Reverse Snow Angel
A face-down shoulder exercise that sweeps the lifted straight arms from the hips to overhead and back.
This page is a working draft. A coach has not reviewed it, so read it as a starting point, not as checked instruction.
- Pattern
- Trunk extension
- Modality
- Calisthenics
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Mechanic
- Unknown
- Force
- Unknown
- Laterality
- Bilateral
- Impact
- Low
- Trains where
- Gym, Home
- At home
- Yes
How to do it
Set up
- Lie face down with the legs straight and the arms straight at the sides, palms down.
- Lift the hands a little off the floor and rest the forehead on the floor or the mat.
Do the rep
- Sweep the straight arms out to the sides and up to overhead, with the hands off the floor.
- Reverse the path and return the arms to the hips.
What counts as a rep
A rep counts when the straight arms sweep from the hips to overhead and back without touching the floor.
One rep starts face down with the arms at the hips, sweeps the lifted straight arms out to overhead, and returns them to the hips.
Breathing
Breathe out as the arms move overhead; breathe in as they return.
Cues
- Keep the hands off the floor all the way.
- Keep the elbows straight.
- Pause at each end when the reps get easy.
Common mistakes
Lifting the chest
What you seeThe chest and the head lift as the arms move.
FixKeep the chest on the floor and move only the arms.
The arms, not the lower back, should do the work.
Bending the elbows
What you seeThe elbows bend as the arms pass the shoulders.
FixMake the arc smaller and keep the arms long.
Long arms keep the work on the upper back and shoulders.
Stop the set if
- Stop if you feel sharp pain.
- Stop if you feel a pinch in the front of the shoulder.
- End the set when you cannot keep the hands off the floor.
General educational content, not individual coaching or medical advice.
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