How to Do the Superman Exercise (and Easier Versions)

To do the superman exercise, lie face down with your arms stretched out in front of you, gently brace your stomach and squeeze your glutes, then lift your arms, chest and legs just a few centimetres off the floor. Hold for 2 to 3 seconds while breathing steadily, then lower with control. The details matter, because lifting too high and cranking your neck back turns a useful back and glute exercise into an uncomfortable arch. This guide, part of our series on doing the big movements properly, covers the muscles, the cues, easier versions, common mistakes and a 4-week plan that fits around your running.

What muscles does the superman exercise work?

The superman mainly works the back of your body. The muscles running either side of your spine (the erector spinae, plus the deeper multifidus) do the lifting at your lower back. Your glutes and hamstrings lift your legs, and the muscles between and above your shoulder blades (the trapezius and rhomboids) along with the backs of your shoulders hold your arms up. Your stomach muscles work quietly too, keeping your pelvis steady so the lift comes from the right places.

A small 2021 ultrasound study of 21 active adults, published in the International Journal of Exercise Science, found the multifidus thickened more during a superman with an arm and leg lifted together than during the bird dog versions tested. The authors suggested building up from arm lifts to leg lifts and then combined lifts, the same order as our ladder below. It measured the muscle during the move, not strength gained over time, so treat it as interesting rather than proof.

Not every expert is a fan. Professor Stuart McGill, a well-known spine researcher, is widely reported to have cautioned against the full superman because lifting everything at once while arching loads the lower back heavily. That is why this guide keeps the lift small, starts with one limb at a time and treats the full version as optional.

How do you do the superman exercise with good form?

Lie on a mat or carpet, then run through these cues.

• Set up. Lie face down with your legs straight and about hip-width apart, and your arms reaching forward past your head, palms facing down or facing each other. Rest your forehead on the floor or on a folded towel.
• Settle your hips. Gently press your hip bones into the floor. Some people find a thin folded towel under the hips more comfortable.
• Brace and squeeze. Tighten your stomach gently, as if bracing for a light poke, and squeeze your glutes. This sets your pelvis before anything moves.
• Lift long. Breathe out and lift your arms, chest and legs a few centimetres off the floor at the same time. Reach your fingertips to the wall in front and your toes to the wall behind.
• Keep your neck long. Look at the floor just in front of you. Your head should move with your chest, not tip back.
• Hold. Pause for 2 to 3 seconds at the top, breathing slowly. Your legs stay straight, with no bend at the knees.
• Lower with control. Breathe in as you lower everything back down slowly, rest for a breath, then go again.

A quick check: you should feel the work spread across your back, glutes and the backs of your legs. If you feel a sharp pinch in one spot in your lower back, you are lifting too high. Make the lift smaller, drop down a rung, or stop.

What are the easier versions of the superman?

Lifting one limb at a time is much gentler than lifting all four, so you can start low down and climb. Move up a rung when you can do 2 sets of 8 slow reps (per side where it applies) at your current level, with a smooth lift and no pinching in your back.

• Rung 1: Arm lifts. Lying face down, lift one arm a few centimetres, hold, lower, then switch. Your chest stays on the floor. This teaches you to move a limb without your body twisting.
• Rung 2: Leg lifts. Keeping your forehead down, lift one straight leg a few centimetres by squeezing that glute, hold, lower, then switch. Your hips should stay flat on the mat.
• Rung 3: Alternating superman. Lift your right arm and left leg together, hold, lower, then switch sides. For most beginners this is the version to spend the most time on.
• Rung 4: Full superman. Both arms, chest and both legs lift together, as in the cues above, for a short hold of 2 to 3 seconds.
• Rung 5: Superman pull. From the full superman, bend your elbows and draw them back towards your ribs as if pulling down a bar, squeeze your shoulder blades together, then reach forward again before lowering. It adds upper-back work, so only try it once rung 4 feels smooth.

If lying face down is uncomfortable, the bird dog trains a very similar opposite arm and leg pattern from all fours. Our guide on how to do a bird dog walks you through it, and many people find it a gentler starting point.

What are the most common superman mistakes, and how do you fix them?

• Lifting too high. A big banana-shaped arch shifts the work into a pinch in your lower back. Lift only a few centimetres and think long, not high.
• Cranking the neck. Looking forward or up folds the back of your neck. Keep your eyes on the floor just in front of you.
• Bending the knees. Your legs flop up from the knee instead of lifting from the hip. Keep your legs straight and lead with a glute squeeze.
• Holding your breath. Breathe out as you lift, then keep breathing slowly during the hold. If you cannot, shorten the hold.
• Rushing. Bouncing up and down uses momentum rather than muscle. Count a slow two seconds up, the hold, and two seconds down.

How many sets and reps of the superman should you do?

Think of the superman as a control exercise. Slow, tidy reps with short holds do more than big numbers, and you should stop each set while your form still looks good.

• Starting out. 2 sets of 6 to 8 reps (per side for the one-limb and alternating versions), with a 2 second hold.
• Building up. 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps, with a 3 to 5 second hold.
• Rest. About 30 to 45 seconds between sets.
• How often. 2 to 3 times a week, with a day between sessions. It takes about five minutes.

Once 3 sets of 10 with a 5 second hold feels easy, move up a rung rather than adding more reps. The superman pairs well with the glute bridge, which works your glutes from the opposite position, lying on your back. Our guide on how to do a glute bridge covers it step by step.

What does a 4-week beginner superman plan look like?

Follow this plan two or three times a week, with at least a day between sessions. If a week feels too hard, repeat it before moving on.

By the end of week 4 you should have a smooth alternating superman and a short, controlled full superman. If the full version does not feel right for your back, staying on the alternating version is completely fine.

Is the superman exercise good for back pain?

There is no simple yes. Experts disagree about the full superman, and what suits one back may not suit another. If you have back pain now, or a history of back problems, speak to your GP or a physio before trying it, and stop if any version causes pain. The one-limb and alternating versions, and the bird dog, are gentler places to start.

Why should runners do the superman?

Your glutes and hamstrings drive each stride, and the muscles along your spine help hold you upright as you tire. The superman trains them with no kit, which may help you hold a tall posture late in a run, though it is one small piece of the picture rather than a fix. It also balances out front-of-body core work such as planks. For more moves that build a solid trunk, see our guide to the best core exercises for beginners.

How does the superman fit into a hybrid week with running?

Easily. The superman barely tires your legs, so it works as part of a warm-up before a strength session or as a short finisher after an easy run. If your lower back feels tired afterwards, keep the harder rungs away from the day before a long run or a heavy lifting session.

• Monday. Strength session, with alternating supermans in the warm-up.
• Tuesday. Easy run, then five minutes of supermans and glute bridges.
• Wednesday. Rest or a walk.
• Thursday. HIIT or interval session.
• Friday. Strength session, finishing with supermans and planks.
• Saturday. Rest.
• Sunday. Long run.

At Edge we treat running, strength and HIIT as one plan rather than three separate ones, so back and core work like the superman sits alongside your runs instead of competing with them. Edge is free to use and has 20,000+ members. Edge Pro, from £19.99 a month with a free 7-day trial (you add a card to start it), gives you a fully personalised plan across running, strength, HIIT and mobility, ready within 24 hours, with a real coach to message anytime if you are not sure when to move up a rung.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.