Besides having the coolest name out of essentially any exercise, the Superman is a fantastic back exercise and all you need is a floor mat to perform it. The Superman primarily targets the erector spinae but the lower back and glutes also get a nice workout since they’re also involved in the exercise.
Now, the Superman appears exactly how it sounds as you are extending your arms and legs off the ground to simulate the flying motion. But, in the case of this exercise you’re trying to build muscle since flying isn’t possible here (It’d be pretty cool though).
If you find yourself having back pain, this is a great exercise to strengthen those back muscles and build a little muscle in your posterior chain too.
In this Exercise
- Target Muscle Group: Erector Spinae
- Type: Strength
- Mechanics: Isolation
- Equipment: Floor Mat
- Difficulty: Beginner
Exercise Instructions
- Begin by lying on a mat face down and flat with arms and legs stretched out.
- Then lift your arms and legs up off the ground so that only your stomach and hips are in contact with the mat.
- Hold for a couple of seconds.
- Return to the starting position
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Variations & Tips
- You can perform the Superman by lifting just your left arm and right leg off the ground and then alternate by lifting your right arm and left leg off the ground to build strength in your back muscles.
- You can also just lift your arms while keeping feet on the floor and vice versa to strengthen your muscles enough to perform a standard Superman.
- Try not to hyperextend your back too much as this can result in pain.
- The Superman targets the spinal erectors, glutes and lower back effectively.
