Shoulders · Dumbbell
on a Bench Dumbbell Side Lying External Rotation
How to do the on a bench dumbbell side lying external rotation, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your side on a bench with a light dumbbell in your top hand and that elbow tucked against your ribs, bent to 90 degrees. Keeping the elbow pinned to your side, rotate your forearm up and away from your stomach until it points toward the ceiling, then lower it back down with control. Move slowly and let the rear of the shoulder do the work.
- 1The back of the shoulder and rotator cuff working as you rotate the
- 2forearm up
- 3Your elbow staying glued to your side throughout
- 4A slow, controlled lower back to the start
Common mistakes
- Don't let your elbow drift away from your ribs
- Avoid using a heavy weight that forces your torso to swing
- Don't rotate from the wrist instead of the shoulder
Muscles worked
The on a bench dumbbell side lying external rotation mainly works the external rotators, with the rear delts assisting.
- External RotatorsPrimary
- Rear DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
Kovo programs the on a bench dumbbell side lying external rotation for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More hips & adductors exercises
- How to do the butterfly stretch
- How to do the external rotation
- How to do the cable hip adduction
- How to do the internal rotation
- How to do the cobra pose
- How to do the core scrunch
Last reviewed June 2026.