Side-Lying External Rotation

How to do it

1. Lie on your side with your legs stacked and your head supported by your lower arm, hand or a small pillow.
2. Hold a light weight in the upper hand.
3. Bend the working elbow to approximately 90 degrees and keep the upper arm resting against the side of your ribs.
4. Place a small folded towel between the elbow and ribs if needed to maintain comfortable alignment.
5. Begin with the forearm resting across the abdomen while keeping the wrist straight.
6. Keep the elbow against the side and rotate the forearm upward toward the ceiling.
7. Stop before your torso rolls backward or the elbow moves away from your body.
8. Pause briefly at the top while keeping your shoulder relaxed.
9. Lower the weight slowly toward the abdomen and repeat before changing sides.

Form cues

• Think, “keep the elbow still while the forearm rotates.”
• Keep the shoulder away from the ear and avoid shrugging.
• Keep the wrist neutral rather than bending it backward.
• Use a very light weight; increasing resistance too quickly commonly causes torso rotation and poor shoulder control.
• Do not roll your chest backward to lift the weight higher.
• Stop at the end of your comfortable shoulder range rather than forcing the forearm toward vertical.
• Lower the weight slowly instead of allowing it to drop toward the abdomen.
• Stop for front-of-shoulder pinching, painful clicking, neck tension, numbness, tingling or radiating symptoms.

Muscles worked

Strengthens: infraspinatus, teres minor, rotator cuff

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