ShoulderSource-checked
Teres minor
Teres minor
Pronunciation: TEH-reez MY-nor
For beginners
The smallest rotator cuff muscle. It teams up with the infraspinatus to rotate the arm outward and steady the shoulder.
Show the advanced explanation
Together with infraspinatus it produces external rotation and, by depressing the humeral head, helps counter superior migration during abduction.
Structure & function
- Location
- A small deep muscle along the outer edge of the shoulder blade.
- Origin
- Lateral border of the scapula.
- Insertion
- Greater tubercle of the humerus.
- Main action(s)
- Externally (laterally) rotates the arm and stabilizes the humeral head.
- Joint(s) crossed
- Glenohumeral joint
- Movement plane
- transverse
- Innervation
- Axillary nerve (C5–C6)
- In daily movement
- Assists outward rotation of the arm.
- In exercise
- Works with infraspinatus in external-rotation and pulling movements.
- Commonly confused with
- Easily confused with teres major, which is a larger internal rotator and is NOT part of the rotator cuff.
- Common misconceptions
- Teres minor (cuff, external rotator) and teres major (not cuff, internal rotator) do opposite rotations.
Exercises that use this muscle
As a primary mover
As a secondary / stabilizer
- Face Pull (secondary)
- Dumbbell Overhead Press (stabilizer)
⚠ Safety note
Include external-rotation work to balance pressing-heavy programs.
Sources
“The teres minor is a rotator cuff muscle that laterally (externally) rotates the arm.”
Anatomy and Physiology 2e — OpenStax, Rice University · Ch. 11.5 Muscles of the Pectoral Girdle and Upper Limbs
Peer-reviewed textbook · License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Last checked 2026-07-19
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