Superman
Muscles worked: Back (assisted by glutes).
How to do it
- To begin, lie straight and face down on the floor or exercise mat.
- Simultaneously raise your arms, legs, and chest off of the floor and hold this contraction for 2 seconds.
- Slowly begin to lower your arms, legs and chest back down to the starting position while inhaling.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions prescribed in your program.
Coaching cues
The two cues IronPack shows on this exercise's card mid-workout:
- Lift arms and legs together
- Squeeze the whole backside, one-second hold
Logging it
IronPack suggests working in the 12 to 20 rep range, progressing in 1 kg jumps when you own the top of the range. Bodyweight movement: log added weight only, and your records account for your logged bodyweight. Records are tracked automatically at every rep count from 1 to 12. Check your estimated 1RM from any hard set.
Related exercises
- Deadlift - back, glutes
- Pull-Up - back
- Chin-Up - back, biceps
- Lat Pulldown - back
Track the superman properly
IronPack logs every set, tracks your records at every rep count, shows these form photos mid-workout, and turns the training into a card game you play with your mates.
Get IronPack free on the App StoreFree download, iPhone. Currently on the New Zealand App Store, wider rollout to follow.
Photos and steps: free-exercise-db (public domain). Cues, muscle weighting and logging guidance are IronPack's own app data. Last generated 2026-07-17.