Back extension lumbar

How to Do Back extension lumbar

1. Position your thighs flat on the large pads of the hyperextension bench, ensuring your hips are just above the edge of the pad to allow for a full range of motion.
2. Secure your ankles under the foot rollers and cross your arms over your chest or place your hands lightly behind your head.
3. Lower your torso slowly by bending at the hips, keeping your spine neutral and back straight, until your upper body is at approximately a 90-degree angle to your legs.
4. Engage your lower back and glutes to raise your torso back up until your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
5. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, squeezing your glutes, before slowly lowering back down for the next repetition.

Muscles worked

Form tips

• Keep your neck in a neutral position by looking down at the floor at the bottom of the movement and forward at the top.
• Focus on initiating the movement from the lower back and glutes rather than using momentum.
• Perform the eccentric lowering phase slower than the concentric raising phase to maximize muscle engagement.

Common mistakes

• Hyperextending or arching the lower back excessively at the top of the movement, which puts dangerous pressure on the lumbar spine.
• Using momentum or jerking the torso upward, which reduces muscle activation and increases injury risk.
• Placing the hip pad too high, which restricts hip flexion and forces the movement to come entirely from spinal bending.

Related Strength exercises

Dumbbell lying extensionDumbbell thrusterRotation armsWalk lateralWall walk