Hyperextension

Hop onto the hyperextension bench like a curious cub on a log. Hinge at the hips, then lift your chest until your body is straight, not banana-shaped. Your back muscles do the heavy lifting while your glutes and hamstrings help you stand tall like a proud bear on lookout duty.

Instructions

1. Set up on a hyperextension bench with hips supported and ankles secured.
2. Start with your body in a straight line from head to heels, hands crossed on chest or by your sides.
3. Hinge at the hips to lower your torso under control, keeping a neutral spine.
4. Descend until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings and lower back without rounding.
5. Drive hips into the pad and squeeze glutes to raise your torso back to neutral.
6. Stop when your body is straight; pause briefly, then repeat.

Benefits

• Builds strength and endurance in the erector spinae
• Trains hip hinge mechanics useful for deadlifts and good mornings
• Improves posterior chain strength (glutes and hamstrings)
• Supports spinal stability and posture when performed with control

Key Points

• Move through the hips; keep the spine neutral and braced.
• Stop at neutral; avoid excessive arching at the top.
• Use slow, controlled reps, especially on the way down.
• Think glutes and hamstrings helping the back, not only low back.

Common Mistakes

• Hyperextending the spine at the top (arching too far)
• Rounding the lower back during the descent
• Using momentum or bouncing off the bottom
• Setting the pad too high or too low, limiting hip hinge
• Letting the neck crank upward instead of staying neutral