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Side-Lying External Rotation

beginner · isolation

Setup

Lie on your side on a mat, on the side opposite the shoulder you are training: the working arm is the one on top. Rest your head on a pillow or a rolled towel so your neck stays in line with your spine, and bend both knees a little so you do not roll. Bend the working elbow to 90 degrees, wedge a rolled towel between the elbow and your ribs to hold it in place, with the forearm resting across your belly. Use a very light dumbbell — heavier is not better here.

Execution

  1. Hold the dumbbell in the top hand, elbow pinned to your ribs through the rolled towel, forearm starting across your belly.
  2. Exhale and rotate the forearm open away from your belly, raising the weight until it's nearly perpendicular to the floor, keeping the elbow glued to your ribs the whole time.
  3. Pause a beat at the end of the range where you can still keep the elbow against your ribs, without rolling the shoulder back or tipping the torso for extra range.
  4. Inhale and lower the forearm back across your belly over 2-3 seconds under control, not letting gravity drop it.
  5. Finish the reps on this side, set the dumbbell down before you roll over, then repeat the same count on the other side.
  6. Sharp pain inside the shoulder joint or numbness running down the arm means you stop the set rather than finishing it.

Breathing

Exhale as you rotate the forearm open, inhale as you lower it back. The load here is very light, so breathe evenly and there is no reason to ever hold your breath.

Quick cues

  • Elbow stays glued to your ribs.
  • Open the forearm away from your belly.
  • Rotate from the shoulder, don't tip the torso.
  • Lighter than you think.
  • Lower it as slowly as you raised it.
  • Keep the neck in line with the spine.

Common faults

  • Fault: The elbow lifting off the ribs on the way up

    Fix: Pin a rolled towel between the elbow and the ribs as a reminder to keep it in place.

  • Fault: Rolling the shoulder back or tipping the torso instead of rotating only the shoulder

    Fix: Reduce the load and bend the knees more so the body is anchored, letting only the forearm move.

  • Fault: Using too heavy a weight and jerking at the end of the range

    Fix: Drop to the lightest weight available and progress very slowly over weeks.

  • Fault: Letting the forearm drop freely back to the belly

    Fix: Count two to three seconds on the way down and stay in control.

Equipment

dumbbell

Muscle groups

shoulders