Weighted Round Arm

Setup

1. 01Hold a light dumbbell in each hand at the sides.
2. 02Stand with feet hip width apart and a braced, upright torso.
3. 03Keep the arms nearly straight with a soft elbow bend.
4. 04Set the shoulder blades down away from the ears before the first circle.

Execution

1. 01Raise the arms out and sweep them in a slow, full circle: forward, up, back, and down.
2. 02Keep the circle diameter as large as pain-free mobility allows.
3. 03Complete the planned reps in one direction, then reverse the circle.
4. 04Maintain an even tempo of roughly 3 to 4 seconds per full circle.

Checkpoints

• -Circles stay smooth and round, not segmented flicks.
• -Torso stays still; no rocking to help the arms around.
• -Both directions get equal work.
• -Traps stay quiet as the arms pass overhead.

Common mistakes

• -Using dumbbells heavy enough to shrink the circle into a small wobble.
• -Speeding up and letting momentum carry the weights.
• -Shrugging hard as the arms pass the top of the circle.
• -Skipping the reverse direction.