Hyperextension
Primary muscles: Lower back. Assisting muscles: Glutes, Hamstrings.
How to do it
- Lie face down on the hyperextension bench, with your ankles secured under the pads.
- Adjust the upper pad so that your thighs rest on it, leaving enough room to hinge at the waist.
- Cross your arms over your chest or place them behind your head, keeping your body straight — this is the starting position.
- Inhale and bend slowly at the waist, keeping your back flat, until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Exhale and raise your torso slowly back to the starting position, without arching your back past a straight line.
- Repeat the movement.
Key to the execution: Only go as low as you can while keeping your back flat, with no rounding.
Common mistakes
- Rounding your back on the way down, putting pressure on the spine.
- Arching your back past a straight line at the top.
- Performing the movement quickly with momentum, instead of under control.
Alternatives: exercises for the same muscles
Log your sets and see your progress
In the PlanSports app you pick the exercise, log weight and reps, and each exercise page shows your best weight and progression. The AI coach puts the exercises into a 4-week program.
Back exercises › Training programs by sport ›The exercise pages are compiled by PlanSports; if you have an injury or pain, talk to your coach or doctor first.