Prone Row to External Rotation
EquipmentDumbbell
TypeMobility
DifficultyIntermediate
📋 How to Perform
- Lie face down on a flat bench with one arm hanging toward the floor, holding a light dumbbell.
- Row the dumbbell up by lifting your elbow out to the side until your upper arm is level with your shoulder.
- Keep your elbow bent at 90 degrees so your forearm points at the floor.
- Rotate your forearm forward and up until it is about parallel to the floor, keeping your elbow in place.
- Pause for one second, then rotate your forearm back down toward the floor.
- Lower your elbow and straighten your arm back to the start.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps, then switch arms.
💡 Pro Tips
- This combines two movements into one fluid pattern.
- Move deliberately through each phase.
- Keep your shoulder blade squeezed throughout.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Choosing a dumbbell too heavy for the rotation, which lets momentum replace the small rotator cuff muscles.
- Letting the elbow drift during the rotation, which turns it back into a row and takes load off the cuff.
- Twisting the chest off the bench to raise the forearm higher, which fakes rotation the shoulder lacks.
