How to Do the Superman

The superman is a floor exercise where you lift your arms, chest, and legs while lying face down. It strengthens the lower back and glutes with no equipment. It suits beginners and anyone who wants simple back-extensor work.

Lower Back BodyweightBeginner

Log every set of your Superman in Superlift

Muscles worked

Primary

Lower Back

Secondary

Glutes

How to do the Superman

1
Lie face down with arms extended overhead and legs straight.
2
Rest your forehead lightly on the floor with your neck neutral.
3
Squeeze your glutes and lift your arms, chest, and legs a few inches.
4
Keep your gaze toward the floor.
5
Hold for one to two seconds at the top.
6
Lower slowly and repeat.

Form cues to remember

Lift with your glutes and back
Keep your neck long
Don't crank your head up
Lower slowly

Common mistakes

Lifting too high

Raise only a few inches; more range often strains the lower back.

Looking up

Keep your gaze down so your neck stays in line.

Using momentum

Pause at the top and move slowly.

Forgetting the glutes

Squeeze your glutes first to support your lower back.

Sets and reps

Endurance	3 sets of 12–15 reps with a 2-second hold, 45 seconds rest
Muscle growth	3 sets of 10–15 slow reps
Mobility	2 sets of 6–8 gentle reps as a warm-up

Overarching your lower back can cause discomfort. Lift only as far as feels comfortable and skip it if it causes pain.

Superlift for iPhone

Track your Superman and watch it go up

Superlift shows what you lifted last time, times your rest, and charts your strength week by week, so you always know what to beat. Every exercise in this library is built in, with the same demos and tutorials.