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Don’t neglect the rotators and allow imbalances to develop. The circuit I do for my rotators is nothing special, however it has helped my many times recover from rotator pain and inflammation. Any number of circuits or exercises could work just as well. To give you an example of different ideas, here is what I do.
Rotator Cuff Circuit
- Lateral Raise – thumbs up
- Lateral Raise – thumbs down (on these, the plane of movement is about half-way between front raise and lateral raise).
- Shoulder Horn Rotations
- Wind mills (start in peak contraction of a lateral raise and rotate your arms in relatively tight circles).
I do these four exercises in one giant set, 5-12 reps each. I may do one or two of these giant sets to warm-up the rotators for benching. If I am trying to rehab or strengthen the rotators, I will either do them after bench, or on an assistance day. For rehab/strengthening, four or more giant sets is fine. I keep the weights light on this, like 5-15 pounds. Just enough to get the blood flowing in the area.
In the past when rotator cuff pain/inflammation set in, consistently performing this circuit has helped me pull out of it and return to normal.
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Clint graduated from the University of Florida in 2003, and now works in Jacksonville, Fla., as a civil engineer. He became a competitive powerlifter in 2005. Since then, his total has increased from 2060 to 2485 pounds. His current best lifts are 935 squat, 805 bench press and 755 deadlift in the 242 pound weight class. Clint trains with Adam Driggers and Brian Carroll of Team Samson Barbell. He lives with his wife and daughter.
View Clint’s Training Log 
Short, simple, and effective. Many thanks Clint, I’m sure this will help and be put to good use.
i will never do thumps down lateral raises again,that was the excercise that killed my supraespinatus tendon,but many people with no hook-shaped acromions can do them easily.i prefer the thumbs up (you can find them as the “full can” instead of the “empty can” ),also full can l-flyes and full can front flyes are great.
yes,i agree Don’t Ignore the Rotators!!!
bands pull-apart have helped me also.
band*
Thumbs down is a no no.
Indian clubs can be a great help as well
Turkish getups with a kettlebell and YTWL’s.
Great article. I agree with the others though, the thumbs down is HORRIBLE. Many rehab specialists do not do can exercises like that. Will wreck your shoulder…… Eventually.
I don’t think a few pounds will destroy your shoulders w/ thumbs down, up, whatever.
funny, my pt has me do thumbs down all the time with super light weights(as with all rotator work).
guy works with professional athletes and has helped me immensly. maybe its a case by case basis, which is why we go to doctors and don’t take things written on internet boards by random people as the be all-end all.
Looks simple and effective Ill start doing it before I press or do any sort of work that involves the shoulders.
The key is super light weights and only about 10 reps like Clint said. These are more “insurance” exercises not for strength numbers. My coach showed me very similar exercises (internal, external, sagittal) at the end of a powerlifting rotation we were doing. I can tell a difference (2 months after) and my external and internal rotations for each shoulder are a lot more even and helped with my oly lifts too.
I’m an athletic trainer, CSCS, and getting my doctorate in PT right now, so now you know the perspectives I work from. People really shouldn’t be doing RC strengthening thumbs down, especially if they’re over 40, and here’s why: They used to think that the “empty can” position (thumbs down) best isolated the Supraspinatus muscle – BUT now they know that although it does isolate it (it’s not that much better isolation than the full can position (thumbs up) anyways, it decreases the subacromial space, resulting in increased impingement syndromes. So, optimally you isolate the supraspinatus in the thumbs up position. This is also the position where the delts are the quietest (EMG activity), so the supraspinatus is carrying more of the load, as well as having the maximal amount of space between the acromion process and the humeral head which results in less impingement. If you’ve done these exercises in the empty can position and not had problems you may be alright to continue, just understand you’re risking impingement and other supraspinatus tendon wear & tear that’s preventable.