rotator cuff exercises
ROTATOR CUFF EXERCISES
Internal/External Rotation: This exercise will be done using a thera-band or tubing with handles. Grab the band with one hand with your elbow pinned to your side. Internal rotation consists of pulling the band towards your body, and external rotation consists of pulling the band away from your body.
90-degree Internal/External Rotation: This exercise will be done using a thera-band or tubing with handles. Grab the band with one hand, and raise your arm in the air forming a 90-dregree angle. Internal rotation consists of pulling the band down towards the ground, and external rotation consists of pulling the band back behind your head.
Crossover: This exercise will be done using a thera-band or tubing with handles. Attach the band to something that is a few inches off the ground. Using your left arm first, start with the band near your right hip. Keeping your arm straight for the whole movement, pull the band across your body until your arm is completely extended above your head on your left side. After completing the prescribed number of repetitions, start the band near your left hip and pull the band across your body until your arm is completely extended on the right side of your head. After completing repetitions with your left arm, perform the same two exercises with your right arm.
CORE EXERCISES Back Hyperextensions (Hypers): This exercise will be performed on a back hyperextension machine. Get into the machine with your legs straight and feet locked in, so that your upper thighs are in contact with the pad. Bend at your waist until your upper body and lower body are at a complete 90-degree. Rise back up until your whole body is parallel with the floor, pause, and then return back to the starting position.
Sit Up Side to Side: Hold a med ball in both hands with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Perform a full sit up. When reaching the top point of the sit up, twist and touch the med ball to the floor on one of your sides, and then slowly lower yourself back to the floor. Perform another sit up, and touch the med ball to the floor on the opposite side. Continue to alternate sides for the prescribed number of repetitions. Sit up and grab: This exercise is done with a partner. You start on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor while your partner is right in front of you holding a med ball. Do a full sit up and grab the med ball, and then return to the floor holding the med ball at chest level. Perform another sit up and give the ball back to your partner, and then return back to the floor without the med ball. Repeat this sequence for the prescribed number of repetitions. Seated Side Toss: This exercise can be done with a partner or against a wall. Sit down on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Your partner or the wall should be about 10 feet away from where you are sitting. Cradle a med ball with both hands. Twist to one side and then rotate your torso through and release the ball on your other side to your partner or against the wall. Catch the ball from the wall or your partner, and repeat this sequence. Perform the prescribed number of repetitions to this side, and then perform on the other side.
See Saw: This exercise is done with a partner. Both people are sitting on the floor with their knees bent facing each other and their feet interlocked. One partner sits up with the medicine ball over their head and tosses it to their partner above their head as they come up. The partner catches the medicine ball over their head, lowers them self to the floor, and then sits back up and tosses it back to their partner. Repeat this sequence back and forth for the prescribed number of repetitions.
Standing Side Toss – 2 Ways: Stand a few feet away from a wall, facing it and holding a medicine ball with both hands. Squat down as you rotate the ball down and back to your right hip. Rotate back to the middle and stand back up as you throw the ball against the wall. Catch and repeat, then switch sides. Next, turn so that your left side faces the wall. Rotate to the right as you squat back bringing the ball down towards your right hip. Recoil as you throw the ball against the wall. Catch and repeat all reps, then switch sides .
Around the Worlds: Sitting on the ground with your legs out straight, take a med ball and twist to your left as far as you can and place the ball directly behind your back. Turn and twist the other way, and pick up the med ball on the other side, and repeat this sequence. Perform all repetitions to your left, and then repeat the sequence to your right.
Chest Pass: Perform this exercise like a basketball chest pass. Throw the med ball against a wall or to a partner as quick as you can for each repetition.
Overhead Toss: Perform this exercise like a basketball overhead pass. Throw the med ball against a wall or to a partner as quick as you can for each repetition .
Abs with Swiss - Double: Put your legs on top of a Swiss ball and squeeze the ball to your hamstrings. Bring your knees toward your chest, which will cause the ball to rise off the ground. When your knees are coming toward your chest, crunch with your upper body bringing your elbows and knees together.
Abs with Swiss - Leg Lifts: With your legs fully extended and your hands underneath your butt, put your lower legs on each side of the ball and squeeze. Perform a leg lift so that the ball comes off the ground.
Crunches with a band: Rest your low back on a Swiss ball with your chest raised up and your feet flat on the floor. Using a thera-band, hold each end of the band with your hands directly beside each side of your head. Your partner will hold the band behind you. Perform a regular crunch keeping your arms still and focusing on using your abdominals. To perform a crossover crunch put both of your hands to one side of your head, and cross your shoulder over.
