the most important muscle groups in the upper body.

It plays an a massive role in keeping your shoulders healthy, and in building a big, strong upper body.

According to the world’s leading strength coaches, here are the top 5 rotator cuff exercises:

  • Exercise #1: Seated dumbbell external rotation
  • Exercise #2: Cable external rotation
  • Exercise #3: Cable face pulls
  • Exercise #4: Subscapularis pull up
  • Exercise #5: The hanging band overhead press

Adding these exercises to your training program is the fastest way to strengthen your rotator cuff. In fact, they may be the key to taking your training to the next level!

“Just like in bodybuilding, failure is also a necessary experience for growth in our own lives, for if we’re never tested to our limits, how will we know how strong we really are? How will we ever grow?”

Thank you for reading and I wish you the best of luck in your strength training journey!

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Dr. Mike Jansen, PT, DPT

What's going on! My name is Dr. Mike Jansen, I'm the creator of Revolutionary Program Design. If you want to take your training to the next level, then you've come to the right place... My goal is to make RPD the #1 strength training resource available anywhere in the world!

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