TRX Alternating Superman
What Is the TRX Alternating Superman?
TRX Alternating Superman is a compound exercise that primarily targets the core, and also engages the lats, shoulders, serratus anterior and triceps. It is an intermediate-level movement done on a suspension trainer with the handles set low and your own body weight as the load: you lean forward on your toes in a straight plank-like line with your hands in the handles by your face, then reach one arm forward until it is straight out in front of your head, bring it back and repeat with the other arm.
The name comes from the arm-forward flying shape at the end of each reach, but the movement has nothing in common with the floor Superman, which is a prone back extension that works the lower back and glutes. This one is a front-of-the-body exercise: every time a handle travels forward, gravity tries to pull your hips toward the floor and arch your lower back, and your abs have to stop it. It is the one-arm-at-a-time version of the suspension rollout behind the TRX Rollout, and the same movement as the Alternating Ring Superman, done on straps instead of rings.
That rollout pattern works the abdominals hard: a lab study of active men on suspension straps found the two-handed rollout, done with the handles about 6 inches off the floor, produced the highest rectus abdominis and oblique activity of the four strap core exercises it tested, ahead of the body saw, pike and knee tuck. Reaching with one arm at a time adds a second job. With only one handle out front, your body wants to twist and drop toward the reaching side, so the obliques work to keep your hips and shoulders square, and the shoulder of the supporting arm carries more of your weight while the other arm is away.
It fits in the core block of a session or in a suspension circuit, and suits anyone who can already hold a solid Plank and wants a harder anti-extension and anti-rotation drill without a wheel or cable. The strap length sets the difficulty: the higher the handles hang, the more upright you stand and the easier it gets, and the longer the straps and the lower the handles, the flatter and harder your lean. If holding a straight line is still a struggle, do the same reach from your knees or build up with the Ring Kneeling Rollout before moving to your toes.
Muscles Worked
- Rectus Abdominis
- Primary
- Deltoid
- High
- External Oblique
- High
- Latissimus Dorsi
- High
- Pectoralis Major
- Medium
- Serratus Anterior
- Medium
- Teres Major
- Low
Instructions
- Lengthen the straps so the handles hang low, around knee height, check that both handles are at the same height, and stand facing away from the anchor point.
- Hold a handle in each hand and walk your feet back until you are leaning forward on the balls of your feet, with your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Bend your elbows so your hands, still holding the handles, sit just in front of your face with your elbows below them, like a forearm plank held in the straps.
- Squeeze your glutes, pull your ribs down and brace your abs. Keep your shoulders pressed away from your ears.
- Keeping the other hand where it is, slowly reach one arm forward, straightening the elbow until the arm points straight out in front of your head.
- Hold your hips level and square to the floor as the handle travels forward, without letting them sag, pike up or turn toward the reaching side.
- Pull the handle back toward your face by driving the arm down and back, bending the elbow to return to the start.
- Repeat with the other arm and keep alternating for the desired number of reps, lengthening the straps over time to make the lean harder.
Common Mistakes
Sagging hips
Letting the hips drop and the lower back arch as the arm reaches forward puts the load on the lumbar spine instead of the abs.
Piking the hips
Pushing the hips up toward the ceiling shortens the lever and takes most of the work away from the core.
Twisting toward the reaching arm
Letting the hips and shoulders rotate toward the side that reaches skips the anti-rotation work the one-arm version is for.
Starting with the handles too low
A lean flatter than you can control forces you to break the body line on the first reach, so start with shorter straps and lengthen them as you get stronger.
Collapsing on the supporting arm
Letting the supporting shoulder shrug up toward the ear or sink between the shoulder blades loses shoulder control just when that arm carries the most weight.
Letting the handle swing
Throwing the arm forward and letting the handle drift out beyond your control turns the reach into a fall instead of a controlled movement.
Injuries
TRX Alternating Superman is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The lower back is the main strain point: if your abs cannot hold the line as a handle travels forward, your hips sag and your lumbar spine arches under your body weight. The shoulders are the second, because the reaching arm works at the end of its overhead range while the supporting shoulder holds more of your weight than usual. The lean itself is a hazard with the handles set low, since a slipping grip, a shifting anchor or straps set to different lengths can drop you forward onto your face.
Check the anchor and buckles before every set, make sure the straps are not twisted and both handles hang at the same height, and dry your hands if they are sweaty. Reach only as far as you can keep your ribs down, your glutes tight and your hips level, and move slowly enough that the handle never swings away from you.
To make it easier, shorten the straps so you stand more upright, do the reach from your knees, or work on the Ring Kneeling Rollout or a floor Plank first. To progress, lengthen the straps to flatten your lean, pause with the arm fully reached, or move on to the two-arm TRX Rollout taken to a long lean.
Stop the set if you feel pain in your lower back, a sharp or pinching pain in the shoulder as the arm goes overhead, or numbness or tingling in your arm or hand. Hard work through the abs and a stretch along the lats are normal; pain in a joint is not.
- Primary Focus
- Core
- Equipment
- Suspension trainer and body weight
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Is this the same exercise as the Superman?
No. The floor Superman is done lying face down and lifts the arms and legs to work the lower back and glutes, while this suspension version is a forward-leaning core exercise in which the abs stop your lower back from arching. The two only share the arm-forward shape.
- Q: How is it different from a TRX Rollout?
In the TRX Rollout both arms travel forward together, so the challenge is almost purely resisting the arch in your lower back. Reaching with one arm at a time shortens the reach but adds a twisting force your obliques have to resist, and it loads the supporting shoulder more.
- Q: How do I make it easier or harder?
Change the strap length. Shorter straps let you stand more upright and make every reach easier, while longer straps with the handles lower flatten your lean and make it harder; if you cannot hold a straight line even with the handles high, do the reach from your knees first.
- Q: Can I do it on gymnastic rings?
Yes. The Alternating Ring Superman is the same movement on rings; hang them low, keep both straps the same length and make sure the anchor is secure before you lean into them.
- Q: How should I count reps?
Count each reach, and do the same number on each side so both halves of your core get equal work. Stop the set as soon as you can no longer keep your hips level and your lower back from arching.