Personal trainer Alex Klein has partnered with lawyer and entrepreneur Raj Umayavan Yadhunanthanan to create the Rotators Shield, a weighted plate that is designed to rehabilitate the rotator cuff muscles and deliver a full-body workout.

The shield features a patented design, with grip handles at the centre of the plate rather than the sides. This encourages central placement of the wrists and isolates the exercise by creating resistance, making the weight feel heavier than it actually is, due to the graviational pull on the outer wrists. Users are also able to attach additional weights around the outside of the plate, to create an unbalancing effect, that can be used for rehabilitation exercises.

Each shield is made from shock-absorbing materials that create air bubbles to absorb impact when the shield is dropped, while the covering features a honeycomb structure designed to make it strong and hardwearing without adding any additional weight.

"The idea for the Rotators Shield came when I was working with a client with rotator cuff issues who was unable to perform the overhead work that I'd planned for the session," says inventor Alex Klein.

"Athletes, everyday gym goers and individuals who engage in exercise with high-velocity arm movements, such as tennis or boxing, or manual labour, are at risk of developing rotator cuff issues. Providing the rotator cuff isn't torn, the Rotator's Shield has been proven to rehabilitate a rotator cuff injury back to fitness," Klein adds.

The shields range from 5kg to 25kg and are available for pre-order in stands of six or 12.