Shoulders
The main muscle group listed for this exercise.
Exercise guide
External Rotation
External Rotation is a beginner-friendly shoulder exercise performed with dumbbells.
Dumbbell
The equipment listed for this variation.
Beginner
The recorded setup and movement complexity.
Shoulders
No secondary muscle group is listed for this variation.
Strength
Movement pattern: general. This is an isolation exercise.
Beginner
This level reflects the setup and movement complexity recorded for this exercise.
Instructions
How to do External Rotation
- Lie sideways on a flat bench with one arm holding a dumbbell and the other hand on top of the bench folded so that you can rest your head on it.
- Bend the elbows of the arm holding the dumbbell so that it creates a 90-degree angle between the upper arm and the forearm. Tip: Keep the arm parallel to your torso.
- Now bend the elbow while keeping the upper arm stationary. In this manner, the forearm will be parallel to the floor and perpendicular to your torso (Tip: So the forearm will be directly in front of you). The upper arm will be stationary by your torso and should be parallel to the floor (aligned with your torso at all times). This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe out, externally rotate your forearm so that the dumbbell is lifted up in a semicircle motion as you maintain the 90 degree angle bend between the upper arms and the forearm. You will continue this external rotation until the forearm is perpendicular to the floor and the torso pointing towards the ceiling. At this point you will hold the contraction for a second.
- As you breathe in, slowly go back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions and then switch to the other arm.
Related workouts
Workout templates that use this exercise.
If you want to see this movement inside a more complete training session, start here.
3-Day Full Body Split
A three-day split that spreads total weekly work across three full-body sessions.
View workout4-Day Upper Lower Split
A simple four-day split that gives each half of the body two quality sessions each week.
View workout5-Day Bodybuilding Split
A traditional five-day bodybuilding split for lifters who enjoy focusing on one or two regions per session.
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View exerciseRelated tools
Related calculators for this exercise.
Use these calculators when you want to connect the exercise itself to calories, protein, strength targets, or training volume.
FAQ
Common questions about External Rotation.
What muscles does External Rotation work?
External Rotation primarily trains the shoulders.
Is External Rotation beginner-friendly?
Yes. It is listed as beginner-friendly.
What equipment do I need for External Rotation?
This variation uses dumbbells.
Track this exercise for free in Logbook.
Once the movement is in your plan, use Logbook to record sets, reps, load, and progress without guessing what happened last week.