Supine Elbow Press — how to, muscles worked, alternatives

How to do the Supine Elbow Press

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor.
Bend your elbows to 90 degrees, forearms pointing up.
Press your elbows down to lift your upper back and chest.
Slowly lower your upper back to the floor.

Full technique — 7 steps

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Bend your elbows to 90 degrees with upper arms at your sides and forearms pointing up.
Make loose fists and keep your hips and feet on the floor.
Press your elbows down into the floor to lift your upper back and chest.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together as your chest rises.
Hold the top briefly without cranking your neck or forcing extra lumbar arch.
Lower your upper back and shoulders to the floor under control.

Common mistakes

Pushing up with the hips
Throwing the head back
Yanking with body momentum
Shrugging shoulders toward ears
Overarching the lower back

Form cues

Drive elbows into floor
Squeeze shoulder blades together
Keep hips on floor
Keep chin neutral

Substitutes by equipment

Same muscles, same movement — pick the version you have the gear for.

Where to start and where to go next

Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.

This exercise Supine Elbow Press 15% of bodyweight
Harder Bench Elbow Lift 40% of bodyweight
Harder Wide Grip Suspension Trainer Row 50% of bodyweight

Quick answers

What muscles does the Supine Elbow Press work?

Primary: Upper back 8/10, Rear delts 7/10. Also works: Rhomboids 6/10, Traps 6/10, Lats 5/10.

When should I do the Supine Elbow Press in a workout?

Warm-up. Done at the start to get the body ready. ≈ 5 min with rest.

How many sets and reps of the Supine Elbow Press?

Strength: 3 sets of 8–10 reps, rest 1 min, 3 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3 sets of 10–15 reps, rest 1 min, 3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 45 s, 4 reps in reserve.

What can I do instead of the Supine Elbow Press?

Resistance bands: Chest Supported Resistance Band Row, Resistance Band Bent Over Row. Barbell: Chest Supported Barbell Row, Wide Grip Barbell Row. Dumbbells: Overhand Grip Dumbbell Bent Over Row, Chest Supported Dumbbell Rear Delt Row. Cable machine: Floor Seated Cable Row.