Dumbbell Around the World

How to do the Dumbbell Around the World

1. 1Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
2. 2Extend your arms straight out to the sides at shoulder height, palms facing down.
3. 3Keeping your arms straight, slowly rotate your arms in a circular motion, bringing the dumbbells in front of your body and then overhead.
4. 4Continue the circular motion, bringing the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
5. 5Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Lead with the elbows and think of reaching wide rather than lifting up.

Muscles worked

Common mistakes

• Swinging from the hips — a small bounce at the bottom is the sign of a weight that is too heavy; lighten it and lift from a dead stop.
• Shrugging as you raise — the traps take over when the shoulders rise toward the ears; keep them down and lead with the elbows.
• Raising far above shoulder height — on lateral and front raises the upper traps take over past parallel, so stop around shoulder level unless the variation is built to go overhead.
• Locked elbows — keep a soft bend in the elbow throughout so the load stays on the shoulder rather than the joint.

Where it fits in a workout

Raises are accessory work and belong after the presses in a shoulder or push session. Superset lateral raises with a rear delt fly for a complete shoulder finisher.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

When to talk to someone

• Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
• Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
• Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

More exercises

• All shoulders exercises
• All dumbbell exercises
• Dumbbell shoulders exercises
• Band Front Raise
• Single Arm Band Front Raise
• Band Y-Raise
• Barbell Front Raise
• Overhead Barbell Front Raise
• Behind Back Barbell Rear Delt Raise

Sources

1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.