📖 Static demo — read-only snapshot
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Superman
Positions & Range of Motion
- Start
- prone, arms extended overhead, legs straight, neck neutral with gaze at the floor
- End
- arms, chest, and legs lifted a few centimeters off the floor via spinal and hip extension, held briefly, neck in line with spine
- Range of Motion
- low-amplitude thoracolumbar and hip extension (a few centimeters of lift), brief isometric hold at end range
How to Perform
Lie prone with arms extended overhead and legs straight. Simultaneously lift both arms, chest, and both legs a few centimeters off the floor by extending the spine and hips, keeping the neck neutral (gaze at the floor), hold briefly, then lower with control.
Opens a YouTube search for “Superman”
Coaching Cues
- 1
Squeeze your glutes first, then lift arms and legs together.
(internal) - 2
Reach long through your fingertips and toes, as if being pulled from both ends.
(external) - 3
Keep your nose pointed at the floor so your neck stays in line with your spine.
(internal) - 4
Think 'long and low' — a few centimeters of lift, not maximum height.
(external)
Evidence-Based Dosing & EMG Data
Surface EMG studies of prone trunk-extension exercises consistently show moderate-to-high activation of the lumbar and thoracic erector spinae and multifidus, with concurrent gluteus maximus and hamstring activity when the legs are lifted. Biomechanical modeling work (notably Stuart McGill's spine-loading research) has estimated that the full bilateral superman imposes among the highest lumbar compressive loads of common trunk-extensor exercises — on the order of several thousand newtons — which is why bird dog is generally preferred early in low-back rehabilitation and superman is reserved for asymptomatic or later-stage patients. Lifting the arms overhead in prone also produces meaningful lower trapezius and posterior deltoid activity, similar to a prone Y raise.
Muscles Involved (12)
Primary Movers
Secondary Movers
Stabilizers
Lengthened / Stretched
Synergists & Assistors
Easier Variations ↓
Bird Dog
Quadruped opposite arm and leg raise trains the same posterior chain with far lower lumbar compressive load; the preferred entry point for back-pain patients.
Prone Alternating Arm/Leg Raise
From prone, lift only one arm and the opposite leg at a time, reducing the extension moment and total load on the lumbar spine.
Harder Variations ↑
Superman with Long Hold or Pulses
Extend the isometric hold to 10-20 seconds or add small alternating arm/leg pulses ('swimmers') to increase time under tension and endurance demand.
Weighted or Ball Superman
Hold light dumbbells or a light plate in the outstretched hands, or perform the extension over a stability ball to increase range and load.
Target Movements (5)
Why This Exercise Matters
Everyday activities this exercise helps you do — essential means it directly trains the capacity the task needs:
Goals This Helps With
Rehab, performance, prevention, and mobility goals this exercise supports — essential means it's a cornerstone:
Research Notes
claude-researched 2026-07; muscle/movement links validated against the roster. Adversarial clinical verification pending — do not promote past needs_review without human review.