Day 20 closes the second lap with a shoulder minute measured in raises. Side arm raises anchor slots one, three and five; arm raises, arm circles and wide arm circles fill the rest. One minute of work, one of rest, 3, 5 or 7 sets by level. Every exercise is a variation on a single question: how many ways can your arms travel to shoulder height and beyond?
The circuit is built from two axes. Side arm raises and arm raises cover the lateral and frontal planes - out to a T, then straight ahead - splitting the deltoids' workload between their side and front heads burst by burst. The two circle variants then take the position and stir it: standard circles keep the arms level and the movement tight, while wide arm circles swing through the full arc from thighs to overhead, the biggest movement of the day saved for near the end, when your shoulders are least in the mood for big.
Raise to shoulder height and no higher on both raise variations - level, controlled, straight-armed, with the lowering as deliberate as the lift. Keep standard circles small and precise. In the wide circles, sweep through the complete arc as drawn, arms passing overhead each rep, and keep the tempo even instead of flinging.
Four movements, one altitude - by the end of the minute your shoulders can find level without looking.
Make it Harder: Touch the backs of your hands together overhead on every wide arm circle - close the arc completely.
Make it Easier: Work through smaller arcs at half tempo across the board - shape first, size when you can afford it.
