The Dumbbell Superman is a beginner-friendly dumbbell strength exercise that targets the abdominals. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesAbs
Secondary muscles—
EquipmentDumbbell
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Dumbbell Superman
Lie face-down on the floor with your legs straight and arms extended overhead holding a light dumbbell.
Set your forehead lightly on the floor and gaze straight down to keep the neck in line.
Brace your core and squeeze your glutes before starting the lift.
Lift your chest, arms, and legs off the floor at the same time, raising the dumbbell as high as is comfortable.
Hold the top position for one to two seconds, squeezing your lower back and glutes hard.
Lower everything back down to the floor under control and reset before the next rep.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Builds lower-back endurance and spinal-extensor strength.
Strengthens the back chain from glutes to rear shoulders.
Improves posture for users who sit for long hours.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Going too heavy and overloading the lower back, which is meant to be trained for endurance here.
Cranking the head and neck up instead of keeping the gaze down, which strains the cervical spine.
Bending the arms or knees during the lift, which shortens the levers and reduces the training effect.
Bouncing the arms and legs up and down quickly instead of holding a clean controlled top position.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Dumbbell Superman, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
