Which arm position makes shoulder muscles work harder?
The Application of Double Elastic Band Exercise in the 90/90 Arm Position for Overhead Athletes
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Double bands in the frontal plane dramatically increased teres minor activation — a muscle rarely targeted this effectively in prior studies.
Most shoulder rehab focuses on the infraspinatus, not the teres minor, despite it contributing up to 45% of external rotation force. This study shows a simple method to activate it more.
Practical Takeaways
Use double resistance bands in the frontal plane with small oscillations to maximize teres minor and lower trapezius activation during shoulder rehab or warm-ups.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Double bands in the frontal plane dramatically increased teres minor activation — a muscle rarely targeted this effectively in prior studies.
Most shoulder rehab focuses on the infraspinatus, not the teres minor, despite it contributing up to 45% of external rotation force. This study shows a simple method to activate it more.
Practical Takeaways
Use double resistance bands in the frontal plane with small oscillations to maximize teres minor and lower trapezius activation during shoulder rehab or warm-ups.
Publication
Journal
Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Year
2020
Authors
M. Tsuruike, T. Ellenbecker, Connor Lauffenburger
Related Content
Claims (5)
When college baseball players do a specific shoulder exercise with two rubber bands instead of one, it makes a key rotator cuff muscle work harder — about 35% as hard as it can possibly work.
Doing a specific shoulder exercise with a resistance band at a certain angle helps baseball players use the right shoulder muscles more and the wrong ones less, which might protect their arms from injury.
When college baseball players do shoulder exercises at a 90-degree angle, their rotator cuff muscle (infraspinatus) works harder if they move in a diagonal plane (scapular) instead of a side-to-side plane (frontal). The muscle shows nearly 70% of its max activity in the diagonal move, suggesting it’s a better way to strengthen that muscle.
When college baseball players do shoulder exercises with small back-and-forth movements, their shoulder and upper back muscles work harder than when they hold still or use light resistance—about 15% to 25% more.
When college baseball players do certain shoulder exercises with bands, their serratus muscle (a key shoulder blade muscle) works harder if they move in a specific direction and add shaking motions — no matter how the band is set up.