This post continues the series instructing about the proper way to perform the most common exercises. It follows up with the chapter dedicated to lower back exercises. Although deadlift and its variations are the main exercises for working this body-part, some alternatives can be used as a complement to them. In particular, this post focuses on the back extension and its variations.
The primary version of the Back Extension starts by lying face down on a hyperextension bench, in a position that allows you to bend at the waist without any restriction, and locking your ankles securely under the footpads. Begin with your body in a straight line. Position your hands either behind your head or crossed on your chest. You can also hold a weight for extra resistance (e.g. a barbell across the back, a plate held behind the head or to your chest). Slowly bend forward at the waist while keeping your back straight (do not round it at any stage of the movement). From the bottom position, slowly raise your torso back until your legs and upper body are in a straight line again. Hyperextension is often referred as a synonym of the back extension, though this exercise suggests extending the back going further than the straight line. Being this hyperextended position a delicate position for the lower back, it is probably better to stay with the regular back extension. Another variation, known as 45° Back Extension, starts by placing the body in a 45ยบ line instead of a straight one. It also requires a special device but it is a nice alternative to the back extension, though less challenging.
There are some aspects on back extension form that should be commented. First, whereas bending at the waist involves heavily the lower back, you can move part of the work to the hamstrings by bending at the hips. Second, hands position play a role in the difficulty of the exercise: the higher in the body the arms are placed, the more challenging the exercise is. This occurs because moving your arms higher also shifts the center of gravity further away from the articulating joint. Third, following the previous comment, it is important to notice that holding weights behind the head encourages rounding the back and stresses the neck. For this reason, these variants should be carefully approached or neglected in favor of those holding weights to the chest. Finally, if a hyperextension bench is not available, back extensions can be also performed in a high bench if a spotter helps you (Hyperextension on a Bench) or using an exercise ball (Weighted Ball Hyperextension).
There are other exercises for working the lower back. Good Morning exercise has the same starting position as the squat, with a considerably lower weight of course, and consists of bending forward at the waist while keeping the legs straight (knees slightly bent) until the upper body is parallel to the floor, and then slowly return to the starting position. As usual, it is important to keep the head up and the back completely straight.
Superman starts by lying face down on a mat with legs together and arms extended out directly overhead. Raise your arms, chest, and legs off the floor and keep that position for a second. Lower the back to the ground and repeat. This exercise has a variation, known as Contralateral Superman, involving only one arm and leg at a time. Using the same starting position, raise left arm and right leg into the air at the same time, also raising the chest slightly off the floor. Hold there for a second and squeeze the muscles of your lower back. Lower your limbs back to the ground and then do the same with the opposite side.
Reverse Back Extension starts by lying face down on an elevated horizontal bench, with your legs off the end, and tightly holding the bench in front of the head. Then, slowly raise your legs until they are parallel to the floor while keeping your head facing forward. Finally, there is a variation of the Cable Seated Row exercise involving also the lower back, in which you lean forward and backward accompanying elbows movement. However, I prefer to use the regular Cable Seated Row for working the upper back, and target my lower back with dedicated exercises.
You can find a more detailed description about these lower back exercises in the article “All Out Back Training” by John Giljum and the book “The Insider’s Tell-All Handbook On Weight-Training Technique” by Stuart McRobert.
The primary version of the Back Extension starts by lying face down on a hyperextension bench, in a position that allows you to bend at the waist without any restriction, and locking your ankles securely under the footpads. Begin with your body in a straight line. Position your hands either behind your head or crossed on your chest. You can also hold a weight for extra resistance (e.g. a barbell across the back, a plate held behind the head or to your chest). Slowly bend forward at the waist while keeping your back straight (do not round it at any stage of the movement). From the bottom position, slowly raise your torso back until your legs and upper body are in a straight line again. Hyperextension is often referred as a synonym of the back extension, though this exercise suggests extending the back going further than the straight line. Being this hyperextended position a delicate position for the lower back, it is probably better to stay with the regular back extension. Another variation, known as 45° Back Extension, starts by placing the body in a 45ยบ line instead of a straight one. It also requires a special device but it is a nice alternative to the back extension, though less challenging.
There are some aspects on back extension form that should be commented. First, whereas bending at the waist involves heavily the lower back, you can move part of the work to the hamstrings by bending at the hips. Second, hands position play a role in the difficulty of the exercise: the higher in the body the arms are placed, the more challenging the exercise is. This occurs because moving your arms higher also shifts the center of gravity further away from the articulating joint. Third, following the previous comment, it is important to notice that holding weights behind the head encourages rounding the back and stresses the neck. For this reason, these variants should be carefully approached or neglected in favor of those holding weights to the chest. Finally, if a hyperextension bench is not available, back extensions can be also performed in a high bench if a spotter helps you (Hyperextension on a Bench) or using an exercise ball (Weighted Ball Hyperextension).
There are other exercises for working the lower back. Good Morning exercise has the same starting position as the squat, with a considerably lower weight of course, and consists of bending forward at the waist while keeping the legs straight (knees slightly bent) until the upper body is parallel to the floor, and then slowly return to the starting position. As usual, it is important to keep the head up and the back completely straight.
Superman starts by lying face down on a mat with legs together and arms extended out directly overhead. Raise your arms, chest, and legs off the floor and keep that position for a second. Lower the back to the ground and repeat. This exercise has a variation, known as Contralateral Superman, involving only one arm and leg at a time. Using the same starting position, raise left arm and right leg into the air at the same time, also raising the chest slightly off the floor. Hold there for a second and squeeze the muscles of your lower back. Lower your limbs back to the ground and then do the same with the opposite side.
Reverse Back Extension starts by lying face down on an elevated horizontal bench, with your legs off the end, and tightly holding the bench in front of the head. Then, slowly raise your legs until they are parallel to the floor while keeping your head facing forward. Finally, there is a variation of the Cable Seated Row exercise involving also the lower back, in which you lean forward and backward accompanying elbows movement. However, I prefer to use the regular Cable Seated Row for working the upper back, and target my lower back with dedicated exercises.
You can find a more detailed description about these lower back exercises in the article “All Out Back Training” by John Giljum and the book “The Insider’s Tell-All Handbook On Weight-Training Technique” by Stuart McRobert.
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