Rotator cuff exercises

[Thewhite9t]

Now I've heard that having strong rotator cuffs is very important to keep them from getting injured and also to assist with strength movements.

I take the cables and I grab the handle with one hand across my body and leave my arm at a 45 degree angle and pull away. This is the only thing I really know of to do to train my rotator cuffs.

Is it okay to progress to a decent amount of weight (40lbs atm) with this exercise or is that going to be damaging in some way?

Also is there any more affective exercises to do for the rotator cuffs to keep them strong and healthy?

 

[dragonfire101]

http://askthetrainer.com/rotator-cuff-exercises.html

I wouldn't go over 40pounds. Its not a strength exercise, but strengthening exercise. You should be doing more reps of 15-20 slowly. Then if you use the exercise bands movement can be somewhat little faster.


Face pulls are good also. With a high pulley using rope and pull towards your face and spread teh rope to side of each ear down ward angle.

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or check the exercise lab, Just type in what your looking for to the upper right


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[fatcat669]

my favorite is the one where you sit on a bench with one leg on it and the arm you are working on in front of you and supported by your knee. i wouldnt go to heavy. keep it in the 15-20 rep range. if you use too much weight you won't work the right muscles and could strain the RC. i usually do it as a warmup with only 5 lbs as well as after any pushing movements to keep things balanced. poliquin actually has a definite answer of what you should ideally be able to do that movement with to keep your RC healthy. if i remember right its something like 8-10 reps with 10% of your bench press 3rm. i couldnt find it when i searched for it so i could be wrong on the exact ratio.


face pulls with external rotation at the peak of the movement are really good too, they give you a bit more overload than you can get with the pure isolation movements. here is a vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kexr7CqnVng
i also feel that rear delt flyes done properly hit this area in a useful way as well. cuban presses (again light) are great too.

the previous poster is perfectly right about external rotations of any sort not being a "strength" movement, rather them being a "strengthening" movement. awhile ago at the gym there was a really skinny kid and his buddy doing standing dumbbell external rotations with something like 15lbs... it actually made my shoulder ache while i watched. when the kid was done he was complaining about how much his shoulder hurt. retarded.

 

[Thewhite9t]

I'll definately try the face pulls.

I'm really trying to avoid injury in this area because I hear so many guys at my gym saying "I was bench pressing and messed up my rotator cuff and I havn't been able to lift the same since."

Thanks for excellent responses.

 

[randysavage]

Go to a physiotherapist and ask him about it.

I tore mine from heavy benchng and it's a bitch to pull together. The physio gave me exercises that I did religously for 6 mths. an dthey went back to better than before. It's a very serious injury if you mess up your rotators. You won't be able to do anything else.