Superman: How To

June 10, 2015 at 11:18 am

We all know that we love the Superman.

For me it was always a move to judge other moves by: ‘Is it easier than the Superman?’ ‘Is it more painful than the Superman?’

The more I do it, the more variations, transitions and combinations I find. It’s brilliant!

I like to teach the Superman from a Side Climb – you can do this super low to the ground so there’s less chance of falling off the pole, which we like 🙂

From a Side Climb, you will have less fear and can really throw yourself into the move when twisting your hips.

There are many other ways of doing the Superman ie from a Gemini or Pike, so if a Side Climb is not your friend, you have other options.

How To

  1. Stand side on to the pole. Place your inside arm high on the pole and your outside arm just below, both thumbs up. Hook your inside leg at hip height on the pole, behind your knee. Squeeze behind your knee while you move your foot slightly closer to the ground to lock your grip in.
  2. Pull on the pole as you bring the front of the ankle of your outside leg onto the back of the pole, just underneath your inside leg. Keep your butt low while you do this.
  3. Squeeze behind your knee and push in to the pole with your outside ankle. Pull with your arms as you pull your body to climb up, to almost straighten out your legs.
  4. Pull with your top hand. Push in with your bottom hand (or your forearm.) Release your inside leg to then replace it higher on the pole at your new hip height. Squeeze behind your knee again.
  5. Keep your outside leg straight as you slide it behind the pole trying to get it parallel to the floor, with the pole as high on your thigh as possible. Move your inside (top) hand lower on the pole and take your outside hand off the pole and out to the side. This is a Viva.
  6. Place your outside hand back on the pole, as low as you can place it, with your fingers pointing to the ground. Push in with your bottom arm, keeping it straight. At the same time push the thigh of your bottom leg into the pole to secure your grip. The grip should now be in your bottom hand, on your bottom thigh and behind your top knee.
  7. Take off your top hand. Place it lower on the pole but still above both legs. Keep it bent. Pull with this hand as much as you can.
  8. Take your top leg off of the pole slightly and twist your hips up and over, aiming to get your feet together. You want your hips to face the floor. As you twist your bottom hand should naturally come off the pole. Take this hand out in front of you. Hold your Superman.
  9. To come out, keep squeezing your legs together as you bring them towards the ground. You may be low enough to put your feet down here. If not, reach back to the pole with your outside hand, taking it above your head in a cup grip. Change your other hand to a cup grip. You should now be able to slowly lower yourself to the floor.

Alternatives

When first learning you do not need to climb. Simply go from step 1 straight to 4. Pull with your hands as you slide your outside leg across the back of the pole.
You can cross your ankles over once you have turned your hips to help lock you in.

Tips

  • Keep the pole as high as you can on your bottom thigh before you twist your hips as this helps you stay in your Superman and believe it or not, makes it less painful.
  • Don’t think too much about taking your bottom hand off the pole – it will come off naturally and you don’t want to take it off too early. There is too much else to think about!
  • The hips are the hardest part. When you are first learning you can keep the contact with the pole on your top leg to help guide you through the twist. When you are more confident with this you can take your top leg off to twist as it becomes less painful.
  • Make sure you have a good grip behind the back of the knee before trying this move.
  • Keep this move low to the ground at first. Each time you successfully do it, try it a little higher on the pole. Lowering your legs can be a little tricky so try lower until you feel more confident.
  • Use that bottom thigh – keep pushing your outside thigh into the pole to make it easier to twist as you can use this thigh to grip and hold some weight.
  • Before you twist, make sure that your bottom arm is straight and is taking some of your weight.
  • Keep trying! I have yet to meet anyone who did this the first time.
  • The twist is the trickiest part. Keep going with it and you will get there.
  • When you first try it you may feel you will never get it – as long as you keep trying you will!

Make the Superman yours 😀