Shoulders · Bodyweight
Seated Internal and External Shoulder Rotation
How to do the seated internal and external shoulder rotation, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit tall with your upper arm against your side and your elbow bent to ninety degrees. Rotate your forearm outward away from your body, then back inward across your stomach, keeping your elbow pinned to your ribs the whole time. Move slowly through both directions.
- 1The small rotator cuff muscles working at the back of the shoulder
- 2Your elbow staying glued to your side
- 3Slow, deliberate control in both directions
Common mistakes
- Do not let your elbow drift away from your body
- Avoid using momentum to swing the forearm
- Do not shrug or rotate your whole torso
Muscles worked
The seated internal and external shoulder rotation mainly works the external rotators and internal rotators, with the rear delts assisting.
- External RotatorsPrimary
- Internal RotatorsPrimary
- Rear DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the seated internal and external shoulder 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.