Hyperextension

How to Perform the Hyperextension

Position yourself on a hyperextension bench with your hips resting on the pad and your feet secured under the foot holders.
Adjust the pad height so it sits just below your hip bones, allowing you to bend freely at the waist.
Cross your arms over your chest or place your hands behind your head.
Begin in an upright position with your body forming a straight line from your head to your heels.
Slowly lower your torso by bending at the hips, descending until your upper body is roughly perpendicular to the floor or you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
Reverse the movement by contracting your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings to raise your torso back to the starting position.
Stop when your body forms a straight line — do not hyperextend beyond neutral to protect your lower back.

Extending too far past neutral at the top

Stop when your body forms a straight line. Going beyond this hyperextends the lumbar spine and can cause injury.

Rounding the back during the descent

Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement. Think of hinging at the hips rather than rounding forward.

Performing the exercise too quickly

Use a controlled 2-3 second tempo on both the lowering and raising phases for maximum benefit.

✓Strengthens the erector spinae muscles that support the spine during heavy compound lifts.
✓Builds lower back endurance, reducing the risk of back injuries.
✓Develops the glutes and hamstrings as secondary movers.

●Hold a plate against your chest to add resistance as the bodyweight version becomes easy.
●Focus on squeezing the glutes at the top rather than arching the lower back.
●This exercise is excellent for warm-ups before deadlifts or squats to activate the posterior chain.

Strength

4-5 sets of 8-10 reps (weighted with plate)

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 12-15 reps (bodyweight or lightly weighted)

Endurance

2-3 sets of 20-25 reps (bodyweight)

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