What it does?
This exercise is great for strengthening the 'rotator cuff' muscles of the shoulders. These muscles are used for rotating the shoulder so they are an important group used in many sports and activities.
What you need?
A dumbbell
How do you do it?
- Lie on your side on an exercise mat or soft floor resting your bottom hand on your head
- Hold a dumbbell in the top hand and rest your elbow against your side with the arm bent at a 90 degree angle
- Lower the dumbbell towards the floor, keeping your elbow firmly against your side
- From this position begin to raise the dumbbell towards the ceiling without letting your elbow move from your side
- Hold briefly at the top and then return to the start position
- Repeat 10 times on each arm
Key Points
- Keep the elbow firmly against your side throughout to isolate the rotator cuffs
- It is an isolating exercise so don't expect to use a heavy weight