Front and Side Stability: This exercise is performed in 3 different positions being held for :20 to :30 seconds in each position. The key to this exercise is contracting your whole body especially your abdominals to create stability. The first position is like being in a pushup position, only you hold yourself up by having your fore arms flat on the floor instead of your hands. The second position is on your side with your right forearm flat on the floor. The side of your right foot is contacting the floor, with your left leg stacked on top of your right leg. The third position is done the same way as the second position on your other side. Hold yourself up with your left forearm, and have your right led stacked on your left leg.
Throws off Swiss Ball: Lie on a swiss ball with the ball under your lower back. Have a partner stand in front of you with a medicine ball. Sitting up, have your partner throw the ball over your head. As you catch the ball lay back, then crunch back up throwing the ball back to your partner as you do so. Repeat to complete all reps.
Rotators on Swiss Ball: Lie on a swiss ball so it is under your head and shoulder blades with your hips held high. Hold a medicine ball with both hands straight up above your chest. Keeping your arms straight, rotate the medicine ball to the right rolling your left shoulder blade off the swiss ball, with shoulders and head following the med ball. Rotate back to start position, pause, and then repeat to the left side. Continue alternating sides until all reps are complete.
Toe Ups: Lie down with your back on the ground, legs straight up in the air and arms by your sides. Keeping your legs straight, lift your feet up towards the ceiling lifting your butt and hips off the ground. Lower back down and repeat for the given number of reps
Leg Lifts: Lie down on your back, arms by your sides, legs straight with your feet and inch or two off the ground. Lift legs up until they are about 45 degrees in reference to the ground. Lower feet back towards the ground until heels are within and inch or two from the ground. Repeat for the given number of reps.
Plate Crunch: Lie with your back on the ground, legs and arms straight up in the air, and holding a weight plate. Crunch up lifting your shoulders off the ground and bringing the plate up towards your feet. Lower and repeat all reps.
V-Twist with Plate: Balance on your butt with knees bent and feet off the ground. Hold the weight plate at your chest, and then twist your torso to the right bringing the plate down towards the ground. Next, rotate all the way to the left with the plate. Repeat until all reps are complete
St Leg Sit Up - Arms Flat: Lie with your back down on the mat with legs straight and on the ground and arms flat by your sides. Contract your abs and sit all the way up, then back down to starting position. Repeat all reps.
Plate Get Up: Lie on the floor on your back holding a plate with both hands, and with knees bent feet flat on the floor. From this position stand all the way up. If necessary, you can start with your feet off the ground and knees in toward your chest. Lie all the way back down and repeat
Boyle Reverse and Stick Crunches: Lie on your back on a bench with feet in the air and knees bent at 90 degrees. Hold either side of the bench by your head. Have a partner hold a dowel against the soles of your feet. Bring your knees into your chest lifting your butt and hips off the bench. Lower back down until your feet hit the stick, then repeat all reps. Next, return to starting position, but this time have your partner hold your feet and you hold the dowel at your knees. Crunch up bringing the stick across your shins and toward your feet. Return to starting position and repeat.
Blackburns: Using either a 2.5lb or 5lb plate in each hand, lie face down on the mat with arms outstretched in front of you. Keeping your feet down, lift your hands up off the ground and hold for 10 seconds. Next, keeping your hands/plates off the floor, make a field goal with your arms. Hold for 10 seconds and then move arms straight out to the sides. Hold for 10 seconds then bring your hands behind you, arms straight and palms facing up. Hold here for 10 seconds, and then relax. Repeat again without the weights.
SL Quad: Kneel down on all fours, hands on the ground, arms straight, right knee on an Airex pad, and left knee hanging off the left side of the pad. Have someone put a dowel along your back, with your back arched under and tight. Keeping your knees bent at 90 degrees, squeeze your glutes as you lift your left leg up and back so your thigh becomes parallel to the ground. Hold for 5 seconds, and then lower your leg back down toward the ground without it actually touching down. Repeat for the given number of reps, and then switch sides. SL Bridging – Hold Knee to Chest with TB: Lie with your back down on a mat with your right knee bent, right heel dug into the ground, toes pointed up. Place a tennis ball on your left hip, holding it in place by bringing your left knee into your chest and holding that knee. Lift your hips off the ground by pressing through your right heel. Hold for 5 seconds then lower and repeat all reps before switching sides.
Psoas Activation – Seated: Sit on the edge of the wood boxes on the platforms sitting up as tall as you can with your chest out, shoulders back, and arms relaxed down by your sides. Flex your right ankle and lift your right knee as high as you can. Hold for 5 seconds then lower and repeat. Do the same motion on the left side.
