Hyperextension

1. Adjust the pad height so your hip crease lines up with the edge of the bench pad.
2. Cross your arms over your chest or place your hands lightly behind your head.
3. Bend forward at the hips, lowering your torso toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings and lower back.
4. Keep a slight bend in your knees and a neutral spine throughout the descent.
5. Squeeze your glutes and lower back to raise your torso back to a straight line with your legs.
6. Stop at full extension without arching your back past neutral.
7. Perform 10 to 15 controlled reps, pausing briefly at the top of each rep.

Common Mistakes

• Hyperextending at the top: Arching the lower back past a straight line at the top of the rep loads the spine unnecessarily. Stop when your torso is in line with your legs.
• Using momentum to bounce up: Swinging up from the bottom takes tension off the erectors and glutes. Lower and raise the torso under control the whole rep.
• Wrong pad height: If the pad sits too high or low, hip flexion gets blocked or your lower back rounds at the bottom. Set the pad so your hip crease is right at the edge.
• Rounding the upper back: Letting the shoulders slump forward shifts strain onto the thoracic spine. Keep the chest lifted and shoulder blades gently retracted.