10 Best Teres Major Exercises for Building Strength in Your Upper Body

The teres major and minor muscle groups are often overlooked by many fitness enthusiasts in their training regimen. But these muscles are crucial for developing strength in the shoulders and rotating your arms. They work in conjunction with the latissimus dorsi muscles to help rotate the shoulders.

The teres major muscle is supported by the teres minor muscle, which is responsible for lateral rotation of the arm.

But how do you develop strength in the teres major muscles? They’re so small that they seem near impossible to target.

Luckily, there are some teres major exercises that can help you to target and develop the muscles.

What Are the teres major and minor Muscles?
The teres major and Minor muscles are muscles that lie below the infraspinatus. These two muscles are crucial for rotating your arms and shoulders.

Including teres major exercises in your training regimen can give you benefits, some of which are listed below

Key Benefits:

• Creates throwing strength
• Provides stamina for rotating the shoulders
• Increases scapular rotation upward
• Improves humeral elevation

Top teres major exercises to develop strength in your shoulders and improve arm rotation

The teres major works together with your lats. Thus, most back exercises tend to train the teres major. But there are some teres major exercises that can specifically target the muscle much better

Here are 9 top teres major exercises that can help you strengthen those muscles

Seated Row with Resistance Band

Seated cable row is one of the best teres major exercises that can help you build upper body strength. It is one of the most reliable exercises for targeting the muscles in your upper arms and back.

You can do the seated cable row exercise on a cable machine if you are a frequent gym goer or have a cable machine at home.

But for those of us without access to a cable machine, you can do this teres major exercise and target the same muscles by using a resistance band in place of the cable machine.

Required Equipment: Resistance band

Steps to follow:

Start the seated row with resistance band by

• Sitting on the floor with your legs together and fully stretched in front of you
• Hold the ends of the resistance band in each hand and loop the mid-section of the resistance band around the soles of your feet. Ensure your palms are facing inwards
• Brace your core, breathe out, and pull the resistance band as close to your waistline as possible. Ensure you keep your elbows neutral and your back tucked in.
• Pause for a second.
• Take a deep breath and extend your arms slowly to release the tension in the resistance band
• Repeat 12 – 15 reps to complete a set

Pull-ups

Pull-ups are standard exercises for teres major and minor muscles. They require a Pull-up bar or any sturdy bar mounted on a wall or a door.

Level: beginner.
Equipment Required: Pull-up bar or Power Tower

Steps to follow:

• Stand underneath the Pull-up bar and jump up to grab it. If you don’t need to jump, you should consider raising the bar slightly.
• Grab the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. Hang from the bar. You might find it easier to cross your feet and bend your knees slightly behind you.
• You should have an overhand grip (palms facing away from you).
• Pull yourself up until your chest is as close to the bar as possible with all your strength.
• Hold for a few seconds, then gradually pull yourself back down.
• Repeat for 10-12 reps.

Lat Pulldown

The lat pulldown exercise is one of the most effective teres major exercises. You will need a lat pulldown machine for this exercise.

Required Equipment: lat pulldown machine or cable pulley machine

Steps to follow:

• Start the teres major exercise by sitting in front of a lat pulldown machine
• Firmly grasp the bar a bit wider than a shoulder-width apart
• Pull the bar, while inhaling, till it gets to somewhere between your chin and chest. Your goal is to get the bar a bit below your collarbone. Ensure you keep your body tall and leaning slightly backward.
• Hold the bar in that position for a second or two
• Relax your hands and slowly get the bar to your starting position
• Repeat the up and down motion for 8-10 reps for a set, and up to 3 sets per session

Chin-ups

The chin-ups are much like the Pull-ups, but they require an underhand grip. They are great teres major exercises at home.

Level: Intermediate.
Equipment Required: Pull-up bar or Power Tower

Steps to follow:

• First, get your Pull-up bar in position. It should be high enough so that, when you grab it, you are slightly off the ground.
• Then, jump up and grab the bar with an underhand grip (your palms should be facing toward you). Your hands should be shoulder-width apart.
• Now, brace your core and pull yourself up slowly. Keep pulling until your chin is just above the bar. It may help to bend your knees behind you.
• Hold for a few seconds and pull yourself back down, making sure not to hang down or let go.
• Repeat for 10-12 reps.

Resistance band pulldown

You need a resistance band for the lat pulldown with a resistance band calisthenics teres major exercises. The exercises target your lats, as well as, your mid-back, biceps, and shoulders

Required Equipment: Resistance band

Steps to follow:

• Attach or loop a resistance band on a bar or elevated anchor point
• Go down on one knee and firmly grab the ends of the band in each hand. Keep your palms facing down, your hands straight, and about a shoulder-width apart.
• Slightly bend forward and, with your lats engaged, pull the resistance band as close to your thighs as possible. Ensure you keep your back and core tight
• Repeat 8-10 reps to complete a session

Banded Face Pull

The face pull is one of the best exercises that can target and work the rear delts. These are the muscles in the shoulders used for many activities that involve movements.

