Lying Around The World
Lying Around The World Exercise Description
Lying Around the World is a bodyweight shoulder-control drill performed prone on the floor. With straight—but not locked—elbows, you trace a large, slow arm circle from overhead to the hips and back while keeping the arms hovering just off the ground. The goal is precise, pain‑free motion that coordinates the shoulder joint with the shoulder blades (scapulohumeral rhythm) and maintains a neutral spine. Primary emphasis is on the deltoids and the scapular stabilizers, especially the middle and lower trapezius and the rotator cuff, with the trunk engaged to prevent compensations. You’ll practice moving the shoulders through a wide arc without shrugging or arching the low back, reinforcing clean overhead mechanics. Keep the ribs down, reach long through the fingertips, and breathe steadily so the motion remains smooth and controlled rather than driven by momentum.
- Muscle Groups: Back, Delts, Shoulders, Traps
- Target Muscles: Deltoid - Lateral, Trapezius - Lower Fibers
- Assisting Muscles: Serratus Anterior, Supraspinatus, Trapezius - Middle Fibers
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Gluteus Maximus, Rectus Abdominis, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Back, Mid Back, Shoulders
- Body Surface: Back, Side
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Scapular Depressors, Shoulder Abductors
- Joint Involvement: Single-joint
- Muscle Location: Lower Traps, Side Shoulder
- Movement Direction: Other
- Muscle Position: Lateral, Posterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Lying Around The World Exercise
‘- Lie face down on the floor with a folded towel under your forehead. Legs long, glutes lightly engaged, ribs down to keep a neutral spine.
– Set arms in a wide “Y” overhead, elbows straight (not locked), thumbs pointing up; draw shoulders away from ears.
– Lift both arms just off the floor and reach long through the fingertips. Neck stays neutral; gaze down.
– Sweep the arms out to a “T,” then continue the arc toward the hips in a smooth, controlled circle.
– Let the shoulder blades glide: upwardly rotate as arms move overhead; draw them down and slightly together as arms approach the hips.
– As hands near the hips, rotate comfortably so palms face the floor or your sides—avoid shrugging.
– Pause briefly near the hips without lifting the chest or arching the low back.
– Reverse the path back to the overhead “Y,” matching the same smooth arc and control.
– Keep breathing; maintain light tension in the trunk so movement happens at the shoulders, not the spine.
– Use only a pain‑free range. If you feel pinching in the shoulder or strain in the neck or low back, reduce the arc.
Lying Around The World Tips
‘- Keep ribs down and glutes lightly engaged so your spine stays neutral as the arms move.
– Reach long through the fingertips with elbows straight but not locked to keep the arms hovering just off the floor.
– Draw the shoulders away from the ears and avoid shrugging, especially as the hands approach the hips.
– Let the shoulder blades upwardly rotate as the arms move overhead, then draw them down and slightly together as the arms near the hips.
– Sweep the arms in a large, slow, smooth circle and match the same arc on the way back instead of using momentum.
– Keep your neck neutral with the towel under your forehead and your gaze down so the motion stays in the shoulders.
– Pause briefly when the hands are near the hips without lifting your chest or arching the low back before reversing.
– Breathe steadily and maintain light tension in the trunk so the movement happens at the shoulders, not the spine.
– Use only a pain‑free range; if you feel pinching in the shoulder or strain in the neck or low back, reduce the size of the arc.
Lying Around The World Beginner Introduction
Lying Around the World is a floor-based bodyweight drill that highlights shoulder control and coordination. It is performed lying prone while the arms move in a long, hovering arc from an overhead position, out to the sides, and down toward the hips before returning along the same path. The elbows stay straight without being jammed, and the hands travel just above the ground, turning slightly near the hips as the motion continues. Throughout the pattern, the shoulders and shoulder blades move together in a smooth partnership, rather than the neck or lower back taking over.
This exercise targets the shoulders, upper back, traps, and the smaller stabilizing muscles around the shoulder joint, with gentle support from the core to keep the torso steady. The emphasis is on calm, deliberate movement that feels comfortable and steady, supporting healthy overhead movement habits. Breathing stays easy and unforced, helping the arm circle remain fluid instead of rushed or driven by momentum.