Dumbbell Scapular External Rotation

Athletes, weightlifters, and individuals recovering from an injury will particularly find dumbbell scapular external rotation helpful. It strengthens the back of the shoulders and rotator cuff muscles and builds stability at the joint. These are essential for optimal movement and performance.

You don’t even need experience to start, only a few expert tips on how to do them correctly. We have got you covered! In this article, we talk you through proper form, the benefits of the exercise, and all the muscles it works.

How To Do

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. 
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing upwards. 
  3. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees while keeping your upper arm hugging your side body.  
  4. Rotate your forearms outwards away from your stomach using the dumbbells. 
  5. Bring your arms slowly back to the start until they reach your stomach. 
  6. Repeat for the desired reps and set.

Tips From Expert

  • Avoid pulling your shoulder blades (scapula) back as you rotate the arms out. Instead, stabilize the scapula and move only the arms. 
  • Don’t round your shoulders as you return to the starting position. Maintain a neutral spine and shoulders throughout the movement.
  • Start with lighter weights to improve muscle awareness (feeling the right muscles). 
  • Do not move your upper arm away from the body or extend your elbows. Rotate the forearms outwards while keeping the elbows tucked beside your body.
  • Try placing a towel under your arm to keep the arms steady.

Optimal Sets and Reps

Below we stated the recommended sets and reps to match your fitness goals.

Training Type Sets Reps
Strength Training 3–5 4–6
Hypertrophy 3–4 8–12
Endurance Training 3–4 12–20
Power Training 3–5 1–3
Optimal Sets & Reps of Dumbbell Scapular External Rotation

How to Put in Your Workout Split

The dumbbell scapular rotation targets the posterior (back) shoulders and rotator cuff muscles. It supplements other strength exercises while improving shoulder stability. This makes it a good fit into various routines. 

It's a great warm-up exercise before your shoulder workouts or push routine. It prepares your upper body for the workout ahead, reducing the risks of injuries. 

It makes a good addition to your active recovery days, along with exercises for shoulder pain. Active recovery can reduce muscle soreness, improve blood circulation, and promote healing. All this leads to a better performance.

Great news if you can't make it to the gym. This exercise only requires a pair of dumbbells, so it can easily fit into full-body at-home shoulder workouts. If you are more experienced in the weight room, add it at the end of your upper-body or split-workout routine. This can further challenge your muscles and improve your shoulder appearance.

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Secondary Muscle Groups

Serratus Anterior

Small, fan shaped muscle that lies deep under your chest and scapula.

Posterior Deltoid

The deltoid is a big triangular-shaped muscle on the top of your shoulders. It's divided into three heads: anterior, lateral, and posterior. The posterior deltoid originates from the shoulder blade and inserts into the outer side of your upper arm.

Its role during the dumbbell scapular rotation is to assist in turning your arms outwards. That’s when your elbow is bent at 90 degrees. Its muscle activation rate during this exercise is 6.4%.

It works the hardest when you move the dumbbells away from your body and the forearms are perpendicular to your body. The posterior deltoid helps stabilize the shoulder joint, especially against resistance. 

Obliques

The obliques are located at the side of your waist. They are divided into internal and external layers. The external part connects the lower ribs to the front of the abdomen. On the other hand,  the internal part connects the lower back to the hip bone. 

The dumbbell scapular external rotation works both layers, indirectly. Their role is to stabilize the spine and prevent rotation as you perform the exercise. This can improve the efficiency of the upper-body movement.

Middle Trapezius

The trapezius is a big muscle that spreads from your neck to the middle of your back. It’s divided into three parts; the upper, middle, and lower traps.

The middle portion is located right in the middle of your back between your spine and shoulder blade. Its function is to pull the shoulder blades together towards the midline of your body. During the dumbbell scapular external rotation, the muscle activation rate of the middle trapezius is 26.8%.

The aim of this exercise isn’t to squeeze the shoulder blades together. Instead, we want to rotate the arm and maintain a neutral position of the shoulder blade. 

This is when the middle trap does the work for us. It stabilizes the scapula, preventing excessive movement. It maintains a stable scapular position in coordination with the lower traps and the serratus anterior. 

Lower Trapezius 

The lower trapezius is a small triangular-shaped muscle located just below your middle traps. Its main role is to pull the scapula downwards. 

Together with the middle trap, it controls the movement of the shoulder blade during dumbbell external rotation. It's particularly active during the outward rotation. It keeps the shoulder blade against the ribcage and ensures proper function of the shoulder joint. 

Serratus Anterior

The serratus anterior is a fan-shaped muscle that covers the side of your rib cage. It originates from the first to eighth or ninth ribs and inserts into the shoulder blade. It’s an important scapular stabilizer. During the scapular external rotation, it is activated at a rate of 37.1%.

It maintains the proper position of the scapula during this exercise by keeping it against the rib cage. It's active during both the outward and inward rotation of the exercise. It controls the shoulder movement and prevents injuries. 

Wrist Flexors And Extensors

The wrist flexors are located on the palm side of your forearm, between your elbows and wrists. They run from the inner part of your elbow down to your wrist. They bend your wrist toward your forearm. 