Internal/External Rotation: This exercise will be done using a thera-band or tubing with handles. Grab the band with one hand with your elbow pinned to your side. Internal rotation consists of pulling the band towards your body, and external rotation consists of pulling the band away from your body.
90-degree Internal/External Rotation: This exercise will be done using a thera-band or tubing with handles. Grab the band with one hand, and raise your arm in the air forming a 90-dregree angle. Internal rotation consists of pulling the band down towards the ground, and external rotation consists of pulling the band back behind your head.
Crossover: This exercise will be done using a thera-band or tubing with handles. Attach the band to something that is a few inches off the ground. Using your left arm first, start with the band near your right hip. Keeping your arm straight for the whole movement, pull the band across your body until your arm is completely extended above your head on your left side. After completing the prescribed number of repetitions, start the band near your left hip and pull the band across your body until your arm is completely extended on the right side of your head. After completing repetitions with your left arm, perform the same two exercises with your right arm.
CORE EXERCISES Back Hyperextensions (Hypers): This exercise will be performed on a back hyperextension machine. Get into the machine with your legs straight and feet locked in, so that your upper thighs are in contact with the pad. Bend at your waist until your upper body and lower body are at a complete 90-degree. Rise back up until your whole body is parallel with the floor, pause, and then return back to the starting position.
Sit Up Side to Side: Hold a med ball in both hands with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Perform a full sit up. When reaching the top point of the sit up, twist and touch the med ball to the floor on one of your sides, and then slowly lower yourself back to the floor. Perform another sit up, and touch the med ball to the floor on the opposite side. Continue to alternate sides for the prescribed number of repetitions. Sit up and grab: This exercise is done with a partner. You start on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor while your partner is right in front of you holding a med ball. Do a full sit up and grab the med ball, and then return to the floor holding the med ball at chest level. Perform another sit up and give the ball back to your partner, and then return back to the floor without the med ball. Repeat this sequence for the prescribed number of repetitions. Seated Side Toss: This exercise can be done with a partner or against a wall. Sit down on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Your partner or the wall should be about 10 feet away from where you are sitting. Cradle a med ball with both hands. Twist to one side and then rotate your torso through and release the ball on your other side to your partner or against the wall. Catch the ball from the wall or your partner, and repeat this sequence. Perform the prescribed number of repetitions to this side, and then perform on the other side.
See Saw: This exercise is done with a partner. Both people are sitting on the floor with their knees bent facing each other and their feet interlocked. One partner sits up with the medicine ball over their head and tosses it to their partner above their head as they come up. The partner catches the medicine ball over their head, lowers them self to the floor, and then sits back up and tosses it back to their partner. Repeat this sequence back and forth for the prescribed number of repetitions.
Standing Side Toss – 2 Ways: Stand a few feet away from a wall, facing it and holding a medicine ball with both hands. Squat down as you rotate the ball down and back to your right hip. Rotate back to the middle and stand back up as you throw the ball against the wall. Catch and repeat, then switch sides. Next, turn so that your left side faces the wall. Rotate to the right as you squat back bringing the ball down towards your right hip. Recoil as you throw the ball against the wall. Catch and repeat all reps, then switch sides .
Around the Worlds: Sitting on the ground with your legs out straight, take a med ball and twist to your left as far as you can and place the ball directly behind your back. Turn and twist the other way, and pick up the med ball on the other side, and repeat this sequence. Perform all repetitions to your left, and then repeat the sequence to your right.
Chest Pass: Perform this exercise like a basketball chest pass. Throw the med ball against a wall or to a partner as quick as you can for each repetition.
Overhead Toss: Perform this exercise like a basketball overhead pass. Throw the med ball against a wall or to a partner as quick as you can for each repetition .
Abs with Swiss - Double: Put your legs on top of a Swiss ball and squeeze the ball to your hamstrings. Bring your knees toward your chest, which will cause the ball to rise off the ground. When your knees are coming toward your chest, crunch with your upper body bringing your elbows and knees together.
Abs with Swiss - Leg Lifts: With your legs fully extended and your hands underneath your butt, put your lower legs on each side of the ball and squeeze. Perform a leg lift so that the ball comes off the ground.
Crunches with a band: Rest your low back on a Swiss ball with your chest raised up and your feet flat on the floor. Using a thera-band, hold each end of the band with your hands directly beside each side of your head. Your partner will hold the band behind you. Perform a regular crunch keeping your arms still and focusing on using your abdominals. To perform a crossover crunch put both of your hands to one side of your head, and cross your shoulder over.
