The monster whirlwinds in Twister destroyed cities, made pigs fly (along with other farm animals), and gave Helen Hunt some really bad hair days. The aliens in Independence Day, who looked like giant squids, attempted to exterminate the human race with their mile-long war machines. Not unlike mainstream America's obsession with action movies that blow everything out of proportion, some bodybuilders obsess with adding jaw-dropping special effects to their physiques in the form of slab after slab of rock-hard muscle. With all due respect to the aesthetics of a Frank Zane physique, in the bodybuilding world, some people equate bigger with better. Unfortunately, our obsession with developing big showy muscles often results in our neglecting important smaller muscles. Included in this neglected group are the muscles that externally rotate the shoulders.

When I speak about external rotation of the shoulder, I'm referring to the motion of moving the biceps away from the body or simply backwards. The follow-through on a blistering Pete Sampras backhand is an example of external rotation. Although many muscles are involved in this motion, the two most important muscles are the teres minor and the infraspinatus. These muscles lie adjacent to each other and originate on the scapula (shoulder blade) and insert in the humerus (the long bone in the upper arm) and comprise two of the four muscles known as the rotator cuff. From a biomechanical perspective, the teres minor and the infraspinatus help stabilize the shoulder and are therefore crucial for protecting this area from injury.

Muscle Media's Bill Phillips was a classic example of a bodybuilder who neglected his external-rotator muscles and suffered because of it. The muscle imbalances he developed from incomplete training are one reason Bill was having shoulder pain and trouble with his bench press following his motorcycle accident not long ago. It was only after starting an extensive program of exercises for the external rotators—coupled with some Active Release Technique treatments from Dr. Mike Leahy—that Bill was able to start bench pressing his original poundages in perfect form again.

Injury prevention is only part of the benefit of training the external-rotator muscles; these muscles can dramatically improve posture and enhance symmetry in the back. Interestingly enough, a lot of my clients report that they feel more comfortable in their dress shirts after training the external rotators. The improved fit is a result of their shoulder blades moving back to proper alignment.

The name that quickly comes to mind when discussing back symmetry is Robby Robinson. He was touted as having one of the best backs in the business for what seemed like forever. His was the back you want to emulate—the impressive, three-dimensional look: every single muscle that makes up the upper-back structure was fully developed. Such a level of physical refinement set Robby apart from his competitors, and he deserves recognition for setting a standard that few have equaled.

Who Should Train the External Rotators?

Dan Pfaff is the trainer of Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Donovan Bailey. Bailey underwent Active Release Techniques just prior to the Atlanta Olympics. Pfaff knows the importance of such treatments, stating, "There is a very fine line between physiotherapy and the training of the elite athlete." What he means is that when training high-performance athletes, special attention must be given to keeping the body healthy. When I design off-season workouts for athletes, my first priority is to correct the muscular imbalances that develop from all the specific training that occurs within the athlete's particular sport. Take the example of an alpine skier: the top priority in the off-season would be to have him or her perform exercises for the hamstrings to balance the quad strength developed from skiing.

Some caution here: this is not to be confused with "crosstraining," a term that has become a popular buzzword in athletics. One of the claims of the crosstraining philosophy is that by participating in a variety of activities, athletes will help prevent muscle imbalances and therefore prolong their competitive careers. Unfortunately, most athletes who crosstrain participate in sports that are biomechanically very similar, thereby perpetuating muscle imbalances rather than correcting them. This mistake, plus the fact that few sports work the external rotators extensively, makes this an area of concern. The following are people who probably need to pay special attention to the external rotators:

Bodybuilders who do a lot of work for their pecs or lats

Almost any exercise you perform for the pecs or lats places a lot of pressure on the internal rotators, so the people who always begin their workouts with the bench press (you know who you are) are prime candidates for external-rotator work. And, because their "gym egos" often discourage these same individuals from performing exercises with anything other than heavy weights (throw another 45-lb plate on there, Hans, and let's get serious!), they seldom work the external rotators and thus commonly complain of shoulder injuries.

Bodybuilders striving for the ultimate in back development

When the infraspinatus (the muscle on the shoulder blade) and teres minor (the muscle under the shoulder blade) are fully developed, the contrast between these muscles and the lats is amazingly amplified. When the bodybuilder hits a back double-biceps pose, the deep etches between these muscles are visually stunning and give the look of muscle built on muscle.

