Around The World Superman Hold

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Lie face down on the floor with your legs straight and arms extended fully overhead.
2. Engage your core and squeeze your glutes to stabilize your pelvis against the floor.
3. Position your head so your gaze is directed at the floor to maintain a neutral cervical spine.

How to do it

1. Lift your chest, arms, and legs off the ground simultaneously into a Superman hold, keeping your limbs straight.
2. Slowly sweep your arms in a wide arc out to the sides and down toward your thighs while maintaining the height of your chest.
3. Reverse the arc in a controlled manner to bring your arms back to the starting position overhead.
4. Exhale as you sweep your arms toward your hips and inhale as they return forward, maintaining a steady tempo.

Form checklist

• Keep your glutes and hamstrings constantly engaged to protect the lower back.
• Maintain a neutral neck by looking at the floor rather than craning your head up.
• Keep your arms and legs fully extended and as high as possible throughout the entire movement.
• Ensure the arm movement is smooth and circular, avoiding any jerky motions or dropping of the chest.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'reaching' your fingertips as far away from your body as possible throughout the circle to maximize lat and deltoid tension.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and down as your hands pass your mid-back to fully engage the trapezius and rhomboids.

Make it harder

• Hold light weight plates or small water bottles in each hand to increase the lever arm resistance on the shoulders.
• Perform the arm circles at an extremely slow tempo, taking 10 seconds to complete one full rotation.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the around the world superman hold work?

The around the world superman hold primarily targets the erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, and trapezius, and also works the abs, deltoids, obliques, and rhomboids as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the around the world superman hold?

The around the world superman hold requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the around the world superman hold good for beginners?

The around the world superman hold is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

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• Barbell Snatch PullAdvanced · deltoids, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, trapezius, and triceps
• Kettlebell Sumo High PullIntermediate · adductors, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, lats, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Snatch High PullAdvanced · biceps, deltoids, erector spinae, forearms, glutes, grip muscles, hamstrings, lats, and trapezius