Exercise Comparison
Anti-Gravity Press vs External Rotation




Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Anti-Gravity Press
Instructions
Anti-Gravity Press
Place a bar on the ground behind the head of an incline bench.
Lay on the bench face down. With a pronated grip, pick the barbell up from the floor. Flex the elbows, performing a reverse curl to bring the bar near your chest. This will be your starting position.
To begin, press the barbell out in front of your head by extending your elbows. Keep your arms parallel to the ground throughout the movement.
Return to the starting position and repeat to complete the set.
External Rotation
Lie sideways on a flat bench with one arm holding a dumbbell and the other hand on top of the bench folded so that you can rest your head on it.
Bend the elbows of the arm holding the dumbbell so that it creates a 90-degree angle between the upper arm and the forearm. Tip: Keep the arm parallel to your torso.
Now bend the elbow while keeping the upper arm stationary. In this manner, the forearm will be parallel to the floor and perpendicular to your torso (Tip: So the forearm will be directly in front of you). The upper arm will be stationary by your torso and should be parallel to the floor (aligned with your torso at all times). This will be your starting position.
As you breathe out, externally rotate your forearm so that the dumbbell is lifted up in a semicircle motion as you maintain the 90 degree angle bend between the upper arms and the forearm. You will continue this external rotation until the forearm is perpendicular to the floor and the torso pointing towards the ceiling. At this point you will hold the contraction for a second.
As you breathe in, slowly go back to the starting position.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions and then switch to the other arm.
Verdict
Both exercises target the shoulders. Anti-Gravity Press is a beginner exercise using barbell, while External Rotation is beginner and uses dumbbell. Choose Anti-Gravity Press if you have access to barbell, or External Rotation if you prefer dumbbell. Anti-Gravity Press is a compound movement working multiple joints, making it better for overall strength. External Rotation isolates the target muscle for focused development.