Back
Superman Pulldowns
You lie face down, lift your chest, arms and legs, and pull your elbows down to your sides like a lat pulldown. It works your whole back with no equipment.
- Works
- Upper back, lats, lower back, rear shoulders, glutes
- Equipment
- A mat
- Load
- Bodyweight
How to do it
- 1Lie face down on a mat with your arms reaching straight out in front of you and your legs long.
- 2Lift your arms, chest and legs a few inches off the floor, eyes down.
- 3Pull your elbows down and back toward your ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together, like a pulldown.
- 4Reach your arms long again, then lower everything to the floor with control. Repeat.
Cues
- Pull your elbows toward your back pockets.
- Lift a few inches, not as high as you can.
- Neck long, eyes on the floor.
Common mistakes
- Cranking your head up. Keep your eyes on the mat so your neck stays in line with your back.
- Arching too high. A few inches is plenty. Squeeze your glutes so your lower back doesn't do all the lifting.
- Rushing the pull. Slow down and squeeze your shoulder blades together for a moment at the bottom of each pull.
Easier
Keep your legs on the floor and lift only your chest and arms.
Harder
Stay lifted for the whole set instead of lowering between reps, or hold each pull down for 2 seconds.
Try it: 3 rounds of 30 seconds on and 15 seconds off.
What do superman pulldowns work?
Your upper back, lats and lower back, plus your glutes, since your legs stay lifted. They're a good bodyweight back move when you don't have dumbbells or a pull up bar.
