Stop doing crunches. Honestly, just stop. If you’re trying to build a midsection that actually functions in the real world—and doesn’t just look okay in a mirror—you need to move in more than one direction. That’s where the around the world exercise abs movement comes in. It’s a bit of a catch-all term, but usually, it refers to a specific, circular rotation of the legs or torso that forces your entire core to stabilize against gravity from every single angle. It’s brutal. It’s effective. It’s also one of the most misused moves in the gym.
Most people treat their core like a hinge. They go up, they go down. They sit up, they lay back. But your anatomy isn't a door hinge; it’s a complex web of overlapping muscles designed to rotate, resist, and redirect force. When you perform the around the world exercise, you aren't just hitting the "six-pack" muscles (the rectus abdominis). You are dragging the internal and external obliques, the transverse abdominis, and even the hip flexors into the fight.
The Real Anatomy of a 360-Degree Core
Let’s get nerdy for a second. Your core is a cylinder. Most gym-goers focus on the front of that cylinder. They ignore the sides and the deep stabilizing layers. Dr. Stuart McGill, a world-renowned expert in spine biomechanics, often talks about "proximal stiffness." This is the idea that the core needs to be a rigid anchor so your limbs can move powerfully.
The around the world exercise abs variation—whether done hanging from a pull-up bar or lying on a mat—challenges this anchor. As your legs move in a wide circle, the center of gravity is constantly shifting. Your brain has to rapidly fire different muscle fibers to keep your spine from snapping into an arch or twisting painfully. It’s a game of constant micro-adjustments.
I’ve seen guys with massive deadlifts fail miserably at a slow, controlled hanging around the world. Why? Because they have "linear strength" but zero "rotational stability." If you can't control your legs as they sweep past the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions, you have a massive leak in your functional power.
How to Actually Do Around the Worlds Without Killing Your Back
There are two main ways to tackle this. You have the "Lying Around the World" and the "Hanging Around the World."
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The lying version is the entry point. You lie flat on your back, hands tucked under your glutes or out to the sides for stability. You lift your legs and draw a massive circle in the air with your feet. Sounds easy? It isn’t. The moment your legs get close to the floor, your lower back wants to peel off the mat. Don't let it. If your back arches, you’ve lost the rep. You’re no longer training abs; you’re just straining your lumbar spine. Keep that back glued down.
Then there’s the hanging version. This is the gold standard.
- Grab a pull-up bar with a firm grip.
- Engage your lats. Don't just hang like a limp noodle.
- Lift your legs together and begin a wide, circular sweep.
- Bring them up toward one hand, across the top, down toward the other hand, and through the bottom.
It’s tempting to use momentum. You’ll see people swinging like a pendulum, using physics to do the work their muscles should be doing. That’s useless. If you aren't moving slow enough to feel the "burn" in your obliques at the widest point of the circle, you’re wasting your time. Go slow. Feel the shake.
The Misconception About "Lower Abs"
You’ll hear influencers talk about how this move "targets the lower abs." Kinda true, mostly not. Technically, the rectus abdominis is one long muscle. You can’t fully "isolate" the bottom half. However, because the around the world exercise abs movement involves a heavy load from the bottom (your legs), the lower portion of that muscle and the hip flexors are under immense tension.
Why Your Hip Flexors Are Screaming
If you feel this more in your thighs than your stomach, you aren't alone. The psoas and iliacus (your hip flexors) are the primary movers when you lift your legs. This is the main criticism of leg-raising exercises. Some trainers hate them. They say it’s all hips and no abs.
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They’re half right.
To turn off the hip flexors—well, you can’t fully turn them off—but to shift the focus to the abs, you have to tilt your pelvis. Think about "shortening" the distance between your belly button and your ribcage. If you just swing your legs at the hip joint, it’s a leg workout. If you curl your pelvis upward as the legs move, it’s a core workout. It’s a subtle distinction that makes a 100% difference in your results.
Programming for Progress
Don't do these every day. Your core muscles need recovery just like your chest or biceps.
- For Beginners: Start with lying circles. Aim for 3 sets of 5 circles in each direction. Focus on the "dead zone"—the area where your legs are closest to the floor.
- For Intermediate: Move to the hanging version but keep your knees bent. This shortens the lever and makes it manageable.
- For Advanced: Straight legs, hanging from a bar, with a 2-second pause at the top of the circle.
Honestly, if you can do 10 perfect, slow hanging around the worlds in each direction, your core strength is probably in the top 1% of the general population.
Beyond the Six-Pack: The Health Benefits
We obsess over the aesthetics. We want the lines. But the real value of the around the world exercise abs routine is spinal health. By strengthening the obliques and the deep stabilizers, you’re creating a "natural weight belt." This protects your discs when you’re picking up groceries, moving furniture, or swinging a golf club.
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The transverse abdominis acts like a corset. When it’s strong, it pulls everything in and supports the internal organs. This is why some athletes can have a relatively high body fat percentage but still have a very "tight" looking midsection. They have structural integrity.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Holding your breath: This is the "Valsalva maneuver," and while it’s great for a 500lb squat, it’s not great for high-rep core work. It spikes your blood pressure unnecessarily. Breathe through the movement.
- Neglecting the "Bottom" of the circle: Most people rush the bottom part where the legs are hanging straight down. This is actually a great place to reset your pelvic tilt.
- Shoulder shrugging: If you’re hanging, don't let your shoulders cover your ears. Keep your shoulder blades pulled down and back. This protects your rotator cuffs.
Taking it to the Next Level with Equipment
Once the bodyweight version becomes "easy" (and let’s be real, it rarely does if you’re doing it right), you can add resistance. Holding a small medicine ball between your feet is the classic move. It adds a massive amount of torque.
Alternatively, use a cable machine. Stand sideways to the cable, hold the handle with both hands, and draw a large circle in front of your body. This is a standing "around the world" and it’s incredible for golfers and baseball players because it mimics the rotational demands of those sports.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Workout
Instead of mindlessly smashing out a hundred crunches at the end of your session, try this specific sequence to master the around the world exercise abs technique:
- Dead Bug (1 minute): This "wakes up" the deep core and teaches you how to keep your back flat.
- Pelvic Tilts (10 reps): Focus on the mind-muscle connection of moving your hips without using your legs.
- Lying Around the Worlds (3 sets of 6 per side): Focus on a 4-second circle. Very slow.
- Hanging Knee Tucks (2 sets of 10): Just to get used to the hang and the grip strength required.
Consistency beats intensity every time. You don't need a "killer" ab day once a week. You need 10 minutes of focused, high-quality movement three times a week. The around the world exercise is a tool. Use it with precision, stop using momentum, and watch how your overall stability transforms.