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Superman Exercise: How to Do, Benefits, & Muscle Worked

Looking for superman-like qualities? Try the superman exercise with its multiple variations and acquire superhero qualities. Read more to find out the information about it.

Rosie Ford
Superman Exercise: How to Do, Benefits, & Muscle Worked
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I don't know about you, but I grew up loving Superman. He was always my favorite superhero growing up. Not just because of his powers but also because of his strong moral compass. In every movie and TV show, I saw him save people and put criminals in their place. It was inspiring to watch. Even now, as an adult, I still admire Superman for his strength and heroism.

But you may be unaware that Superman has a workout routine too! And it's one that you can do at home with little equipment needed. So today, we'll take a keen look at the Superman exercise and how to do it correctly. Plus, we'll discuss some benefits of this move, and the muscles worked. Let's get started!

What is the Superman Exercise?

The Superman Exercise is a supreme way to work your entire back, including the tricky lower back. It's also great for the glutes, which are often neglected in other exercises. The key to this exercise is to move slowly and steady yourself throughout the movement. Stop immediately if you feel pain, and consult a doctor or physical therapist. Here’s how to do it:

  • Start by lying on your stomach with your arms overhead.
  • Slowly raise your head, chest, arms and legs off the ground, keeping your stomach pulled in tight.
  • Hold for a few seconds, then slowly lower back down.
  • That's one rep. Try to do 10-15 reps in a row.

Muscles Worked in the Superman Exercise

This exercise is a great way to target your posterior chain. The hamstrings and glutes work together with the deltoids to lift legs from their feet while extending out through one's backside during movement patterns like these raised arm poses. In addition to these muscles, there are other key muscle groups, such as those found along our spine.

Targeting these muscle groups can have advantages in and out of the gym. Along with improving posture and fending off injuries, actively targeting your postural muscles through superman exercises will help you establish a connection between mind-body practice for optimal health outcomes.

The activation patterns we use when doing bodyweight movements like this one are similar to those called upon during heavy lifting sessions, so our bodies must remember how to engage them properly if we want to get the most from each workout!

Superman Exercise Benefits

Superman exercises have spectacular benefits connected with them. Here are some of the benefits of performing superman exercises.

Helps Prevent Injury

Superman exercises are great for preventing injuries. Moving your arms and legs in an alternating pattern helps stretch and strengthen your body's muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Therefore, your body can better support your joints and protect them from injury.

Helps Improve Posture

Superman exercises are a great way to improve your posture. You work all the muscles in your back and shoulders by lying on your stomach and extending your arms and legs out in front of you. This helps strengthen them and gives you better support for your spine.

As a result, you'll stand taller and have less pain in your lower back. Additionally, Superman exercises can help improve your balance and coordination. By working all the muscles in your back, you'll be able to control your body better and move more easily.

Helps Enhance Physical Performance

Superman exercises are an excellent way to enhance your physical performance. By spending just a few minutes a day performing Superman exercises, you can significantly improve your strength, endurance, and power. Superman exercises are a great way to warm up before your workout or to cool down after a strenuous session.

Superman Exercise Variations

Superman exercises have a superman effect, but without the blue cloth to take it all over. These variations will help your body and energy to take everything over. Try these variations.

Superman to Hollow Hold

Superman to hollow hold is an amazing exercise with many benefits like improving body control and enhancing core strength. To do the superman to hollow hold.

  • Start by lying on your belly and raising your arms and legs in the superman hold position.
  • Stay in that position for three seconds, actively working on your glutes and hamstrings.
  • Roll to the right side of your back without involving your hands and feet in the movement, creating a hollow hold.
  • Ensure that you are pressing your lower back into the floor and pulling your belly button into your spine.
  • Then, keep your arms and legs low to the floor as you press the lower back into the floor.
  • Roll to the right then, restoring the superman hold for three seconds.
  • Next, roll to the left, holding a hollow hold for three seconds.
  • Repeat this rolling act with the right and left positions.
  • Repeat this cycle for 30 seconds.

Superman Pulse

Superman pulse is an efficient exercise that helps prevent injury, strengthens legs and buttocks, improves posture, and supports the spine. To do the superman pulse exercise,

  • Start by lying on your stomach with your face down and your arms and legs straight. Your neck must be in a neutral position.
  • Keep your torso stationary, and lift your arms and legs a little from the floor.
  • Slowly lower back down to complete one rep.
  • Do 20 reps.

