Around The Worlds

How to do the Around The Worlds

1. Lay down on a flat bench holding a dumbbell in each hand with the palms of the hands facing towards the ceiling. Tip: Your arms should be parallel to the floor and next to your thighs. To avoid injury, make sure that you keep your elbows slightly bent. This will be your starting position.
2. Now move the dumbbells by creating a semi-circle as you displace them from the initial position to over the head. All of the movement should happen with the arms parallel to the floor at all times. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement.
3. Reverse the movement to return the weight to the starting position as you exhale.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	chest
Secondary	shoulders
Equipment	dumbbell
Difficulty	intermediate
Type	compound

No dumbbell? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Clock Push-Up Bodyweight Decline Push-Up Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Medium Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Reverse Grip Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Wide Bodyweight

Easier than the Around The Worlds

Same movement pattern, lower entry difficulty — work up from here.

Alternating Floor Press beginner · Kettlebell Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip beginner · Barbell Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip beginner · Barbell

Harder than the Around The Worlds

Plyo Kettlebell Pushups expert · Kettlebell

Superset the Around The Worlds with

Opposing middle back work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Middle Back Shrug middle back Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row middle back Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms In middle back Dumbbell Incline Row middle back

Common questions

What muscles does the Around The Worlds work?

The Around The Worlds primarily works the chest, with the shoulders as secondary movers. Alternating Floor Press, Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip, and Barbell Guillotine Bench Press train the same muscle, across 11 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Around The Worlds?

Dumbbells. Without dumbbells, Clock Push-Up, Decline Push-Up, and Incline Push-Up train the same muscle, and 17 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Around The Worlds suitable for beginners?

It is rated intermediate. Start with Alternating Floor Press, Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip, and Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip and work up.

Where should the Around The Worlds go in a workout?

Early — the Around The Worlds is compound, working 2 muscle groups, so run it first or second while you are fresh, then superset Middle Back Shrug and Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row later.

Similar exercises

Alternating Floor Press Kettlebell Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip Barbell Barbell Guillotine Bench Press Barbell Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip Barbell Bench Press - With Bands Resistance Bands Bent-Arm Dumbbell Pullover Dumbbell