Shoulders · Resistance bands

Resistance Band Standing Around the World

The resistance band standing around the world is an isolation movement where your arms sweep through a full overhead arc against continuous elastic tension. It targets the deltoids while activating scapular stabilizers, making it ideal for shoulder warm-ups or high-rep burnout sets.

Muscles: Shoulders
Equipment: Resistance bands
Type: Strength
Animation: Men

How to do it

Stand on the bottom of the loop band with both feet, hip-width apart, and grip a side of the band in each hand at your hips.
Keep your back straight, core braced, and elbows slightly bent.
Inhale, then as you exhale, raise both arms out to the sides and up in a wide arc until your hands meet above your head.
Keep the movement slow and controlled, without shrugging your shoulders.
Inhale and lower your arms along the same wide arc back to your hips.

Common mistakes

Shrugging your shoulders toward your ears shifts tension away from the deltoids and overworks the upper traps.
Arching the lower back to force your hands overhead places unnecessary stress on the lumbar spine.
Dropping your arms quickly on the way down eliminates valuable time under tension in the eccentric phase.
Bending your elbows excessively shortens the lever arm and turns the movement into a press.

Tips

Keep a constant, subtle bend in your elbows and focus on reaching out as wide as possible throughout the arc.
Brace your core and squeeze your glutes to ensure the movement comes entirely from your shoulder joints.
Narrow your foot placement on the band if the tension becomes too heavy to maintain a smooth overhead path.

Sets and reps

Perform 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 20 controlled repetitions with 45 to 60 seconds of rest to build shoulder endurance and hypertrophy.

Muscles worked

Resistance Band Standing Around the World: shoulders

Your coach guides every set

Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.

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Questions

Which muscles are targeted by this exercise?

It primarily recruits the lateral and anterior deltoids, while the rotator cuff, serratus anterior, and trapezius actively stabilize the shoulder girdle.

What should you do if your shoulders pinch at the top of the movement?

Stop short of the painful point in the arc, and if joint discomfort persists, discontinue the exercise and consult a medical specialist.

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