Description
A strength training exercise that targets the shoulders and arms using cans as weights.
How to Do Weighted Full Can Exercise
- 1Setup
Stand tall with feet hip-width apart, holding a light dumbbell or can in each hand. Let your arms hang naturally at your sides with palms facing your body.
- 2Setup
Rotate your shoulders slightly externally so your thumbs point up and about 45 degrees forward from your body, maintaining a neutral spine.
- 3
Keeping your elbows softly locked, slowly raise the weights directly out to the sides in the scapular plane (about 30-45 degrees forward from your body).
- 4
Continue lifting until your arms are parallel to the floor, no higher than shoulder height, focusing on controlled movement and exhaling.
- 5
Slowly and with control, lower the weights back down to the starting position, inhaling as you descend.
Tips
- Perform the lift in the scapular plane (about 30-45 degrees forward from your body, not directly out to the sides) to minimize impingement and optimize rotator cuff activation.
- The eccentric (lowering) phase is crucial for building strength and stability; resist gravity rather than letting the weights drop.
- Keep your thumbs pointing upwards and slightly outwards throughout the movement to ensure proper external rotation and target the supraspinatus effectively.
- Consciously depress your shoulder blades away from your ears to prevent upper trapezius dominance and maintain focus on the deltoids and rotator cuff.
Common Mistakes
- ×Raising the weights above shoulder height can cause shoulder impingement; stop when your arms are parallel to the floor.
- ×Swinging the weights up rather than controlling the lift reduces muscle activation; use a lighter weight and focus on a slow, deliberate movement.
- ×Performing the exercise with palms facing down (thumbs down) can place undue stress on the rotator cuff; always maintain the "thumbs up" position.
Variations
Dumbbell Prone Full Can Exercise
Strengthen your rotator cuff muscles and improve shoulder stability with the Dumbbell Prone Full Can.
Dumbbell Empty Can Exercise
Strengthen your shoulders with the Dumbbell Empty Can Exercise. This targeted movement improves rotator cuff health and deltoid stability by mimicking a
Weighted Front Raise
Strengthen your anterior deltoids with the Weighted Front Raise. This isolation exercise builds shoulder definition and improves posture by lifting a
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