If you spend hours sitting at a desk, scrolling on your phone, or working with your arms in front of you, your posture may slowly change. The shoulders roll forward, the muscles at the back weaken, and the ones at the front tighten. One of the most common muscles to suffer in this scenario are? Your shoulder external rotators — the small but powerful muscles that keep your shoulders stable, open, and pain-free.
This program (and video) will guide you through five levels of shoulder rehabilitation and strengthening, from gentle mobility to functional strength.
Why These Exercises Matter
From an evolutionary perspective, our bodies were designed to move in an upright position with our shoulders back and arms actively engaged — climbing, carrying, throwing, and lifting.
Modern life is the opposite: hours hunched over keyboards and phones, shoulders curled forward, and little use of the muscles that externally rotate the shoulder. Over time, this leads to weakness, instability, injuries and pain.
Signs You Might Need These Exercises
- Fatigue or cramping in the muscles behind your shoulders.
- A slouched, forward-rolled shoulder posture.
- Feeling weak or unstable when lifting or reaching overhead.
Goal With This Exercise Program
- No pain with shoulder movement.
- Gradually improving shoulder range of motion.
- Steadily increasing strength.
How Many Reps and Sets to Do
- Mobility – 30-60 seconds, three times per day.
- Static Strength – 20 – 40 seconds, twice per day.
- Eccentric Strength – 3–15 slow reps, 2–4 rounds, twice per day.
- Concentric Strength – 10–20 reps, 3 rounds, every second day.
- Functional Strength – 10–20 reps, 4 rounds, 1–2 times per week.
When to Increase Resistance or Load
- Increase resistance by 5–10% per week, as long as movements are pain-free and controlled.
- Progress only one variable at a time — either weight/resistance, reps, or complexity.
How to Progress to the Next Level
- From Mobility → Static Strength: When your lower arm can comfortably reach parallel to the floor, while the elbow is bent to 90 degrees and the upper arm is parallel to the floor.
- From Static → Eccentric Strength: When the shoulders feel stable and strong in still positions.
- From Eccentric → Concentric Strength: When you can control the shoulder in its most stretched position under load without pain.
- From Concentric → Functional Strength: When you’ve built good strength through the full range and can manage more complex, sport or work-related movement patterns.
Re-evaluation Timeline
- Reassess at least every 6–7 weeks to measure improvements in posture, strength, and comfort in your shoulder and consider progressing to a harder exercise level.
- Aim for 10–30% improvement in range, strength or daily function over the 6-7 week period.
Tip: Combine these exercises with posture breaks during your workday. Typically small, regular habits will do more for your shoulder rehabilitation than occasional intense workouts.