Blackburns Exercise Guide — How to, Benefits, & Alternatives

March 7, 2024

The blackburn exercise helps you rehabilitate and prevent shoulder issues.

Various injuries and discomfort can impact the shoulder, a problem not spared for bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. These issues may stem from rigorous training and exercise routines, poor posture, and extended periods of sitting.

The blackburn exercise is an effective method for addressing and healing shoulder injuries. This regimen alleviates general shoulder discomfort and pain and is crucial in shoulder rehabilitation by correcting muscle imbalances (1). Performing the blackburns exercise strengthens the shoulder blades and adjacent muscles, potentially easing shoulder pain. Moreover, it serves as a corrective exercise, ensuring proper shoulder alignment.

This detailed exercise guide demonstrates the proper technique for performing the blackburns exercise to rehabilitate your shoulders effectively and explores its outstanding benefits.

Blackburns Exercise Techniques & Muscles Worked

The blackburns exercise is a bodyweight routine that focuses on strengthening your shoulders, especially after an injury. It primarily targets the delts, rotator cuffs, and other scapular stabilizing muscles.

The complete blackburns exercise series consists of multiple movements: prone horizontal abduction, prone horizontal extension, and prone horizontal scaption on the wall. You’ll need some light weights (optional) and an exercise table to lie down on when doing this exercise. When you use the proper forms, as shown below, the blackburns exercise should be manageable.

Your head and neck should always be relaxed in all positions, and your upper back muscles shouldn’t move when performing this exercise.

Prone Horizontal Abduction (Neutral)

Lay face down on the exercise table, arms hanging straight to the ground. Your palms should be facing downwards.
Raise your arms to its sides, parallel to the ground.
Hold for about 2-3 seconds in this position, and slowly drop your arms and shoulders to their starting position for more sets and reps.

Prone Horizontal Abduction (Full External Rotation)

Lay face down on the exercise table with your arms straight down. While doing this, your thumbs point up (hitchhiker’s position).
Raise your arms to their sides, just slightly in front of the shoulder. This should be parallel to the ground.
Hold for 2-3 seconds in this position, then slowly lower your arms and shoulders to their starting position for more sets and reps.

Prone Horizontal Scaption (Neutral)

Lay face down on the exercise table, arms hanging straight to the ground. Your palms should be facing downwards.
Raise your arms out to its sides, parallel to the ground.
Slightly move the arms forward by 30 degrees. This movement is similar to the prone horizontal abduction.
Hold for about 2-3 seconds in this position, and slowly drop your arms and shoulders to their starting position for more sets and reps.

Prone Horizontal Scaption (Full External Rotation)

Lay face down on the exercise table with your arms straight down. While doing this, your thumbs point up (hitchhiker’s position).
Raise your arms out to its sides, parallel to the ground.
Slightly move the arms forward by 30 degrees. This movement is similar to the prone horizontal abduction.
Hold for about 2-3 seconds in this position, and slowly drop your arms and shoulders to their starting position for more sets and reps.

Prone Horizontal External Rotation

Lay face down on the exercise table with your arms extended to your sides and the elbows bent to a 90-degree angle pointing down.
Rotate your arms externally so your forearms point forward and parallel to the ground.
Hold for 2-3 seconds in this position, then slowly lower your arms and shoulders to their starting position for more sets and reps.

Prone Horizontal Extension

Face down on the exercise table, arms hanging straight to the ground, and palms facing forward.
Raise your arms to horizontally almost parallel to the thorax
Hold for 2-3 seconds in this position and slowly drop your arms and shoulders to their starting position for more sets and reps.

Benefits

The blackburns exercise guide is a good shoulder routine to add to your workouts. Still not convinced? Check out the following benefits of doing the blackburns exercise.

Strengthens the Shoulders

The blackburns exercise is an excellent routine for upper body strength. It strengthens your shoulders and surrounding muscles, such as the scapular stabilizing muscles and the rotator cuff. This exercise can also correct any imbalances, further increasing your strength.

Increased Oxygen Levels

To do the blackburns exercise, you get in a prone position. This opens up the blood vessels and helps the heart beat faster. This enables proper blood circulation around the body, which is great for building muscle.

Shoulder Rehabilitation

The blackburns exercise improves shoulder posture and mobility (2). It also strengthens the muscles around the shoulders, which can help relieve shoulder pain. Doing them can also reduce your risk of injury.

Flexibility & Versatility

There are six positions for doing the exercises in the blackburns series. This allows you to choose the one that best applies depending on what part of your shoulder you need to work on.

Carryover to Other Exercises

The blackburns exercise strengthens your shoulder and its surrounding muscles. This can help you build your chest and back faster. Doing the blackburns exercise can improve your form for exercises that do that.

Blackburns Alternatives

The blackburns exercise should be part of your shoulder routines, especially if you have an injury. However, if you want to strengthen your shoulders, here are three alternatives you could also try.

Seated Side Lateral Raise

The seated side lateral raise works on your lateral delts. Proper form is essential to using the correct weights during this exercise. For a more effective shoulder exercise, lift the dumbbells over your shoulders while your elbows remain bent.

Dumbbell Front Raise

The dumbbell front raise works on your shoulders but explicitly targets the anterior delts in the front. However, the dumbbell front raise recruits your chest and traps as stabilizing muscles. Depending on whether you sit or stand, you could also use your core for the dumbbell front raise.

Reverse Fly

The reverse fly is another great exercise for shoulder strength. It targets the hard-to-reach parts of your delts and helps improve your posture.

FAQs

What are the benefits of the blackburns exercise?

The blackburns exercise strengthens muscle around the shoulder and helps with shoulder rehabilitation. For more benefits, check the exercise guide above.

What are the blackburns exercise?

Blackburns is a bodyweight exercise that helps correct posture and strengthen the shoulder. It can also be used to rehabilitate shoulder injuries.

How to do the blackburns exercise?

To do this exercise, you need a table. Light dumbbells or plates (optional) are also available. The guide above outlines six movements.

References

Hwang, M., Lee, S., & Lim, C. (2021). Effects of the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Technique on Scapula Function in Office Workers with Scapula Dyskinesis. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 57(4), 332. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina57040332
Budgujar, A., Golhar, S., & Jeswani, K. (2023). Effectiveness of Blackburn Exercise with Thoracic Extension Exercises Versus Thoracic Extension Exercise on Postural Hyper Kyphosis and Scapula Position in Young Asymptomatic Individuals – A Comparative Study. International Journal of Science and Healthcare Research, 8(3), 381–393. https://doi.org/10.52403/ijshr.20230352