Back · Bodyweight
Lying Arms Slide
How to do the lying arms slide, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- VerticalPush
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Lie on your back with your knees bent and arms at your sides bent to 90 degrees, pressing the backs of the arms and hands into the floor. Slide your arms overhead along the floor while keeping contact, then slide them back down. Keep your lower back flat and ribs down throughout.
- 1The backs of the arms and wrists staying in contact with the floor
- 2Work through the mid and lower back keeping the ribs down
- 3A controlled slide overhead without the lower back arching
Common mistakes
- Do not let the lower back pop off the floor as arms reach up
- Avoid letting the wrists or elbows lift away from the floor
- Do not shrug the shoulders up toward the ears
Muscles worked
The lying arms slide mainly works the lower traps, with the mid traps, rear delts, and external rotators assisting.
- Lower TrapsPrimary
- Mid TrapsSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
- External RotatorsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- LatsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the lying arms slide for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More back exercises
- How to do the archer pull-up
- How to do the resistance band assisted pull-up
- How to do the machine assisted pull-up
- How to do the back extension bench back extension
- How to do the machine back extension
- How to do the back lever
Last reviewed June 2026.