Back Widow

How to do it

Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Position your upper arms at a 45-degree angle from your torso with your elbows bent and forearms pointing up. Drive your elbows forcefully down into the floor to lift your upper back and shoulders completely off the ground. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the peak, then lower with control.

The coaching cue

"Punch the floor with your elbows." Pinch a coin between your shoulder blades at the top.

What changes inside an AMRAP

Do not turn this into a core crunch. Your lower back and glutes must stay anchored to the floor. The only reason your torso lifts is because your lats and rhomboids are pressing the earth away.

Common mistakes

• Turning the lift into a crunch so the lower back and hips leave the floor.
• Leaving the shoulder blades open at the top instead of finishing the squeeze.

Workouts that use back widow

• The Ripcord

  5 minute AMRAP — 12 Skater Jumps (Total), 10 Back Widow

• The Rip Tide

  10 minute AMRAP — 30 Jumping Jacks, 12 Back Widow, 15 Air Squats

• Arterial Pull

  15 minute AMRAP — 20 Alternating Lunges (Total), 12 Back Widow, 40 Double-Tap Jumps

• Rhomboid Ruin

  5 minute AMRAP — 10 Back Widow, 15 Supermans, 10 W-Press Ups

• The Lever

  10 minute AMRAP — 12 Standard Push-ups, 12 Back Widow

• The Anvil

  10 minute AMRAP — 10 Hand-Release Push-ups, 10 Tuck Jumps, 10 Back Widow

• The Scapular Axis

  15 minute AMRAP — 20 Fast Air Squats, 12 Back Widow, 15 Strict Sit-Ups

• Posterior Turbine

  5 minute AMRAP — 10 Sprawls, 12 Back Widow

• The Oarsman

  10 minute AMRAP — 10 Down-Ups, 10 Back Widow, 20 Mountain Climbers (Total)

• The Rower's Engine

  15 minute AMRAP — 10 Combat Sprawls, 15 Back Widow, 30 Jumping Jacks

• Spinal Coil

  5 minute AMRAP — 20 Bicycle Crunches, 10 Back Widow

• Iron Scapula

  10 minute AMRAP — 15 Supine Floor Scapular Shrugs, 12 Dead Bugs, 10 Back Widow

• Dorsal Span

  15 minute AMRAP — 15 Strict Sit-Ups, 12 Back Widow, 15 Combat Sprawls

• Dorsal Engine

  20 minute AMRAP — 12 Back Widow, 20 Alternating Lunges, 10 Push-ups, 30 Jumping Jacks

• Scapular Shift

  20 minute AMRAP — 20 Skater Jumps, 12 Back Widow, 10 Wide Push-ups, 15 Strict Sit-Ups

• The Iron Yoke

  20 minute AMRAP — 20s Hollow Hold, 12 Back Widow, 15 Combat Sprawls, 20 Fast Calf Raises

Run one with your friends

Every workout above runs on a shared countdown — one clock for the whole crew, one leaderboard, wherever everyone is training.