Rotator Cuff Muscles: Anatomy and Exercises for Them

Rotator cuff muscles are a group of muscles that helps in holding your upper arms in position to your shoulders. These muscles are responsible for the movement of your arms and shoulders.

In this article, we will discuss the anatomy of rotator cuff muscles which will help you understand their functioning. We will also mention the best exercises to strengthen these muscles.

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Rotator Cuff Anatomy

Rotator cuffs are made up of four muscles along with the attached tendons to them. Each of these muscles helps in the particular motion of the shoulder. Meanwhile, the complete rotator cuff helps in holding your upper arms in the sockets of the shoulders.

Stretching for rotator cuff muscles (Image via Pexels/Ketut Subiyanto)

All four muscles in the rotator cuff start in the shoulder blades, however, all of them end in different parts of the upper arm bone. Here are the four muscles in the rotator cuff:

1. Supraspinatus

This rotator cuff muscle helps with the movement of your arm away from the center of your body. The supraspinatus helps in doing the first 15 degrees of the motion of the hand before the movement is taken over by the trapezius and deltoid muscles.

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2. Infraspinatus

This rotator cuff muscle is crucial for the lateral rotation of your hand away from your body. The Infraspinatus muscle is thick and triangular and is located at the back of your shoulder blade. It is closer to your bones and deep below the layer of your skin.

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3. Teres Minor

Teres minor also contributes towards the lateral rotation of your arm and is located just below the infraspinatus. It is a narrow and small muscle located on the back of your shoulder blade.

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4. Subscapularis

This rotator cuff is also triangular-shaped and is positioned below the other three muscles mentioned above. Subscapularis tends to be one of the most used rotator cuff muscles that help with most of the shoulder movement. This largest and strongest muscle is also mainly responsible for the medial rotation of the arm. Subscapularis attaches to the front of your upper arm.

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Exercises to Strengthen Rotator Cuff

1. High to Low Rows

This rotator cuff muscle exercise helps to build strength and stability.

How to do high to low rows?

Attach the resistance band at your shoulder height to something sturdy. Get down on one knee on the floor and grasp the resistance band with your outstretched hand as the other one rests against the knee. Now drive the elbow to your body with your back straight and shoulder blades squeezed together. Reverse the movement and repeat.

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2. Doorway Stretch

The doorway stretch proves to be a good stretching exercise for your rotator cuff muscles.

How to do doorway stretch?

Begin this exercise by standing in the middle of the doorway with your hands spread outwards and to the sides. Grasp the doorway in both your palms and below your shoulder height. Lean your body to the front to feel stretched while keeping your back straight. Make sure not to over stretch.

Rotator cuff muscl exercise (Image via Pexels/Andres Ayrton)

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3. Reverse Fly

Reverse fly is an effective rotator cuff muscle exercise to build strength.

How to do reverse fly?

Start in a standing position with your feet apart at shoulder distance and knees bent slightly. Bend slightly forward from your waist with your back straight. Grab dumbbells in both your palms and position them in a hanging manner to the ground. Extend both your arms to the sides and away from your body. Reverse and repeat.

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4. Side Lying External Rotation

This dynamic rotator cuff muscle exercise will help in improving the range of motion.

How to do side-lying external rotation?

Begin this exercise by laying down on your side with your elbow towards the ground bent at an angle of ninety degrees and palm holding your head in the air. The opposite forearm should be bent with elbows and positioned across your abdomen.

Grasp a light dumbbell in your palm which rests across the abdomen. Raise the weight upwards to the ceiling while keeping your elbow to the side of your body. Hold for a few seconds before reversing the movement. Repeat.

Plank (Image via Pexels/Nathan Cowley)

The aforementioned article discusses everything about the rotator cuff muscles along with the best exercises to strengthen these muscles. The socket structure of your arms and shoulders tends to be intricate for your bones, tendons, and muscles.

It is also important to note that injuries to the rotator cuff muscles tend to be quite common, especially for athletes and people above the age group of 40. This is why the inclusion of the aforementioned strengthening exercises in your daily routine is extremely crucial.