How to Progress

Use Weights

Once you master the bodyweight version of this movement, begin using resistance. Use dumbbells, resistance bands, or even household items like cans of soup to add extra weight and make the exercise more challenging.

Increase Time Under Tension

You can also increase the difficulty of the movement by so an isometric hold for a set amount of time. Another way to increase the TUT is to do more repetitions in a single set.

Common Superman Exercise Mistakes to Avoid

There's no doubt that the Superman exercise is a great way to work your back and core muscles. However, a few common mistakes people make when doing this exercise can lead to injury or decreases in performance. Here are some mistakes to avoid when doing the Superman exercise:

Not Maintaining Good Form

It's important to keep your back straight, and your legs and arms parallel to the ground throughout the exercise. If you let your form deteriorate, you'll strain your muscles and joints unnecessarily, which could lead to injury.

Not Going Slow Enough

It's important to move slowly and maintain control during the Superman exercise. If you try to go too fast, you'll likely sacrifice form and put yourself at risk for injury.

Not Breathing

It might sound silly, but many people hold their breath when doing the Superman exercise (or any other type of exercise). This is a recipe for disaster because it can lead to dizziness, lightheadedness, or even fainting. So make sure to keep breathing throughout the entire exercise!

FAQs

1. What are the benefits of the superman exercise?

The Superman exercise is a superb way to work your back and core muscles. While it may not make you faster than a speeding bullet or more powerful than a locomotive, it can help to improve your strength and flexibility.

2. What muscles does superman exercise work?

When it comes to working out like Superman, there are a few key muscle groups that you'll need to focus on. First are the legs responsible for propelling Superman through the air at super speeds. You'll need to do plenty of squats and lunges to get those superhero-worthy legs.

Next are the arms, which must be strong enough to lift heavy objects (and stop bullets!). Try doing some Curls and tricep extensions to build up your arm muscles. And don't forget about the back — after all, Superman's cape must look good flowing in the wind!

Finally, no Superman workout would be complete without working on the core. A strong core is definite for balance and stability, which come in handy when flying around, saving people!

3. List superman exercises with weights.

Superman exercises are a great way to work your back and shoulders while also challenging your core. While they can be done with no weights, adding some weight can make a move even more effective. To do a Superman exercise with weights,

  • Start by lying on your stomach with your arms extended in front of you.
  • Then, holding a weight in each hand, slowly lift your chest, arms and legs off the ground.
  • Be sure to keep your lower back flat and avoid arching your back as you lift.
  • Hold the position for a moment, then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
  • Start with three sets of 10 repetitions and increase the number of sets as you get stronger.

This move is not only great for building strength, but it can also help improve your posture. So don't be afraid to add some Superman exercises to your workout routine!

4. What is half superman exercise?

Half superman is an excellent exercise for targeting the lower back muscles. To perform the half superman:

  • Lie facing down on a mat with your legs extended straight behind you and your arms extended out in front of you.
  • Next, raise your head, chest, and legs off the ground, keeping your pelvis stationary.
  • Hold this position for a few seconds before returning to the starting position. You can perform the half superman with or without weights.
  • If you are using weights, hold them in your hands with your palms facing down.

For an extra challenge, try performing the half superman with one arm and one leg raised off the ground simultaneously.

The Bottom Line

The Superman exercise is an effective, low-impact exercise that can help improve your back and core strength. It’s important to practice good form when doing this exercise to get the most benefit and avoid injury. Adding weights or increasing the time you hold each position can make this exercise more challenging as your fitness level increases. So give it a try and see how you can take over like superman!

Reading List

Article Sources

  • Xu, Youyin, et al. ‘A Preliminary Study on the Equivalence between Standing Back-Extension and Superman Training in Lumbar Multifidus Exercise’. Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine, vol. 2022, Mar. 2022, p. 3677831. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3677831.
  • Hwang, Young-In, and Du-Jin Park. ‘Comparison of Lumbar Multifidus Thickness and Perceived Exertion during Graded Superman Exercises with or without an Abdominal Drawing-in Maneuver in Young Adults’. Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, vol. 14, no. 4, Aug. 2018, pp. 628–32. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.12965/jer.1836296.148.

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Rosie Ford

Rosie began her career in communications as a writer and later as a communications coordinator for renowned university of South Carolina. She is also trained in the field of article writing specially related to fitness and yoga.

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