Exercise guide · Back
Back Extensions
Back extensions on a 45-degree or hyperextension bench train your glutes, hamstrings, and spinal erectors through a controlled hip hinge. With your pelvis anchored on the pad, you lower your torso by bending at the hips and drive back up to a neutral spine—not past it.
- Targets: Lower back
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Type: Isolation
Step by step
How to do the Back Extensions
- Adjust the pad so it sits at your hip crease, not on your thighs, with your pelvis fully supported.
- Secure your feet under the foot pads and cross your arms over your chest or place hands lightly behind your head.
- Start with your torso in line with your legs—neutral spine from hips to shoulders.
- Lower your torso by hinging at the hips, keeping your lower back flat until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Drive your hips forward and squeeze your glutes to return to neutral—stop when your body forms a straight line, not arched past it.
Form cues
- Hinge at the hips—do not round your lower back
- Stop at neutral spine, not hyperextension
- Squeeze glutes to finish the rep
- Pad at the hip crease, not on the thighs
Common mistakes
- Hyperextending past neutral at the top
- Rounding the lower back at the bottom
- Using momentum to swing up and down
- Setting the pad too low on the thighs
Muscles worked
Primary
Lower back
Secondary
Glutes and Hamstrings
Safety: Use a modest range of motion if your lower back is sensitive, and add load gradually as you build control.
Alternatives
