5 Exercises for the Subscapularis Muscle (Rotator Cuff Rehab)

Today’s video covers rehab exercises for the subscapularis muscle, which is one of the four rotator cuff muscles.

Subscapularis is the strongest of the four rotator cuff muscles and is located on the anterior or front side of the scapula (shoulder blade). Subscapularis is one of the major internal rotators of the shoulder and also serves as an important stabilizer of the joint.

Pain related to dysfunction of this muscle is typically experienced on the posterior or backside of the shoulder, shoulder blade and backside of the upper arm.

[joenastasi]

I had a rotator cuff injury and used these specific exercises three days a week for six weeks and it really helped. Thank you for doing this video

[wendydavis]

I’m a PT this is amazing! Learned so much for progression! TY

[joebeck]

Just wanted to drop my thanks for this! I'm working with an older client who has some subscapulari/subdeltoid bursitis and these are going to be so great for her to work her way into machines from resistance bands.

[olgasolo]

Thank you, I love that these excercises are so precise. I've had several problems with shoulders lately, tried stretching and general sets for shoolders, but it's the strengthening excersises that target specific muscles that have finally worked.

[misskfountain]

It’s all about the shoulders in my world. Again, another excellent video. Thanks!

[bobsterbambino]

Chronic pain with golfing/mountain biking. Checked up to date for impingement and started routine for 1) scapular stability 2) rotator cuff strengthening 3)supraspinatus 4) external rotators 5) subscapularis.
Up to date was limited on subscapularis exercises so thanks for video.

Not sure if i have impingement or chronic rotator cuff but I think covering these 5 groups would cover both.

[toddbefield]

Had a hard fall at my community garden plot 7 weeks ago when i got hung up stepping over chicken wire fence...should've had a gate...will now! Luckily no labrum (SLAP) tear which i suspected, but MRI shows "low grade" subscapularis tendon tear. Had my first PT session a few days ago which helped. Hope this heals without surgery! Watching you and going to charge hard through all necessary rehab!!

[sshh]

I have pain doing all these exercises around my shoulder. But I know they are the good type of pains when the exercises are done in the right way .These exercises are kind of new to me. I’m gonna keep some practicing them.

[vincentdemers]

Thanks so much for these amazing exercises and knowledge! I feel so much better after only 2 days

[ТамарарегионХан]

Спасибо, доктор Том, классная техника-реабилитация

[sehiroglu]

thanks so much <3 and still waiting a video for lower biceps tendonits in elbow side :D

[sassa]

Thank you, these exercises have really helped me alot. Should I do them every day or every other day?

[sharonfry]

I’ve just found out that I have a subscapularis tear (after a year of pain!) Thanks so much for this video. I’m hoping this will keep me away from needing surgery! 🙏😊

[BM-htxk]

first three suitable for rehab, so is presented.

1:00 int rot w shoulder in neutral
2:00 int rot w shoulder in 90 deg abduction
3:00 int rot in front of body w shoulder in 90 deg flex
3:50 shoulder press w band supply tension to arm
4:40 chest press

[elikane]

Thank you very much. I am currently doing physical therapy for a subscapularis repair (and biceps tenodesis), this is great

[daybeep]

Thank you for the exercises I have been dealing with a lot of pain. I will definitely give these a try.

[davidglabais]

Amazing, thanks to your videos, I'm getting things narrowed down to the issue I'm having with my left-shoulder but I'm not exactly sure what it is just yet. I commented on another rotator-cuff related video you did, and was finding some improvement from the exercises you laid out though the issue persists. In this video, it's exercise 3 that is the absolute worse issue for mobility and source of pain! Holding my arm in that 90 degree position, it's hard to rotate my arm down to where my palm is facing the floor, and then when I slowly get it there, I come back up to about 60 degrees before it 'grabs' and is painful. The first exercise is no problem at all, with my elbow at my side and shoulder in neutral position. Exercise two I can do though I can feel the tightness in my shoulder in the starting position and then a little again once I've reached full rotation even without the resistance band. Exercise four and five are no problem at all! if you have any thoughts on my symptoms, I'd appreciate the feedback. Just one one more thought, I am a guitar player by trade and at the height of my issue a few weeks ago, it was hard for me to even reach out my arm in a seated playing position to even get my hand on the guitar neck! That particular issue is fine now thankfully!. I've been weight training in the gym for the past year and I'm wondering if it has something to do with a chronic issue of lack of mobility in my shoulders and then training on top of it? Thanks again for the BRILLIANT channel!!

[mugwyn]

Thank you for the great tutorials and thorough explanations/demonstrations. I have a history of multiple subluxations and have had surgery to insert anchors in the joint. Nevertheless, I suffer from returning pain in the front of my shoulder joint. It feels like the pain arises "deep" in the front of the shoulder joint. The pain is very evident when I attempt throwing motions like you demonstrated in the beginning of the video, or attempt to lift objects with my arm straightened towards my front (not an issue when I try to lift things laterally). Whether I do external or internal rotation exercises, including the ones you show here, I only experience little or no pain, but for several days after I feel great discomfort and pain "deep" in the front of my shoulder joint. Sometimes, even the gentle motion of stroking my cat causes pain in the joint!

What do you think could cause this kind of recurrent pain deep in the joint on the front of the shoulder?

[turathmakhzoum]

I underwent a right shoulder mri due to an acute pain with some particular weight lifting exercises and the report was as follows
Absence of the normal shape of the tendon of the supraspinatus muscle. This constitutes partial thickening of the muscle tendon, and is accompanied by partial obliteration of the fat pad separating the tendon of the supraspinatus muscle from the deltoid muscle, a thin effusion in the subacromial port and inside the articular cavity, and edema in the adjacent soft tissue levels, which does not express damage. In the trochanteric sleeve, the Injury Cef Rotator appears to be a rupture of the supraspinatus tendon. Spenatous Partial Tear This is accompanied by hypertrophic thickening, frank hypertrophic degeneration of the clavicular-acromial joint, with protruding rostral growth in an inferiorly protruding manner, causing impingement and attack on the upper edge of the supraspinatus muscle, and with heterogeneous thickening of the anterior scapular capsule, with tender extra-articular effusion and edema at tissue levels. Softness refers to damage to the tendon of the subscapularis muscle. The rest of the bony and soft tissue structures in the shoulder appear to be within normal limits.
Any ideas

[jbm]

Hey, loving the videos. Really learning a lot. I was wondering if there was a list of the actual names of these exercises at all so that I can put a name to them if I’m ever to use them for my personal training clients. Thanks