Internal Rotation
A cable rotator cuff exercise: with the machine beside you and your elbow bent and pinned to your side, you rotate your forearm across your body until your hand is in front of your stomach.
- Primary muscles
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
Loads from YouTube only when you press play. The video is by an independent creator.
Why do it
It trains the muscles that turn your upper arm inward, the counterpart to external rotation, and is usually done light as a warm-up or accessory. As with the outward version, everything depends on keeping your elbow pinned and your torso still, since a heavier stack just pulls in the lats and torso. The cable gives you steady tension and small weight steps, so progress by adding reps or slowing down rather than by adding plates.
How to do it
Set a handle at about elbow height and stand side-on with the machine next to you.
Take the handle in the near hand, elbow bent to 90 degrees and pinned to your side, forearm pointing out away from your body.
Rotate your forearm across your body until your hand is in front of your stomach, keeping your elbow at your side.
Return slowly against the pull. Use very light weight; the rotator cuff is small, and heavy loads here just recruit your lats and torso instead.
Common mistakes
Elbow sliding forward
If the elbow leaves your side, the rotation turns into a press across your body. Keep it pinned to your ribs throughout.
Turning your body to move the handle
Twisting your torso toward the middle moves the handle without rotating the shoulder. Keep your chest facing forward.
Loading it like a big lift
Heavy weight just recruits your lats and torso, as the steps note. Stay light and keep the rotation smooth.
Rushing the return
Letting the cable pull your forearm back out skips half the work. Return slowly against the pull.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
