# Around The World Superman - Canonical: https://fitwill.app/exercise/8949/around-the-world-superman/ - Media ID: 8949 - Primary muscle: Back - Body part: Lower Back - Equipment: Exercise Mat - Video: https://fitwill.app/videos/8949/around-the-world-superman.mp4 ## Description The Around The World Superman is a prone bodyweight exercise that combines a standard Superman hold with a continuous arm sweep. You lie face down on a mat, lift your chest and legs off the floor, and then move your arms in a wide arc from an overhead position down past your hips and back up again, all while keeping your upper and lower body elevated. The result is a back extension paired with a controlled shoulder sweep, so your spinal extensors never get a break. This movement is especially useful for anyone whose day involves long hours of sitting. The muscles along the spine, the glutes, the hamstrings, and the muscles between the shoulder blades all tend to get long and dormant in a chair, and this exercise wakes them up together in one coordinated pattern. It is popular in lower back and core routines, in warm-ups before deadlifts or rows, and in general posture-focused training. The main work comes from the erector spinae holding your chest off the mat, supported by the glutes and hamstrings lifting the legs. As the arms travel around, the mid-back and rear shoulders guide the sweep, and the shoulder blades retract and depress as the hands pass the ribs. Because the limbs stay moving while the trunk stays lifted, the exercise also challenges endurance and control more than raw strength. Setup matters more here than in most floor exercises. Your start position on the mat, the length of your neck, and how you brace before lifting all determine whether the work lands on your back muscles or leaks into lumbar compression. Lie with legs straight and together, arms stretched overhead, forehead hovering just off the mat or lightly touching it so your neck stays in line with your spine. To perform it well, lift first, then sweep. Raise your chest, arms, and legs to a moderate height, and only once that position is steady do the arms begin their circular path, skimming just above the floor from overhead down to your hips and back up in a smooth, wing-like motion. Keep the movement slow enough that you could pause the arms at any point without dropping your chest or legs. Because the load is light but the hold is continuous, the most common issue is rushing and letting the head crane upward or the lower back grind with each arm revolution. Treat this as an endurance and control drill: moderate lift height, unhurried arm circles, and steady breathing through the nose will get you far more out of it than chasing a bigger arch. ## Instructions 1. Lie face down on an exercise mat with your legs straight and together and the tops of your feet resting on the floor. 2. Extend both arms straight overhead so your hands are in front of your head, palms facing down or slightly inward. 3. Lengthen the back of your neck by keeping your gaze down at the mat and your forehead relaxed. 4. Brace your abdominals gently and squeeze your glutes before anything lifts off the floor. 5. Exhale as you raise your chest, arms, and legs a few inches off the mat until you feel the muscles along your spine working. 6. From that lifted position, sweep both arms out to the sides in a wide semicircle, drawing them down toward your hips without letting them touch the floor. 7. Reverse the arc immediately, circling the arms back up overhead to complete one full revolution while your chest and legs stay elevated. 8. Breathe steadily throughout the hold, inhaling as the arms travel overhead and exhaling as they sweep down. 9. After your final rep, lower the arms, chest, and legs to the mat together, then rest for a few breaths before repeating. ## Tips & Tricks - If your lower back takes over and feels pinched, reduce the lift height so only your chest and forearms hover off the mat, and let the legs contribute less until your extension control improves. - Keep the fingertips tracing just above the floor during the arc; if your hands tap the mat at the hips, your chest has dropped, so lift slightly higher before the next revolution. - Do not lift your head to look forward. Watching the mat keeps the neck long and stops the upper traps from doing work the mid-back should be handling. - Two or three slow revolutions with a constant lift beat eight fast ones where your chest bounces off the floor between reps. - Squeeze the glutes before lifting the legs. Without that, the legs rise from lumbar extension alone and the lower back does the hamstrings' job. - If your shoulders feel the sweep more than your back, narrow the arc slightly so the arms pass closer to your body instead of flaring wide at shoulder height. - Rest your forehead lightly on your free hand or a folded towel between sets if lying flat bothers your face or neck. - Place this exercise before heavy pulls in your session as an activation drill with one or two slow sets, or at the end for higher-rep endurance work. - If you feel any tingling down a leg, stop the set, lower the lift height next time, and shorten the leg lift rather than pushing through it. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What muscles does the Around The World Superman work? The primary work comes from the erector spinae along the lower back, supported by the glutes and hamstrings lifting the legs. As the arms circle, the mid-back muscles and rear shoulders control the sweep, and the core stays engaged to stabilize the trunk. ### How is the Around The World Superman different from a regular Superman? A regular Superman is a static lift or simple up-and-down extension. In the Around The World version, your arms travel in a continuous wide arc from overhead down to your hips and back while your chest and legs stay lifted, adding shoulder and mid-back work to the back extension. ### Is the Around The World Superman safe for beginners? Yes, it uses only bodyweight on a mat, but beginners should keep the lift low and do fewer arm revolutions per set. If holding both the chest and legs up is too demanding, start by lifting only the chest and arms while the legs stay on the mat. ### How high should I lift my chest and legs during the arm sweep? Lift only to a moderate height where you can keep both the chest and thighs off the floor for the entire arm revolution. A tall arch that forces you to drop between revolutions defeats the purpose of the continuous hold. ### Should my hands touch the floor as the arms circle around? Ideally no; the hands should skim just above the mat through the whole arc. If they touch down at the hips, it usually means your chest has dropped, so reset with a slightly higher lift before continuing. ### How many reps and sets should I do? One arm revolution counts as one rep, and sets of 6 to 12 revolutions work well for most people. Use 2 to 3 sets, either as a warm-up activation before lifting days or as endurance work at the end of a back or core session. ### Why does my neck feel sore when I do the Around The World Superman? That usually means you are lifting your head to look forward, which fatigues the neck and upper traps. Keep your gaze on the mat and the back of your neck long so your spine forms one continuous line from head to heels. ### What can I use if I do not have an exercise mat? Any firm, cushioned surface such as a carpeted floor or a folded towel works. Avoid doing it directly on hard flooring, since your hip bones and ribs rest against the ground throughout the set. ### Can I do this exercise if my lower back bothers me after sitting? Many people find gentle prone extension like this helps counter long sitting, but keep the range small and stop if you feel sharp pain, numbness, or tingling radiating down a leg. When in doubt, check with a qualified professional before adding it to your routine.