Elbow Circles
Elbow circles are a bodyweight shoulder warm-up where you rest your fingertips on your shoulders and trace circles forward and backward with your elbows. It's a low-intensity way to bring blood into the shoulder joint and traps before you load them with pressing or pulling work.
Why it works
Keeping your fingertips fixed on your shoulders turns your elbows into a lever that sweeps the shoulder joint through a wide, controlled arc without any external load. That circular path takes the shoulder through flexion, abduction, and extension in one smooth motion, which is exactly the range most upper body lifts ask it to cover, so a minute of this before training primes the joint and warms the traps that stabilize it.
Set up
- Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart.
- Rest your fingertips lightly on top of your shoulders, elbows pointing out to the sides.
- Keep your core braced so your ribs don't flare as your arms move.
How to do it
- Keeping your fingertips on your shoulders, draw your elbows forward and up in a circular path.
- Continue the circle up past your ears and around to the back.
- Complete the circle by bringing your elbows down and forward again.
- Do 8 to 10 circles in this direction.
- Reverse direction and circle your elbows backward for the same count.
Form cues
- Fingertips stay glued to your shoulders the whole time.
- Draw the biggest circle your shoulders comfortably allow.
- Keep your ribs down, don't let your back arch.
- Move at a steady pace, no jerking at the top or bottom.
Breathing: Breathe naturally and let your breath settle into the rhythm of the circles rather than holding it.
Common mistakes
Making tiny circles instead of tracing the shoulder's full available range.
Fix: Slow down and consciously push your elbows up past ear height and back as far as feels comfortable.
Letting the lower back arch to help swing the elbows higher.
Fix: Keep your ribs stacked over your hips and brace your core so the movement stays in the shoulders.
Rushing through the reps before the joint has actually warmed up.
Fix: Slow the tempo down and treat the first few circles as a check on how the shoulder feels that day.
How to program it
- Use it as a warm-up, 8 to 10 circles each direction, right before any session that involves pressing, rowing, or overhead work.
- It carries no real fatigue cost, so there's no reason to limit it, do it daily before upper body training or any time your shoulders feel stiff at a desk.
- Pair it with shoulder circles or arm circles to progressively open up a bigger range before you add load.
Safety notes
- Keep the circles pain-free; a pinching sensation at the top of the range means to shrink the circle until it's smooth.
- This is a mobility drill, not a strength exercise, so there's no need to add resistance to it.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Isolation
- Category
- Stretching
Frequently asked questions
How many elbow circles should I do before a workout?
8 to 10 circles in each direction is enough to bring blood into the joint. There's no benefit to doing more as a warm-up; save your energy for the actual training.
Can I do elbow circles every day?
Yes. It's a light mobility drill with essentially no fatigue cost, so it's fine as a daily warm-up or a break from sitting.
Why do my shoulders click during elbow circles?
Occasional painless clicking is common and usually harmless. If it comes with pain or pinching, shrink the circle to a range that stays comfortable and build it up gradually over sessions.