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Shoulders · Beginner

Arm Circles Forward & Backward

Mobility drill for practicing joint range with smooth control.

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Arm Circles Forward & Backward demonstration

Exercise overview

Training details

ShouldersRotator Cuff

Equipment

Bodyweight

Sets × reps

2 × 10 / direction

Rest

15 sec

How to perform it

Step-by-step instructions

  1. 01Stand upright with your arms extended out to the sides at shoulder height and your elbows soft.
  2. 02Make small forward circles from your shoulders while keeping your ribs down and your trunk still.
  3. 03Gradually increase the diameter only while the motion remains smooth and your shoulders stay away from your ears.
  4. 04After the prescribed repetitions, reverse the circles and move backward with the same control.
  5. 05Maintain a relaxed neck throughout and reduce the range if you begin to shrug or feel shoulder discomfort.

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Variations

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Closely related versions of this movement with a different grip, setup, equipment, stance, or difficulty.

Harder progressionShoulder CARRelated variationArm Corkscrew RotationRelated variationActive Single-Arm Shoulder Flexion

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Alternatives

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Substitute exercises that train similar muscles or serve a comparable purpose in a workout.

Comparable substituteOverhead StretchComparable substituteCross-Body Shoulder StretchComparable substituteAlternating Shoulder Scratch Stretch

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