Front and Side Stability: This exercise is performed in 3 different positions being held for :20 to :30 seconds in each position. The key to this exercise is contracting your whole body especially your abdominals to create stability. The first position is like being in a pushup position, only you hold yourself up by having your fore arms flat on the floor instead of your hands. The second position is on your side with your right forearm flat on the floor. The side of your right foot is contacting the floor, with your left leg stacked on top of your right leg. The third position is done the same way as the second position on your other side. Hold yourself up with your left forearm, and have your right led stacked on your left leg.
Throws off Swiss Ball: Lie on a swiss ball with the ball under your lower back. Have a partner stand in front of you with a medicine ball. Sitting up, have your partner throw the ball over your head. As you catch the ball lay back, then crunch back up throwing the ball back to your partner as you do so. Repeat to complete all reps.
Rotators on Swiss Ball: Lie on a swiss ball so it is under your head and shoulder blades with your hips held high. Hold a medicine ball with both hands straight up above your chest. Keeping your arms straight, rotate the medicine ball to the right rolling your left shoulder blade off the swiss ball, with shoulders and head following the med ball. Rotate back to start position, pause, and then repeat to the left side. Continue alternating sides until all reps are complete.
Toe Ups: Lie down with your back on the ground, legs straight up in the air and arms by your sides. Keeping your legs straight, lift your feet up towards the ceiling lifting your butt and hips off the ground. Lower back down and repeat for the given number of reps
Leg Lifts: Lie down on your back, arms by your sides, legs straight with your feet and inch or two off the ground. Lift legs up until they are about 45 degrees in reference to the ground. Lower feet back towards the ground until heels are within and inch or two from the ground. Repeat for the given number of reps.
Plate Crunch: Lie with your back on the ground, legs and arms straight up in the air, and holding a weight plate. Crunch up lifting your shoulders off the ground and bringing the plate up towards your feet. Lower and repeat all reps.
V-Twist with Plate: Balance on your butt with knees bent and feet off the ground. Hold the weight plate at your chest, and then twist your torso to the right bringing the plate down towards the ground. Next, rotate all the way to the left with the plate. Repeat until all reps are complete
St Leg Sit Up - Arms Flat: Lie with your back down on the mat with legs straight and on the ground and arms flat by your sides. Contract your abs and sit all the way up, then back down to starting position. Repeat all reps.
Plate Get Up: Lie on the floor on your back holding a plate with both hands, and with knees bent feet flat on the floor. From this position stand all the way up. If necessary, you can start with your feet off the ground and knees in toward your chest. Lie all the way back down and repeat
Boyle Reverse and Stick Crunches: Lie on your back on a bench with feet in the air and knees bent at 90 degrees. Hold either side of the bench by your head. Have a partner hold a dowel against the soles of your feet. Bring your knees into your chest lifting your butt and hips off the bench. Lower back down until your feet hit the stick, then repeat all reps. Next, return to starting position, but this time have your partner hold your feet and you hold the dowel at your knees. Crunch up bringing the stick across your shins and toward your feet. Return to starting position and repeat.
Blackburns: Using either a 2.5lb or 5lb plate in each hand, lie face down on the mat with arms outstretched in front of you. Keeping your feet down, lift your hands up off the ground and hold for 10 seconds. Next, keeping your hands/plates off the floor, make a field goal with your arms. Hold for 10 seconds and then move arms straight out to the sides. Hold for 10 seconds then bring your hands behind you, arms straight and palms facing up. Hold here for 10 seconds, and then relax. Repeat again without the weights.
SL Quad: Kneel down on all fours, hands on the ground, arms straight, right knee on an Airex pad, and left knee hanging off the left side of the pad. Have someone put a dowel along your back, with your back arched under and tight. Keeping your knees bent at 90 degrees, squeeze your glutes as you lift your left leg up and back so your thigh becomes parallel to the ground. Hold for 5 seconds, and then lower your leg back down toward the ground without it actually touching down. Repeat for the given number of reps, and then switch sides. SL Bridging – Hold Knee to Chest with TB: Lie with your back down on a mat with your right knee bent, right heel dug into the ground, toes pointed up. Place a tennis ball on your left hip, holding it in place by bringing your left knee into your chest and holding that knee. Lift your hips off the ground by pressing through your right heel. Hold for 5 seconds then lower and repeat all reps before switching sides.
Psoas Activation – Seated: Sit on the edge of the wood boxes on the platforms sitting up as tall as you can with your chest out, shoulders back, and arms relaxed down by your sides. Flex your right ankle and lift your right knee as high as you can. Hold for 5 seconds then lower and repeat. Do the same motion on the left side.
