PVC Around the World
The PVC Around the World is a fundamental mobility exercise that takes your shoulders through a full range of circumduction using a PVC pipe. It is designed to open up tight chest muscles and improve flexibility in the shoulder girdle for better overhead mechanics.
Since mobility work relies on consistency rather than heavy load, the AI tracks the frequency of this movement in relation to your recovery metrics like HRV and sleep quality. If your recovery score is low, the app may prioritize this drill to promote blood flow and joint health without adding systemic fatigue. Furthermore, by monitoring your feedback on joint comfort, the AI learns your specific range-of-motion limitations and can suggest grip adjustments or regressions like the shoulder-dislocations-band if shoulder pain is detected.
Form Cues
- Start with a grip significantly wider than your shoulders
- Keep your elbows straight and locked throughout the entire arc
- Shrug your shoulders up towards your ears as the pipe passes overhead
- Engage your core to keep your ribcage locked down
- Move slowly through the tightest part of the rotation
- Don't bend your elbows to compensate for limited mobility
- Don't arch your lower back or flare your ribs as you reach back
- Don't jut your head forward as the pipe passes behind you
- Don't force the movement through sharp pain
- Don't use a grip that is too narrow for your current flexibility
Common Mistakes
- Bending elbows during rotation
- Excessive lumbar arching
- Forward head posture
- Grip width too narrow
- Rushing the movement
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the glenohumeral joint, stretching the pectorals and anterior deltoids while engaging the posterior deltoids and rotator cuff. It relies heavily on the scapular stabilizers, such as the rhomboids and traps, to control the movement of the shoulder blades as the arms rotate.
Primary
Secondary
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