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Reverse snow angel

Rear delt work for the back with your bodyweight.

How to do it

1 of 3

Lie face down, arms by your sides

  1. Starting position

    Lie face down with straight legs, your arms by your sides and your palms facing the floor.

  2. The movement

    Lift your arms slightly and sweep them out to the sides and overhead, then return along the same path.

Most common mistake

Don't bend your elbows or rush the movement, keep your arms straight and sweep them slowly near the floor.

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Muscle group
Back
Equipment
Bodyweight
Where
Home or gym
Logged as
Reps

Muscles worked

The reverse snow angel works the muscles that control your shoulder blades. The middle and lower parts of your trapezius do most of the work, and your shoulder muscles keep your arms lifted throughout the sweep. Unlike the YTW, your arms move in one long arc rather than stopping in fixed positions. That asks more of your shoulder mobility, and the last stretch up towards your head often feels hardest.

Common mistakes

  • Resting your hands on the floor along the way. It is tempting to lower them where it feels heaviest. Keep them lifted all the way, even if only a centimetre off the floor.
  • Raising your head to watch your hands. That tenses your neck for no reason. Keep your gaze down with your nose towards the floor, and put a folded towel under your forehead if that is uncomfortable.
  • Pushing through a pinch in the shoulder. If your shoulder feels jammed as your arms near your head, the arc is too long for you right now. Turn back where it still feels free and let the range grow over time. If it actually hurts, rather than just tiring you, stop the exercise and get your shoulder checked by a doctor or physiotherapist.

Variations and alternatives

  • The prone YTW raise pauses in three fixed positions, so you can hold each one longer.
  • The band rear delt fly gives the back of your shoulders more resistance, standing with a band.
  • The band face pull pulls the band towards your face, working your upper back along with the back of your shoulders.

Sets and reps

Take the snow angel slowly: three to five seconds out and the same back. For most people, 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps is plenty. It fits into your warm-up before sessions with overhead pressing, or as a short finisher after back work. The guide to sets and reps covers the rest.

Once ten slow reps feel easy, pause for two seconds at the hardest point, lift your arms a little higher off the floor or hold something very light, such as a small water bottle. That is progressive overload in an exercise where control matters more than load. Log your tempo too, not just the reps.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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