Band external rotation

Who it's for

Every climber, but especially anyone who pulls a lot, does a lot of steep climbing or has had a niggly shoulder. The rotator cuff is small and it's easy to leave untrained, because pulling and hanging barely ask it to rotate outward. At 8 minutes and low intensity it fits at the end of any session. If a shoulder hurts now, get a physio to look at it before you use this as a fix.

Common mistakes

• Letting the elbow drift off your side. A rolled towel under the arm keeps it there. Once the elbow moves, the shoulder turns the rep into a swing and the cuff does less.
• Using too heavy a band. A light band is the whole point. If you have to lean away or jerk the band out, it's too strong.
• Rushing the return. Bring the band back slowly. The lowering half of the rep trains as much as the pull.
• Only doing your bad side. Train both arms the same, 12 reps each, even if only one shoulder has ever bothered you.

How to progress

Get all three sets of 12 slow and smooth on both arms first. Then move to the next band up, and drop back to 10 reps if the form slips. Two or three times a week works well, and it recovers fast enough to do after a climbing session. After that, try it with your arm raised out to the side at shoulder height, which is closer to how climbing loads the shoulder.