How many circles of the medicine ball around-the-world should a beginner do?

Start with two sets of eight to ten circles per direction with a light ball at waist height, mastering that before adding the overhead progression. Once the pass feels smooth and controlled, widen the circle toward the head rather than reaching for a heavier ball.

What can you use instead of a medicine ball for the around-the-world?

A basketball or a filled backpack passed the same way trains the identical anti-rotation and coordination demand. A kettlebell or dumbbell around-the-world works too, though the grip and handoff will feel different from a round ball.

What is the medicine ball around-the-world good for, and when should you skip it?

It's a beginner-friendly warm-up and core-endurance drill that also grooves rotational control through the shoulders as the circle widens. Skip the overhead progression, or keep the circle small, if you have shoulder pain reaching overhead or a low-back issue that reacts to a bulkier, swinging load.

Beginner

Medicine Ball Around-the-World

Circling the ball around the midsection keeps the obliques and deep trunk continuously engaged as the load travels around your center of mass, while the shoulders guide the path. It is a friendly warm-up or core-endurance drill that also grooves rotational control. Alternate directions to balance both sides.

Equipment: Medicine Ball
Body part: Abs, Shoulder
Type: Functional, Strength
Browse by muscle: Abdominal External Oblique
Browse by movement: Rotation

How to do it

1
Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart, holding the medicine ball at your midsection.
2
Brace the core and pass the ball around your waist, hand to hand behind the back.
3
Keep the hips relatively still so the trunk does the stabilizing.
4
Complete several full circles in one direction.
5
Reverse and circle the ball the opposite way for equal reps.
6
Progress to larger circles that travel up around the head for more range.

Tips

Keep the ribs down and the pelvis quiet; only the arms and ball should travel.
Use a lighter ball and a smooth tempo to keep the core loaded throughout.
Widen the circle over time to increase the reach and shoulder demand.

Variations

Common mistakes

The ribs flare and the pelvis tips to help swing a bulkier ball around, instead of staying quiet while just the arms travel.
Jumping straight to head-height circles before the waist-level pass is smooth and controlled adds shoulder demand before the base skill is solid.
The hands lose a clean grip on the ball's smooth surface during the behind-the-back handoff, which is where most drops happen.
Once the ball gets bigger or heavier than what you can control at the waist, widening the circle just to look harder adds risk without adding benefit.

Frequently asked

How many circles of the medicine ball around-the-world should a beginner do?: Start with two sets of eight to ten circles per direction with a light ball at waist height, mastering that before adding the overhead progression. Once the pass feels smooth and controlled, widen the circle toward the head rather than reaching for a heavier ball.
What can you use instead of a medicine ball for the around-the-world?: A basketball or a filled backpack passed the same way trains the identical anti-rotation and coordination demand. A kettlebell or dumbbell around-the-world works too, though the grip and handoff will feel different from a round ball.
What is the medicine ball around-the-world good for, and when should you skip it?: It's a beginner-friendly warm-up and core-endurance drill that also grooves rotational control through the shoulders as the circle widens. Skip the overhead progression, or keep the circle small, if you have shoulder pain reaching overhead or a low-back issue that reacts to a bulkier, swinging load.

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