Dumbbell Around the World
The dumbbell around the world is a lying chest exercise in which you sweep two light dumbbells in a wide arc from your hips, out to your sides and up past your head, then back again. It works the chest and the front of the shoulders through a long range, with the muscles around the shoulder controlling the arc.
Also called: DB Around the World, Lying Dumbbell Around the World, Dumbbell Lying Around the World, Dumbbell Chest Circles · Equipment: dumbbell · Pattern: isolation
Step by step
- Lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs near your hips, palms facing up.
- Set your shoulder blades back and down into the bench and put a slight bend in your elbows. Keep that bend for the whole set.
- Sweep the dumbbells out to your sides in a wide arc, keeping your arms about level with your body.
- Continue the arc past your shoulders until the dumbbells meet above your head, turning your palms to face the ceiling as they travel.
- Keep your ribs down and your back flat on the bench as the dumbbells reach overhead.
- Reverse the arc under control, sweeping the dumbbells back out to your sides and down to your hips.
- Shoulder blades pinned to the bench
- Lock the slight elbow bend
- Sweep wide, level with your body
- Palms turn to the ceiling as you go
- Ribs down at the top
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Pectoralis major: sternocostal (mid) | Prime mover | C |
| Pectoralis major: clavicular (upper) | Prime mover | C |
| Anterior deltoid: anterior | Secondary | C |
| Latissimus dorsi | Secondary | C |
| Rotator cuff | Stabiliser | D |
| Biceps brachii: long head | Stabiliser | C |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Bending and straightening the elbows
Fix: Set a slight elbow bend at the start and keep it the same all the way round.
Dumbbells dropping far below the bench
Fix: Keep the dumbbells about level with your body through the whole arc.
Shoulders rolling off the bench
Fix: Pin your shoulder blades back and down into the bench before each rep.
Arching the back overhead
Fix: Draw your ribs down and keep your back flat on the bench.
Rushing the arc
Fix: Move slowly and evenly, with the same speed all the way round.
What the research says
- Load and growth — Research reviews identify mechanical tension as the main driver of muscle growth. Only light dumbbells are usable on this arc, so it is commonly used as an accessory or finisher rather than a main chest exercise.
- Muscle activity — In an EMG comparison, the dumbbell fly showed less chest, front-shoulder and triceps activity than the bench press. This is muscle activity, not growth, and the around the world itself has not been measured.
- Sets and reps — There is no controlled research on this exercise. A common approach is a few sets of 8 to 15 slow reps with light dumbbells at the end of a chest session.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the dumbbell around the world in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.