The Superman is an equipment-free exercise that will strengthen some of the most important muscles in your body. The bird dog exercise works the erector spinae, rectus abdominis, glutes, hamstrings, low back, upper back and shoulders, abs, and thighs. It’s especially beneficial for working the erector spinae muscles, that support your spine, the core muscles, and glutes. These are all part of your posterior chain. Plus, it doesn’t require weights, meaning you can do it almost anywhere you can fit a mat.
But first, you must know how to do a Superman:
- Lie on your stomach on the floor with your arms and legs extended straight out in front of you with your head in a neutral position.
- Slowly lift your arms and legs about 6 inches off the floor, or until you feel your lower back muscles contracting. Simultaneously engage your glutes, core, and the muscles between your shoulder blades.
- Imagine you’re Superman flying in the air and trying to lift your belly button slightly off the floor to contract your abs.
- Hold this position for 2-3 seconds while continuing to breathe.
- Bring your arms, legs, and core back to the mat in a controlled manner.
- Keep repeating.
To get the most out of the Superman exercise, maintain a solid and stable position by engaging your core and fully extending your arms and legs. Remember to breathe deeply and stay centered and focused on your body’s movements to get the full benefit.
Now let’s look at some of the benefits of the Superman exercise.
The Superman Will Improve Everyday Movement Patterns
The Superman exercise is an exercise that engages your back, core, and glutes, which are components of your posterior chain – the muscles along the backside of your body. Regularly training your posterior chain will help you perform everyday movement patterns such as squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling, and carrying safely and more efficiently. It also strengthens the muscles that help protect against back pain and injury.
The posterior chain muscles are important for movements such as standing up from the couch and standing up straight after bending over to pick an object off the floor. But when you primarily train your anterior chain – the muscles on the front side of your body, such as your chest and quads – and neglect the posterior chain, muscle imbalances can develop, which may ultimately lead to an injury.
Additionally, if your glutes are weak or aren’t activating properly, you may compensate with other muscles that have to pick up the slack for the weaker muscles. Plus, it can lead to further injury by changing how you perform other exercises.
Strong glutes matter! Beyond the Superman, there are other exercises you can do to help strengthen your glutes and get them back to firing correctly. Exercises such as hip thrusts, squats, and bridges target the glute muscles and build strength. Additionally, foam rolling the glutes can help to release tension in the area.
Superman’s Support Healthy Posture and Body Alignment
The Superman exercise is an effective exercise for improving posture too and can even improve your performance when you do other exercises. By strengthening your core muscles, the Superman helps build a more stable base for doing more strenuous activities, like deadlifts. It can even help with everyday tasks like walking, sitting, and standing.
A strong core also helps to better align your spine, which can prevent pain and discomfort related to poor body alignment. Working your posture chain helps balance the pushing movements you do that primarily work the muscles in your anterior chain, lowering the risk of muscle imbalances.
Lower Your Risk of Lower Back Pain
The Superman exercise is an isometric hold where you hold tension at a fixed length. It targets the muscles in the mid and lower back, as well as the glutes. A strong lower back and glutes reduce the risk of chronic and acute back pain, as confirmed by numerous studies. Most healthcare providers recommend resistance training, in a controlled manner, rather than rest to speed up recovery from back pain. Gone are the days when the prescription was to rest your back. That only leads to muscle stiffness and, over time, atrophy of the muscles that help support your back.
Conclusion
The Superman is a “super” exercise because it targets the posterior chain in a way that improves posture, strengthens the core, and lowers the risk of back pain. Plus, it requires no equipment to do. The key is to use good form to avoid injuring your back while doing this exercise. Here are some tips for doing the exercise safely:
- Avoid lifting your head when you lift your body to protect your neck from injury. Your head should stay stable, and aligned with your spine. Your upper back and shoulders should do the movement, so your neck doesn’t get strained.
- Avoid bending the arms at the elbow or your legs at the knee. Keep your limbs as straight as possible.
- Avoid rushing through the movement. Hold the position at the top for a few seconds, as you focus on the muscles you’re working.
- Avoid lifting one side higher than the other. Your body should be centered so that each side works equally. Being in alignment helps prevent injuries as well.
- Keep breathing. Pay attention to your breath and breathe with every repetition. Turn the exercise into a mindful experience where you focus on your muscles and breathing.
- If you currently have lower back pain, consider substituting another exercise until you can do the exercise without pain.
If you have a history of lower back pain or Superman’s cause back discomfort, you can get some of the same benefits by doing the Bird dog exercise. This applies less compression to the spine but still requires stability of the body, which can help with posture and strengthen the erector spinae muscles that support your spine.
References:
- Davidson, K. Try the Superman Exercise to Stand Tall and Proud. Healthline. Published December 9, 2021. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/Superman-exercise#:~:text=The%20Superman%20exercise%20strengthens%20the,and%20is%20easy%20to%20do.
- Dreisinger TE. Exercise in the management of chronic back pain. Ochsner J. 2014 Spring;14(1):101-7. PMID: 24688341; PMCID: PMC3963038.
- Huxel Bliven KC, Anderson BE. Core stability training for injury prevention. Sports Health. 2013;5(6):514–522. doi:10.1177/1941738113481200.
- Low back pain: Why movement is so important for back pain. Nih.gov. Published February 14, 2019. Accessed January 25, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK284944/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20important,pilates%2C%20tai%20chi%20and%20yoga.
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