Banded External Rotation

How to perform the Banded External Rotation

1. Anchor a light band at elbow height and stand side-on to it with the working arm nearest the anchor, that elbow pinned against your ribs.
2. Tuck a rolled towel between elbow and torso if the elbow tends to wander; the upper arm stays put while only the forearm travels.
3. Rotate the forearm away from your belly and out to the side, stopping short of where the shoulder would shrug or the trunk begin to twist.
4. Return to the start over three to four slow seconds, resisting the band the whole way: the lengthening phase is what this movement is prescribed for.
5. Work the prescribed 12 to 20 reps with a band light enough that the final rep still looks like the first one.

Suggested working range: 12–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Picking a band heavy enough that the torso swings to help, which hides the work the rotator cuff is meant to do.
• •Allowing the elbow to slide off the ribs so the rep becomes an abduction rather than a rotation.
• •Snapping back to the start rather than resisting the band through a slow three-to-four second return.
• •Adding reps to chase a burn when the stage calls for a specific low-load dose.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in one of these when the equipment is taken or the main lift has stalled.

Face Pull

Shoulders · Cable

Overhead Press

Shoulders · Barbell

Dumbbell Overhead Press

Shoulders · Dumbbell

Lateral Raise

Shoulders · Dumbbell

Cable Lateral Raise

Shoulders · Cable