Individuals who want to increase their bench press

If the external rotators are weak, the prime movers of the upper body will shut down when exposed to high levels of tension. When I design workouts to improve the bench press, the first area I emphasize is the external rotators—sometimes I even start workouts with these exercises! As for the effectiveness of this strategy, I've seen many athletes improve their bench-press and chin-up performances by as much as 15% in less than a month.

Individuals with rounded shoulders

Strengthening the external rotators will help improve posture, thereby reducing stress on the skeleton. Often, such poor posture is the result of working long hours hunched over a desk, especially one that is not ergonomically sound. Rounded shoulders also seem more prevalent in tall individuals, who often fall into the habit of rounding their shoulders to help them look down at the... um... vertically challenged.

Athletes in sports where the lats or pecs are the prime movers

These sports include rowing, canoeing, and swimming, as well as sports like baseball, tennis, and volleyball which involve throwing or hitting implements overhead. After many years of training, the bodies of these athletes adapt by progressively shortening the length of these major muscle groups. For these athletes, part of their training must also include specific stretches for these muscles.

Based on the above prerequisites, the most likely candidate for supplementary work on the external rotators is a tall bench-press fanatic who plays volleyball and is employed as a computer programmer. (There's one in every crowd, you know.)

The Best Exercises for Developing the External Rotators

The degree to which the external rotators are involved in shoulder movements depends on the position of the elbow in relation to the torso. When the arm is abducted (i.e., lifted away from) and positioned high in relation to your waist, the infraspinatus is more active; when the arm is in front of you and low in relation to your waist, the teres minor is more active. Therefore, if you're going to train the external rotators properly, you'll need an arsenal of exercises. Here are the ones I've found to be the most effective:

External rotation with the low pulley while standing, arm in low position
From a standing position, grasp a single handle on a low pulley and turn it sideways. If your right hand is holding onto the handle, your left foot should be closest to the weight stack. (You'll be standing sideways.) The working arm should be abducted about 30° from the torso. With the elbow bent, rotate the working arm outward by pivoting only at the shoulder joint, and lower the weight by gently reversing the direction of the movement. Switch sides and repeat with the other arm.

External rotation with the ShoulderHorn
The ShoulderHorn is interesting as it prevents any cheating when doing external rotator work, which is why I often prescribe this exercise to novices. The ShoulderHorn is available in four sizes, and it's important to use one that fits the width of your shoulders. It's possible to use either dumbbells or a low pulley with this device. A dumbbell provides a good overload in the stretched position (start), while a pulley permits an overload over a greater range of motion. The pulley version is more appropriate for the athlete who is especially weak in the contracted position.

External rotation with a dumbbell, arm in front
For this variation, you need support at the elbow, preferably on a padded surface—an adjustable incline bench is ideal. The working elbow should be resting on an incline bench; the bench should be set so that your elbow rests on the upper ridge at armpit level. Stand with your elbow in front of you. The arm should be bent at a 90° angle, and the foot farthest from the working arm should be placed in front. Make sure you start with a very light dumbbell; most men will need to start with a five-pound dumbbell. Lower the dumbbell in a rotary fashion using only the strength of the external rotators until the muscles are fully stretched. Start the concentric contraction in a smooth fashion; don't jerk the weight up or use body English to get it moving, and don't use the myotatic reflex to get the weight up (a fancy way to say, "don't bounce at the bottom position"). It's also important that at the end of the concentric contraction you don't go beyond the perpendicular position.

It's normal that in the stretched position, the working shoulder rolls up and in. However, don't allow the other shoulder to dip when you lower the dumbbell—this would reduce the eccentric training effect on the working shoulder.

External rotation with a low pulley, arm in front
The setup is the same for the exercise described above, except there is no support of the elbow, and you must use a pulley as the means of resistance. This variation is more complicated, as you must control the movement by isometrically contracting the shoulder stabilizers. Pay particular attention to raising your sternum (sticking your chest out) because technique is often compromised by rounding the shoulders. This variation offers the advantage of providing resistance for a greater range of motion in the contracted position.

External rotation with a dumbbell, arm abducted
For this one, you'll need to support your triceps on a Scott bench (a.k.a. preacher bench). The height of the support pad should be set so that the top of the elbow is set below the shoulder joint. As you lower the dumbbell during the eccentric contraction, make sure you achieve the greatest stretch and keep your wrist in a neutral position.

