Banded Shoulder Drills: Mobility and Strength Guide

Master banded shoulder drills to improve mobility, reduce injury risk, and strengthen your rotator cuff with this professional step-by-step guide.

How to Perform

  1. Grasp a light resistance band with an overhand grip, keeping your arms straight and hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.
  2. Perform pull-aparts by extending your arms horizontally to your sides until the band touches your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  3. Transition to over-unders by rotating your straight arms in a wide arc from your hips, over your head, and down to your lower back.
  4. Execute face-pulls by anchoring the band and pulling it toward your forehead, focusing on external rotation and elbow height.
  5. Maintain a tall posture with a neutral spine and slight glute engagement throughout every repetition.
  6. Control the tempo by ensuring the band does not snap back during the eccentric or returning phase of each movement.

Common Mistakes

  • Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears during the pull.
  • Hyper-extending the lower back to compensate for limited mobility.
  • Using a band with too much tension to maintain fluid motion.
  • Bending the elbows to complete the range of motion.

Muscles Worked

Primary movers

  • Shoulders

Stabilizers

  • Upper Back
  • Rotator Cuff
  • Trapezius

Related Guides

Shoulders · Shoulders