Reverse Snow Angel
Lying face down and sweeping the arms like a snow angel — strengthens the upper back and rear shoulders with just body weight.
Also called: snow angels, prone snow angel, reverse snow angels
Setup
Lie face down with arms extended by your sides, palms down, forehead resting gently on the floor.
How to do the Reverse Snow Angel
- Sweep your arms up and out to the sides, like making a snow angel, lifting them off the floor.
- Bring your arms overhead as far as comfortable.
- Reverse the motion back down to the starting position with control.
- Keep the chest lightly lifted and neck neutral throughout.
Reverse Snow Angel muscles worked
The Reverse Snow Angel works the upper back and shoulders.
Common Reverse Snow Angel mistakes
- Cranking the neck up to look forward.
- Rushing the sweep instead of moving with control.
- Letting the lower back arch excessively.
Scale it
Easier: Reduce the range of the sweep.
Harder: Add light weights, or pause at the top of the sweep.
Pairs well with
Around the World
Circling a light weight around the head or body — shoulder mobility and control through a full circle of positions.
Prone Y-T-W Raise
Lying face down and raising the arms through Y, T, and W positions — a shoulder and upper back exercise that hits multiple angles in one movement.
Shoulder Circles
A combination drill that mobilizes the shoulders through circles, then reinforces good positioning with wall slides.
Thread the Needle
Sliding one arm under the body from all fours into a gentle twist - opens the upper back and shoulders after long runs or desk days.
Illustrations: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co)