Face pulls are one of the best teres major exercises that can help you to maintain good posture and reduce injuries to your shoulders

You need a lat pulldown machine or a cable pulley machine for the face pulls exercise. But you can do the exercise using a resistance band secured to an anchor point if you are training from home or don’t have access to a cable machine.

Required Equipment: Resistance band

Steps to follow:

• Loop the resistance band onto a fixed anchor point that is positioned slightly above your head,
• Grasp the ends of the resistance bands firmly in each hand, ensuring your palms are facing in
• With your shoulder blades squeezed together, pull the resistance band slowly toward your shoulders
• Pause for a second or two and gradually release the tension in the band and return to your original position
• Repeat about 10 reps to complete a set

Incline Push-Ups

Incline pushups are the best alternatives to traditional pushups. It is a great way to master basic pushups. It is especially suitable for beginners and those who struggle to do the basic pushups

You will need to put your body in an incline position for the incline pushups. Thus, you will need a stable surface like a table, bench, or box for the exercise.

But despite putting your body in the incline position for the exercise, you can still target your major and minor pectoralis, which are the main muscles in your chest.

It is recommended for those looking for ways to build upper body strength, including the elderly, and those going through shoulder and upper body rehabilitation.

It is also one of the best teres major exercises to train your upper body and shoulders.

Steps to follow:

• Place a box or bench at an appropriate spot, ensuring there is enough room in front of it to stretch your body.
• Stand facing the box or bench.
• Go down and place your hands on the box. Ensure you point your fingers forward.
• Slide your feet back and get your body in a straight line. Ensure your head and spine are aligned. Do your sag your back.
• Start inhaling and by bending your elbows, lower your chest slowly towards the box. Ensure you keep your body straight and rigid, and your feet tucked to the floor throughout.
• Just before your body touches the box or bench, start lifting your body by straightening your arms, to get back to your starting position.
• Repeat up to 10x to start with, and increase the reps as you gain more confidence and build up stamina

Tip: To help keep your body straight, don’t look at the box. Instead, look ahead of you.

Incline Shoulder Press

Incline shoulder press, also known as incline dumbbell press, or incline chest press is one of the best free weight teres major exercises for working the upper part of your chest and shoulders.

The exercise can also target your triceps. And it can help increase the size and strength of your chest.

Using an incline bench for the exercise makes it possible for you to focus the movement on your front shoulders and the upper part of your pectoral muscles

Equipment Needed: Dumbbells, incline bench, or adjustable weight bench

Steps to follow:

• Set your weight bench to 60-75° incline
• Select a pair of dumbbells of appropriate size. Hint: Start with a lighter weight, if you are doing the exercise for the first time.
• Holding a dumbbell in each hand, sit and lean back on the bench and rest your neck on the bench. Ensure your feet stay flat on the floor
• Position your hands at your shoulders, bend your elbows and angle them down below your ribs
• Brace your core, exhale, and lift both dumbbells till your arms are fully stretched and perpendicular to the floor. Bring both dumbbells to almost touching each other as you get to the top of the movement
• Inhale, and slowly lower the dumbbells back to a point where your elbows form a 45-degree angle with your torso. Ensure your elbows point to the floor.
• Repeat 8-12 reps for a set, and gradually work your way up to complete 3 sets per session, as you build up stamina

Hint: To exit the exercise, sit up on the bench, place the dumbbells on your knees, then stand up.
Do not drop the dumbbells while in the incline position on the weight bench

Band Pull-Apart

The band pull-apart targets the muscles in your upper back and shoulders. It is one of the top teres major exercises. The exercises can help improve the stability of your shoulders

Level: Intermediate.
Required Equipment: Resistance band

Steps to follow:

• Stand up straight and keep your feet at least shoulder-width apart.
• Grab the ends of your resistance band in both hands. Your hands should be extended in front of you and at the level of your chest.
• Now, pull the band apart by pulling your arms back and extending them. Keep pulling until your hands are in-line with your shoulder blades.
• Bring the resistance band back to its starting position.
• Repeat for 10-15 reps.

Resistance Band Horizontal Rotation

These Teres major muscles exercises are perfect for working out both the Teres major and the Teres minor. They also work out multiple muscles of the shoulder. This exercise is ideal as a warm-up.

Level: Intermediate.
Equipment Required: Resistance band, Anchor for the resistance band.

Steps to follow:

• Secure your resistance band on the anchor. The anchor should be at about the same level as your midriff.
• Grab the band in one hand and take a step away from it so that you create an ample amount of tension in it.
• Raise your hand such that your elbow and shoulders form 90-degree angles. You should have your palms facing down.
• Maintaining the posture of your shoulders and elbows, gradually rotate your upper arm. Your forearm should move down until it becomes parallel to the floor in this pose.
• Now, raise your arm again and repeat for 10-12 reps.

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