External rotation with a low pulley, arm abducted
Sit in front of a low pulley and grab a single handle attached to the cable. Abduct the upper arm, keeping a 90° bend at the elbow, and lower the handle by pivoting only at the shoulder joint. Get a full stretch, and rotate the arm outward to come back to the original starting position. Concentrate on moving the hand back as far as possible to take advantage of the greater overload range provided by the lower pulley. This variation offers the advantage of providing greater resistance in the contracted position when the upper arm is abducted.

Cuban press
Also known as the snatch muscle press, this exercise has nothing to do with cigars or reporters. It is, however, often used by Olympic weightlifters to strengthen their shoulders in preparation for lifting record loads in the snatch. Al Vermeil, Strength Coach of the World Champion Chicago Bulls, uses it with his athletes to strengthen their rotator-cuff muscles. This is a very humbling exercise. The best performance I've seen was by a 198-lb man who could do 135 lbs for sets of 6 reps. In contrast, this athlete could also perform 5 perfect reps in the behind-the-neck press with 308 lbs! (Unfortunately, pictures of this exercise do not do it justice.

The starting position for this exercise requires you to hold a barbell with a grip that is wider than shoulder width. Upright row the bar until it reaches the lower portion of your sternum. After pausing momentarily in this position, rotate the arms outward until the forearms are perpendicular to the ground. Then finish the movement by pressing the bar overhead. To complete the exercise, lower the bar in a pressing style until the upper arms are parallel to the floor, then lower it in a rotary fashion to the lower sternum and finally to the mid-thigh level.

Although training the external rotators won't make as dramatic a change in your physical appearance as a hardcore specialization program of squats, chin-ups, or bench presses, developing these muscles is important. The exercises and training principles I've outlined will increase your training longevity, increase performance in pressing and chinning, and improve your posture. Not a bad payoff for such small muscles, but as they say, good things often come in small packages!

Essential Principles for Developing the External Rotators

To get the most out of training the external rotators, here are nine basic concepts to consider:

1. Make sure the muscles work through the full range of motion on all of the exercises covered in this article—if you shorten the range of motion, there's no point in even doing the exercises. When using dumbbells or pulleys, pay particular attention to lowering the resistance completely in the stretched position.
2. Stretch the internal rotators (i.e., the pecs and the lats) between every set. You'll find you won't fatigue as quickly in the following sets; plus your range of motion will be increased.
3. Perform relatively high reps. Perform at least 6 reps per set for the external rotators and, in many cases, up to 20 reps per set. The basic goal is to be certain that the muscles are loaded for at least 40 seconds but for no more than 70 seconds.
4. Avoid high-speed movements. The external rotators respond best to slow to medium speeds of contraction. Go for two to five seconds for each concentric and each eccentric contraction. Movements should be kept smooth throughout the entire range of motion, and the resistance should be moved at a constant speed.
5. Provide sufficient variety in exercise selection. If you have neglected these muscles for a long time, you should do at least two exercises for three sets each. Rotate the exercises every six workouts. After 10-12 weeks of specialized work for the external rotators, you may need to perform only 1 exercise during each training phase.
6. Maintain correct head position. You should always hold your head in the neutral position when performing exercises for the external rotators. The best way to ensure this posture is to be conscious of raising the bottom portion of the sternum.
7. Maintain correct wrist position. When training the external rotators, keep the wrist in a neutral position to minimize the stress on the elbow.
8. Apply gradual overload. The teres minor and the infraspinatus are relatively weak muscles. Most of you will have to use five-pound dumbbells or the smallest plate on the pulley device when you first try these exercises. Because most gyms don't have intermediate dumbbells such as the 7.5 lbs or the 12.5 lbs, I strongly recommend that you invest in a set of PlateMates, which are magnetized micro-increment weights that come in 5/8-, 1/4-, and 3/4-lb sizes. These plates enable you to progressively increase the resistance on the muscles, thus increasing strength faster. One expert in the field of rehabilitation says you shouldn't lift more than 20 lbs in any exercise for the external rotators, but he couldn't validate his rationale for such advice. In contrast, I've seen many clients use as much as 45 lbs without shoulder injury. But be careful.
9. Work the non-dominant arm first. The number of repetitions you can perform for your non-dominant (and usually weaker) arm will tell you how many reps you should perform for your dominant arm. Thus, if you can complete only eight reps per set with your left arm, perform only eight reps with your right arm. As your left arm becomes stronger, you'll be able to increase the workload on the right arm.