How to do an Around the Worlds
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Around the Worlds
Flat Bench
Dumbbells
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Around the Worlds is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders and chest. It involves moving a pair of light dumbbells in a circular motion above your head and out to the sides, forming a full range of motion around your body. This exercise can help improve shoulder mobility and stability, while also engaging the chest muscles for added muscle activation.
- Lie your back onto a bench with your feet positioned under your knees.
- Grab ahold of a pair of dumbbells in both hands and position then beside your hip with your palms facing up.
- Bring the dumbbells away from your hips (in a horizontal plane) toward an overhead position while keeping your elbows slightly bent.
- Return the dumbbells back to the starting position and repeat.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Around the Worlds standards by male, female, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
- beginner8reps17.5lbs1 Rep Max22.5lbs
- intermediate8reps22.5lbs30lbs
- advanced8reps25lbs30lbs
Enter your stats to calculate your Reps & Weight
Alternative Exercises to Around the Worlds
1. Dumbbell Fly
98.3 mSCORESWAPPED 1,279 TIMESDumbbell Fly’s are one of the most common isolation chest exercises, and for good. It primarily targets the muscles in the chest, but also recruits the shoulders for stability. The use of dumbbells ensures that you’re targeting each side of the body independently, and prevents compensating for any weaknesses between sides. In addition the isolated nature of this exercise is a great way to fatigue your chest, and focus on building both muscle mass and increasing strength in your chest.
2. Dumbbell Bench Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 798 TIMESDumbbell Bench Press is a variation on the standard Bench Press. Like Bench Press, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, while also training the triceps and shoulders. The use of dumbbells allows for greater instability which can help you become more stable on pushing movements in general, while also isolating each side of the body to prevent you from compensating for any weaknesses between sides.
3. Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press
82 mSCORESWAPPED 654 TIMESAlternating Dumbbell Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Bench Press. Like other Bench Press variations, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. By alternating arms, you add instability and a greater need for core stabilization, helping to address any strength discrepancies between sides. This variation can also increase time under tension, making it an excellent exercise for muscle endurance.
4. Dumbbell Squeeze Press
91.1 mSCORESWAPPED 614 TIMESSimilar to other Bench Press variations, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Unlike many other variations, some of the tension from this exercise is caused by pressing two dumbbells together rather than simply relying on the weight of those dumbbells. This helps maintain more tension in your chest throughout the movement without relying on other pieces of equipment. The positioning of the dumbbells can also take some tension out of your shoulders, and helps to further isolate your chest.
5. Machine Fly
98.2 mSCORESWAPPED 390 TIMESMachine Fly is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly. This isolation chest exercise primarily targets the chest, but also recruits the shoulders. The use of a machine makes the exercise more stable allowing you to focus on exertion or learn the movement with minimal risk of injury. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to learn the movement, or advanced lifters looking to push this movement to it’s limit.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Fly Machine
6. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
99 mSCORESWAPPED 343 TIMESDumbbell Incline Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Incline Bench Press. This compound exercise primarily targets the chest, but the incline also places more emphasis on the shoulders. The use of dumbbells makes this exercise more unstable than its barbell counterpart, while also forcing you to address any strength discrepancies between sides.
7. Cable Crossover Fly
97.3 mSCORESWAPPED 341 TIMESCable Crossover Fly is an isolation exercise that targets the chest. It’s a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly, and can easily be adapted to further isolate specific areas of the chest. Using cables to add resistance allows you to keep more consistent tension on your chest, as well as control the angle that the resistance is coming from.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Cable Crossover
8. Barbell Bench Press
99.2 mSCORESWAPPED 303 TIMESBench Press is one of the three Powerlifting movements, and one of the most common upper body exercises. It’s a fantastic compound exercise that can help you build strength in your chest, shoulders, and triceps. It’s a staple in most fitness programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking upper body strength in general.
9. Dumbbell Incline Fly
91.1 mSCORESWAPPED 264 TIMESDumbbell Incline Fly emphasizes the upper chest, improving muscle definition and shoulder flexibility. Performed on an incline, it targets the upper pectorals while also engaging deltoids and triceps, offering a comprehensive upper body workout that enhances strength and aesthetics.
10. Dumbbell Larson Press
72.7 mSCORESWAPPED 256 TIMESDumbbell Larson Press is a variation of the bench press that eliminates leg drive by keeping your legs elevated or off the ground. This compound exercise primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. By removing leg drive, you focus purely on upper body strength and stability, making it a great exercise to improve your bench press form and muscle isolation.