Skip to content
ascend.
Exercise guide

External Rotation with Cable

How to do the External Rotation with Cable with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

IsolationCableBeginnerPull
Primary muscles

Shoulders

Secondary

Equipment

Cable

Step by step

How to do the External Rotation with Cable

  1. 1

    Adjust the cable to the same height as your elbow. Stand with your left side to the band a couple of feet away.

  2. 2

    Grasp the handle with your right hand, and keep your elbow pressed firmly to your side. We recommend you hold a pad or foam roll in place with your elbow to keep it firmly in position.

  3. 3

    With your upper arm in position, your elbow should be flexed to 90 degrees with your hand reaching across the front of your torso. This will be your starting position.

  4. 4

    Execute the movement by rotating your arm in a backhand motion, keeping your elbow in place.

In Ascend

Log it, see it on your body.

Every External Rotation with Cable set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap — so your shoulders volume is visible at a glance — and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

Related

More shoulders exercises

Ascend Club

The app is free. Club adds the coach, leagues and analytics.

Core tracking stays free forever — the climb, streaks, logging and your league tiers. Club is for when you want the full coach, worldwide competition and the depth, at about the price of one coffee a month.

See Club plans

14-day free trial · no card to start

 FreeClub
Tracking, the climb and streaks
Per-set logging, PR detection, wearables
Muscle-league tiers
The AI coachnudgesFull conversation
Worldwide leagues and challenges
PR projections and deep analytics
Unlimited crews
Themes, export and higher AI limits