- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternIsolation
- Repsheld for time
- Joint loadNone flagged
Lie face down with your arms by your sides, palms down.
First cueKeep the neck long, looking at the floor.
How to do the Prone Cobra
Set up. Lie face down with your arms by your sides, palms down.
- Lift your chest a little off the floor.
- Turn your palms out and draw your shoulder blades together.
- Hold for the target time, then lower.
Form cues
- Keep the neck long, looking at the floor.
- Squeeze the glutes.
- Lift only a small amount.
Common mistakes
- Cranking the head up.
- Arching the lower back hard.
Muscles worked
Main target: Lower back. The erector spinae run either side of the spine. They straighten the back and hold it straight under a load, in every hinge, squat and carry.
Its other side: Abs, in the trunk pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Prone Cobra, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Hanging Leg Raise Superset partner: it trains the other side of the trunk pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Cable Woodchop Same core session: it trains the obliques.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Prone Cobra first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Prone Cobra 3 × 30 to 60 s
- Hanging Leg Raise 3 × 6 to 20 reps
- Cable Woodchop 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Crunch 3 × 10 to 30 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Jefferson Curl
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Reverse Hyperextension
Machine
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Back Extension.
Other variations of the Back Extension: Reverse Hyperextension.
Do before it: Bird Dog (bracing) and Prone Cobra (same movement, lighter).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Prone Cobra is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Prone Cobra?
Set up: Lie face down with your arms by your sides, palms down. Steps: 1. Lift your chest a little off the floor. 2. Turn your palms out and draw your shoulder blades together. 3. Hold for the target time, then lower. Form cues: Keep the neck long, looking at the floor. Squeeze the glutes. Lift only a small amount. Common mistakes: Cranking the head up. Arching the lower back hard.
What muscles does the Prone Cobra work?
It trains the lower back as its main target and works the traps and glutes on the way.
What can I do instead of the Prone Cobra?
At home: Jefferson Curl. In a gym: Reverse Hyperextension. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Prone Cobra with?
Good partners in the same workout are Hanging Leg Raise and Cable Woodchop.