Isometric external rotation at a wall works the muscles that turn your arms outward (part of the rotator cuff) and the muscles that draw the shoulder blades together, while the arms stay still. You stand with your back against a wall, bend your elbows, turn the forearms out until the backs of your wrists and hands touch the wall, then press into it and hold. The voice guide starts with the upper arms only a little way from your sides, and the video shows a harder version with the arms raised so the hands sit up beside the head.

How to do the isometric external rotation at a wall

Stand with your back against a wall and your feet a little in front of it, standing tall with your head level.
Bend both elbows to about a right angle. Let the upper arms move a little way out from your sides, then turn the forearms outward until the backs of your wrists and hands rest on the wall.
In the video the upper arms are lifted out almost to shoulder height, so the forearms point up the wall and the hands are level with the head. Keep to the lower position unless your physio has asked for the raised one.
Keeping the elbow angle the same, press the backs of your forearms and wrists into the wall and let your shoulder blades draw gently together. Nothing should actually move.
Keep the pressure even for the whole hold, breathing normally, then let go gradually and lower the arms to rest.

What you should feel

Effort at the back of the shoulders and between the shoulder blades. In the raised position the tops of the shoulders work as well.

Common mistakes

Letting the lower back arch or the ribs lift away from the wall as you press.
Hitching your shoulders up as the press gets harder.
Changing the elbow angle or letting the arms slide along the wall during the hold.
Pressing so hard that the arms shake or the shoulder hurts.
Forcing the forearms back to reach the wall when the shoulder will not turn that far.

How often

Many programs build up to 5 to 10 presses, each held for 5 to 10 seconds, once or twice a day, starting with a light press. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

A sharp pain or a catch in the shoulder as you press.
The front of the shoulder feels unstable, as if it could slip out, especially with the arms raised.
Pain, pins and needles or numbness spreading down your arm or into your hand.
Pins and needles in your arm or hand that do not go away after you stop, or part of your arm or hand goes numb. Get medical advice the same day. If one side of your face or body suddenly goes numb or weak, or your speech becomes slurred or muddled, call emergency services, even if it goes away.
A sudden pop or tearing feeling in the shoulder that brings sharp pain, new weakness or trouble lifting the arm. Stop and contact your surgical team the same day, or get medical advice the same day if you have not had surgery.
The shoulder feels as if it has slipped out of place, looks a different shape or suddenly locks so you cannot move the arm, or your hand turns cold, pale or blue. Go to an emergency department straight away, without driving yourself, and do not try to put the shoulder back in yourself.

From the clinic

The voice guide begins with the upper arms close to your sides and says your physio may later ask you to raise them further. The video, filmed side-on, shows only that raised version. Press lightly at first. If your shoulders feel no worse afterward, build up over the next few days. If you have high blood pressure, breathe steadily through every hold and never hold your breath.

With the arms raised out to the sides and the forearms turned back to the wall, the shoulder sits close to the position where a joint that has dislocated forward tends to slip out again. If your shoulder has ever come out or felt unstable, stay with the lower position and ask your physio before you raise the arms.

After shoulder surgery, including a rotator cuff repair, or after a shoulder fracture or dislocation, follow your surgeon's or physio's plan, and do only the movements and range they have cleared. Many plans allow only passive movement at first, where the arm is moved for you and its muscles stay relaxed. This setup turns the arms well outward, and the raised version also lifts them out to the side. Many plans limit both for a number of weeks after a rotator cuff repair, a stabilization operation for a shoulder that slipped out at the front, or a shoulder replacement. Pressing into the wall adds resisted work on top, so check it is on your plan.

If the wall setup feels awkward, or your hands will not reach the wall without forcing the turn, isometric shoulder external rotation uses your other hand as the resistance for one arm at a time, with the elbow at your side. Once the holds are easy, shoulder external rotation with a band gets the arm moving against a band, and wall angels use the same back-to-the-wall setup.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Isometric external rotation at a wall