When you think of shoulder muscles, you're probably envisioning the deltoids. But a small group of muscles referred to as the rotator cuff is equally important to shoulder strength, injury prevention, and stability. The tiny rotator cuff muscles play a big role when it comes to lifting weight. So before you hit the bench press, make sure to warm up the rotator cuff. Men's Health shares a tip that's as easy as A, B, C:

• Pick up a 2-4 pound medicine ball and press it against a wall with one hand. Keep your arm straight and don't lean into the wall.
• Using firm pressure, roll the medicine ball against the wall and trace out the alphabet. The more pressure you use, the more the rotator cuff will be worked. Repeat the alphabet once with both arms.

Also, check out Chris' post on the importance of resistance training in addition to exercising your rotator cuff.