Exercise guide
Arm Circles
Arm Circles are a simple shoulder warm-up performed with the arms extended to the sides. The hands travel through repeated circles while the shoulders and upper back control the movement. The exercise requires no equipment and can be adjusted by changing the size and speed of the circles.
Training context
Who may find Arm Circles useful?
Arm Circles can be useful before pressing, pulling, throwing, or other upper-body activity. They are also easy to include during a general warm-up when you want to move the shoulders without adding resistance.
Start with small circles and increase the size only when the motion feels smooth. Larger circles are not automatically better, especially if the shoulders begin to shrug or the torso starts moving.
Technique overview
Keep the shoulders relaxed
Stand tall and extend your arms out at shoulder height. Make slow circles with both hands while keeping a slight softness in the elbows. Continue for the chosen time, then reverse direction. Keep breathing normally and avoid shrugging, arching the back, or turning the movement into fast uncontrolled swings.
Treat this as an overview and use a range, pace, and setup you can control.