How to Do Shoulder Circle

Shoulder Circle is a shoulders exercise using bodyweight, listed as beginner in the A90 Training Club catalogue.

Primary muscle

Shoulders

Equipment

Bodyweight

Difficulty

Beginner

01 / Move with control

How to perform

How to do Shoulder Circle

  1. 01Stand with feet hip width apart and arms hanging naturally at your sides.
  2. 02Elevate your shoulders toward your ears in a controlled shrugging motion.
  3. 03Retract your shoulder blades backward as if trying to pinch a pencil between them.
  4. 04Depress your shoulders down toward your hips and then protract them forward to complete the circle.
  5. 05Perform the movement smoothly and reverse the direction after the set is halfway complete.

Same guidance shown inside the A90 app

02 / Anatomy

Muscles worked by Shoulder Circle

Primary Stabiliser Inactive

Tap to explore manually

Primary movers

  • Front delts Raises the arm forward and overhead.
  • Rear delts Pulls the arm back and stabilises the shoulder.

Stabilisers

  • Core Stabilises the spine and transfers force.
  • Lower back Stabilises the spine during lifts and bends.
  • Forearms Grips and stabilises the wrist under load.

03 / A90 Coach

A90 Coach tip

Keep your elbows locked straight to isolate the movement purely to the scapula and glenohumeral joint.

Same coaching engine used inside the A90 app

05 / FAQ

Shoulder Circle questions

What muscles does Shoulder Circle work?

Shoulder Circle is catalogued as a shoulders exercise in A90 Training Club, with the shoulders as its primary muscle group.

How do you do Shoulder Circle correctly?

Stand with feet hip width apart and arms hanging naturally at your sides. Elevate your shoulders toward your ears in a controlled shrugging motion. Retract your shoulder blades backward as if trying to pinch a pencil between them. Depress your shoulders down toward your hips and then protract them forward to complete the circle. Perform the movement smoothly and reverse the direction after the set is halfway complete.

What is the A90 coach tip for Shoulder Circle?

Keep your elbows locked straight to isolate the movement purely to the scapula and glenohumeral joint.

Is Shoulder Circle suitable for beginners?

Shoulder Circle is rated beginner in the A90 Training Club catalogue.

Do you need equipment for Shoulder Circle?

No. Shoulder Circle is listed as a bodyweight movement in the A90 catalogue, so you can train it with no kit.

A90 Intelligence

Put this into a real plan.

A90 Intelligence programmes shoulder circle into a 30, 60 or 90 day plan built around your equipment, then adjusts it as you train.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Free to download · 7 day free trial · Cancel anytime