The superman exercise: a hero to your glutes, back and shoulders.

I think that a lot of people are overly focused on “pushing” movements (e.g. pushups and crunches) that workout the front of your body and they are not doing enough pulling movements that target the backside. The superman hits your glutes, hamstrings, upper and lower back and rear shoulders.

You begin by lying on your stomach with legs straight behind you and your arms in front palms down and shoulder width apart. Simultaneously lift your arms and your legs vertically and hold for a couple of seconds before lowering (see instructional video). That’s one. When lowering, don’t completely go all the way down. Rather, sustain the tension for the next one. Do 10 for one set. Rest for 30-60 seconds. Try to do 4 sets. Note that when you are raising your legs, the focus is less about lumbar spinal flexion and more about trying to make your glutes and hamstring do the work to lift your legs. The actual amount of lift won’t be a lot, but do your best to focus and activate those muscles.

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