What if I feel this more in my lower back than my lats?

It is normal for the lower back to work as a stabilizer, but ensure you are actively pulling the towel apart to engage the lats. If the back strain is sharp, lower your legs to the floor and focus only on the upper body movement.

How wide should my hands be on the towel?

Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. This allows for a better range of motion and mimics the hand placement of a standard lat pulldown.

Can I do this without a towel?

Yes, but the towel provides a tactile cue to maintain lateral tension. Without it, you must focus extra hard on squeezing your shoulder blades and pulling your elbows down manually.

How to Do the Towel Superman: Back and Lat Guide

Master the Towel Superman to strengthen your lats and lower back at home. Follow our step-by-step guide for better posture and pull-up strength.

How to Perform

Lie face down on the floor with your legs straight and arms extended overhead holding a hand towel with a shoulder-width grip.
Engage your core and squeeze your glutes to lift your chest, arms, and legs a few inches off the ground.
Pull the towel outward to create constant tension while simultaneously pulling your elbows down toward your ribcage.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the bottom of the movement as the towel approaches your upper chest.
Slowly extend your arms back to the starting overhead position while maintaining the lift in your torso.
Lower your body back to the floor with control to complete one repetition.

Common Mistakes

Arching the neck excessively rather than keeping it in a neutral line with the spine.
Allowing the towel to go slack instead of maintaining outward tension throughout the pull.
Moving too fast and relying on momentum rather than controlled muscle contraction.
Holding the breath instead of exhaling during the pulling phase.

Muscles Worked

Primary movers

Lats

Stabilizers

Lower Back
Rear Deltoids
Glutes
Traps

Related Guides

Lats · Back