21/12/2025
DB SHOULDER EXTERNAL ROTATION ➡️ KB BOTTOM-UP
Standing DB ER’s miss the mark in strengthening the rotator cuff muscles because the resistance doesn’t line up with the orientation of the muscle fibres.
DB = pulls straight down with gravity ⬇️
RC = muscle fibres contract horizontally ➡️
The KB bottom-up trains the rotator cuff in its true role of shoulder stability.
All 4 rotator cuff muscles co-contract to keep the head of the humerus (“ball”) centred in the shoulder socket during movement.
This is its “functional” role in the body, as these small deep muscles of the shoulder joint don’t necessarily need to be “strong” (we have other muscles for that).
They need to resist forces coming from the “prime movers” of the shoulder i.e. delts, pecs, lats, traps, etc.
If your client can’t get overhead without pain, start with a KB waiters hold.
