Three Basic Exercises to Help Prevent Rotator Cuff Injuries

I've been lucky. After over twenty-five years of playing baseball, all the throwing, diving, and sliding, I never once damaged my rotator cuff. The injury, one that threatens careers of professionals and amateurs alike, is sneaky and unpredictable, as it can happen in a split second or develop over time.

Over the course of my career, I have watched multiple teammates unfortunately suffer from blown out or torn rotator cuffs. Ironically enough, most of them, much like myself, had spent long hours in the weight room working to build strong shoulders that would be seemingly impenetrable to injury and fully capable of surrounding the rotator cuff with enough bulk to protect it.

We couldn't have been more wrong.

As I matured and started to make the transition from playing to coaching, I studied the finer points of training and injury prevention. What I realized is that heavy weights alone can actually be counterproductive in relation to avoiding rotator cuff damage. Although you gain larger, more productive muscles through heavy resistance training, the mass of muscle actually causes problems with the smaller, weaker rotator cuffs that try to keep pace with their strength.

To counteract such an imbalance, an athlete must perform a series of simple yet effective isolated exercises designed to target the rotator cuff. Combine these with regular resistance training and the athlete should be able to better prevent a potential injury.

Exercise #1: Rotations done horizontally

How to do it: With light plate weights or dumbbells (2 to 5 pounds only), or with rubber resistance bands, stand with your feet spread shoulder distance apart and knees slightly bent. Extending your elbows out at a 90 degree angle and at shoulder height, rotate the weights/bands from hip level up toward the ceiling, all the while keeping your elbows balanced and in line with your shoulders. Your hands should extend out away from you body and end up returning to a parallel position with your body at ear height. Repeat this motion in a controlled manner for up to 15 repetitions over 3 sets.

Exercise #2: Rotations done internally

How to do it: Resting on your right side on a bench, tuck your right elbow toward your stomach and extend your forearm and hand out so that they remain perpendicular to the bench. Holding a light weight (again, no more than five pounds)and with the forearm slightly less than parallel to the bench, rotate the arm upward toward your body while keeping the arm consistently at 90 degrees and the elbow sternly tucked in. Complete three sets of 15 repetitions each. Flip over to work the other arm.

Exercise #3: Rotations done externally

How to do it: Resting on a mat or on the floor, you should position yourself on the opposite side of the working arm (lay on your left shoulder to work your right arm). Pin the elbow on your side and extend the forearm out at a 90 degree angle. With a light weight in hand, rotate the arm up and out, all the while keeping the elbow securely placed on your side. Move the weight as high as possible and then return it back down. Repeat 3 sets of 15 repetitions, and then turn over to do the opposing arm.

In the end, these are three basic exercises that will make your rotator cuffs stronger and less prone to injury. While they won't guarantee you to remain free from injury, they will give you a better chance of staying healthy and performing more effectively.