Ever heard of the rotator cuffs? Whilst being very small, the rotator cuffs have significant importance when it comes to performance within combat sports as well as every day activities. They contribute massively to the stability demands that the shoulder goes through during training & overall shoulder health. The time to keep overlooking these groups of muscles within your training regiment is over if you want to see massive performance boosts within the gym & the mats. Here is the guide to rotator cuff training, complete with exercises & an anatomy lesson.

Rotator Cuff Anatomy

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles composed of 4 unique muscles. These muscles allow for the shoulder to rotate externally, internally and allow for abduction.

Functions of Each Muscle

• Subscapularis: Allows for internal rotation of the shoulder
• Infraspinatus & Teres Minor: Allows for external rotation of the shoulder
• Supraspinatus: Allows for abduction of the arm
  • This muscle is necessary for the initial 15 degrees of shoulder abduction
  • From 15 – 90 degrees, the deltoids abduct the shoulder

Importance of Rotator Cuffs in Combat Sports

A pivotal muscle for peak performance, the rotator cuffs are used heavily in almost all situations during combat sport training such as punching & clinch control in striking. Perhaps even more, they are vital for grappling and used when framing and posting, when securing whizzers and underhooks, and for shooting in for takedowns. Furthermore, having strong rotator cuffs allows for better stability, a greater ability to perform explosive movements & provide for better endurance when defending against submission such as kimuras.

Hopefully you can now see just how significant they are in the world of combat sports alone – they are required for stabilising heavy weight within the gym also, such as when bench pressing, performing dips & shoulder presses. With that being said, a little goes a long way for when training the rotator cuffs. A simple 5 to 10 minute pre workout regiment will suffice for this muscle group.

Rotator Cuff Exercises

Banded Internal Rotation

This exercise targets the Subscapularis.

How to do them:

• Anchor a resistance band in place and ensure it is at elbow height
• Pull the band internally so that it crosses your body whilst keeping your arm stable

Perform for 3 sets for 15 reps.

Tip: Replace the band with a cable for a different variation.

Side Lying External Rotation

One Study¹ has found that this exercise greatly targets the Teres Minor & Infraspinatus.

How to do them:

• Lay on your side with your knees slightly tucked
• Rest your top arm either on a rolled towel for better alignment or on your torso
• With a light dumbbell or plate in hand and with your elbow bent at a 90 degree angle, rotate your forearm upward – facing the ceiling

Ensure your elbow is glued to your side, as this will allow for your rotator cuff to be fully targeted.

Perform for 2-3 sets for 15 reps.

Bottoms Up Kettle Press

This exercise helps improve the stability of the shoulder.

How to do them:

• In either a standing or half kneeling position, hold a light kettlebell in a way where your knuckles are pointed to them sky
• Slightly tense your core & press up, holding for 3-5 seconds before returning back down

Tensing your core allows for greater stability during the exercise. Ensure that your elbow is 30 degrees to the side when performing. Use a load which is light enough to press & hold at the top, but heavy enough so that it is slightly challenging.

Perform for 2-3 sets for 10 reps.

Prone Y Raise

This exercise has been found to greatly target the Supraspinatus muscle within the same study.

How to do them:

• Lay stomach down on a bench or the floor
• Extend your arms around 100 degrees out to the side, so that your torso and arms form a Y shape
• Raise both arms up and hold for 5 seconds before returning back down

Perform 2-3 sets for 10 reps

Conclusion

Succeeding in combat sports can be hindered by weak rotator cuffs, therefore it is vital that they are trained frequently. Although that sounds daunting, you don’t have to train them obsessively. Choose 1 – 3 exercises that you enjoy and add them as a warm up before your heavy compound lifts.

References

1. Reinold MM, Wilk KE, Fleisig GS, Zheng N, Barrentine SW, Chmielewski T, Cody RC, Jameson GG, Andrews JR. Electromyographic analysis of the rotator cuff and deltoid musculature during common shoulder external rotation exercises. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2004 Jul;34(7):385-94. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2004.34.7.385. PMID: 15296366. ↩︎

Image of Rotator Cuff Anatomy By InjuryMap – InjuryMap – Free Human Anatomy Images and Pictures., CC BY-SA 4.0,