On the other hand, the wrist extensors sit on the upper hand part of the forearm. They run from the outside part of your elbow down to your wrist. They help extend your wrist toward the back side of your forearm.

When doing dumbbell scapular external rotations, both the wrist flexors and extensors stabilize the wrist joint. They prevent excessive movement and help your wrist remain straight. They also support your grip on the dumbbell.

Equipment

Dumbbells

Dumbbells

You can use these for a wide range of unilateral and bilateral exercises. Avoid using momentum to lift. Ensure a secure grip to prevent drops.

Who Should Do?

Desk Workers

Many office workers experience shoulder pain due to poor posture and repetitive typing. 

The dumbbell scapular external rotation can help with treating and preventing these negative effects. It strengthens the muscles around your shoulders and upper back, helping you sit up straighter, and maintain better posture.

By targeting the shoulder muscles with this exercise desk workers can also decrease stiffness in the shoulders. Regularly taking the upper body through a full range of movement can improve mobility at the shoulder joint and overall function.

Older Adults

As we get older our posture changes. The gradual bone loss and muscle weakness can cause a rounded upper back and shoulders. Our joints become stiffer, affecting our ability to stand upright.  

Regular exercise, just like dumbbell scapular external rotations can ease these changes. It’s easy to do and keeps your shoulders strong and mobile. This is essential for everyday activities. It will allow you to lift, reach, and carry things easier, and even stand up taller.  

Athletes

Strong and stable shoulders are essential for many sports, including swimming, volleyball, baseball, and basketball. Many athletes develop muscle imbalances from repetitive motions.

The dumbbell scapular external rotation builds strength in the muscles around the shoulder joint, improves stability, and prevents muscle imbalances. This can reduce the risk of common sport-related injuries like rotator cuff tears and dislocations.

Who Should Not Do?

Post-Surgery Patients

If you recently had shoulder surgery, you should avoid this exercise until your doctor or physical therapist tells you otherwise.

Doing the dumbbell scapular external rotation too soon could strain your healing muscles and tissues. It could also slow down the healing process. Therefore, people with acute shoulder pain should be careful with this exercise, too. 

To modify this exercise, consider using banded or cable variations. You can also perform it while lying on your side or seated, with your elbow resting on your knee.

People With Severe Arthritis

Shoulder arthritis is damage to the joint and the cartilage. It may present with pain at the joint, reduced range of movement, impaired muscle function, and stiffness. It can lead to reduced muscle strength due to activity limitation. 

Rheumatoid arthritis patients only had 65% of the shoulder strength that healthy women did, leading to daily activity limitations.

While dumbbell scapular rotations can improve shoulder strength and stability, they may not suit people with arthritis. It might aggravate the inflamed and compromised joint, leading to more pain.

Benefits Of The ​Exercise

Prevents Injuries

Shoulder injuries often root from muscle weakness, imbalances, or overuse in sports and daily tasks. The dumbbell scapular external rotation works the posterior deltoid and rotator cuff muscles. These muscles are responsible for stabilizing the arm within the shoulder joint during overhead movements. 

Therefore, regularly performing this exercise can prevent injuries in sports and everyday activities. It contributes to balanced muscle development, preventing muscle imbalances. This is equally important for athletes, gymgoers, and individuals with a shoulder injury history.

Enhances Shoulder Strength

Many people deal with muscle imbalances and weak shoulder rotators due to sedentary lifestyles and improper exercise routines. Dumbbell scapular external rotations focus on the small muscles like the posterior deltoid and infraspinatus. 

Strengthening these muscles makes your shoulders more stable and improves your performance in overhead sports and lifting.  

Ultimately, strengthening these supportive muscles helps maintain shoulder joint stability, making everyday activities easier and more comfortable.

Improves Posture 

When we round our backs and our shoulders, our rotator cuff and back muscles become weaker. This can lead to pain and injuries. 

Proper posture is crucial for maintaining correct spinal alignment and reducing strain on the shoulder. One way to do it is to strengthen the back and shoulder muscles. 

The dumbbell scapular external rotation engages the muscles between your shoulder blades, to prevent excessive movement. Meanwhile, the rotator cuff muscles initiate the movement and become stronger. They can help pull your shoulders back and down, preventing rounding.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to externally rotate the scapula?

To externally rotate the scapula, bend your elbows to 90 degrees and keep them close to your body. Rotate your forearm outward slowly, without moving the elbows out.

What are the benefits of dumbbell scapular external rotation?

It strengthens shoulder muscles, improves stability, and enhances posture. These help to prevent injuries and support better movement during daily activities and sports.

Are dumbbell scapular external rotations safe?

Dumbbell scapular external rotations are safe when done with proper technique. Start light, move slowly, and stop if you feel pain. 
If you have concerns about your shoulder health then seek advice from healthcare professionals.

What are the disadvantages of the dumbbell scapular external rotation?

The targeted muscles in scapular external rotations are limited to the posterior deltoid and infraspinatus. Therefore, they are most effective as part of a broader strengthening program. These include pushing, pulling, and twisting movements.

Resources

Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.

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