The other day I saw a trainer coaching a very overweight beginner — easily over 300 pounds — through Superman holds and “flying” back extension exercises.
A lot of trainers still treat Superman exercises like some universal “strengthen your back” movement. But for large beginners, especially people who are severely overweight and deconditioned, it often turns into the exact opposite of what they need.
Most people at that body weight already struggle with core stability, hip mobility, breathing mechanics, and glute activation. So when they lie on the floor and try to lift both their arms and legs, it’s just the lumbar spine taking load it probably shouldn’t be taking.
u/Key-Statistician-562 — 7 days ago