Hyperextensions are very effective exercises for strengthening and build lower back, thighs, and buttocks as well, preventing the risk of early spinal injury, and tendons. Do hyperextensions after deadlifts for complete exhaustions of back lower muscles.
If you decided to pay more attention to strength training, then it’s best to start it with hyperextensions. They are performed using hyperextension bench and are not too difficult to do. Systematic exercises on the hyperextension machine will help to strengthen the back, and entire musculoskeletal system for future weight training, as well as build a beautiful and healthy posture.
There are few types of hyperextensions exercises. Further, we will explain each of them. So, here they are:
As in case of all exercises, hyperextension has to be performed in the correct way. Overwise you will get fewer benefits from its execution. So, let’s see further step by step how to do properly hyperextensions.
Firstly, line up the top of the pelvis with the top of the pad. Adjust the upper pad so as to keep it under your hips, and still leave enough room for leaning forward. Cross your arms to your chest, or behind your head (you are free to choose the position that fit you best), keeping your trunk upright.
Slowly bring trunk down slightly below parallel. Then slowly bring trunk toward the pelvis. All this time try to maintain the neutral spine. Perform the full controlled range of motion slowly. Keep in mind, when performing this exercise never allow a deflection in the back.
It even doesn’t matter how low you can stoop, more important is to keep your back straight. Also, to protect your back from injury during this exercise, try to keep the whole body in a fixed stationary. For more tension in your back, you can do hyperextension with your hands out.
Come down, and hold your hands over your head. You feel stronger tension on your lower back. There are some key points that have to know. So, the first 35-40 degrees will target erectors of the spine. The last 10-15 degrees will target extenders of the hip.
Advanced people, can do hyperextension using small weights, like dumbbells. Keep in mind, if you are a newbie in the gym than you have to start with the lowest level- hyperextension with crossing your arms over your chest.
Once you handle it very well, then hyperextensions with hands out. And only after these two stages, you can do hyperextension with weights. It is very important to follow the right breathing rhythm during hyperextensions. You have to do it this way: inhale on the way down, exhale on the way back.
-Do not bend your knees when you extend your body. This movement can greatly facilitate the exercise, but at the same time, it reduces the effectiveness of exercise in strengthening hamstring muscles.
-Keep a straight line from the hip to the head in the starting position, and from the knees to the head in the lower position of the exercise.
-Do not hyperextend your body. A big no for this action. When you bring the upper body to the starting position, keep it in line with rest of your body.
-The most difficult and crucial part of the exercise is the beginning of coming back movement. Namely here is the biggest risk that you will begin to bend your knees. Further is more simple, once you come back to starting position the less strain target muscles get.
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-Focus on the isometric contraction of the extensor muscles of the spine (lower back) so that your body is firmly fixed in the correct position (the natural curve of the spine) for the entire set!
-Lower the lower platen, if you process the exercise for the first time. This will greatly facilitate mastery of the hyperextension, particularly during the lifting of the body by bending your knees. As you get stronger, lift cylinders as long as they will not be on the same level with the seat. This is the optimum position where the back of the thigh muscles will work to the maximum.
-Keep tension on your back. During hyperextension exercises, you have to feel tension on your back throughout the whole movement.
-Hyperextension has to be performed slowly and absolutely controlled. Do not increase the speed of performing, in order to them fastly. This is a big mistake and will give you no effectiveness.
-Never round your back when doing hyperextensions. This is one of the most common errors admitted by most of the people who use to do hyperextensions. Keep in mind, and never repeat it.
Along with machine hyperextensions, there are also stability ball hyperextensions. This is a very useful exercise, performed with no weights. For this exercise use a stability ball, fix your feet on a support and lay down on it. Also, you can do reverse stability hyperextensions.
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For this, put your stability ball on a bench. With the face of the ball and to the bench, put yourself over the ball. Grab up the bench with your hands, pressing tightly the ball, and do extended leg ups. Then return to start position, touching the ground. Then extend them up again, in a straight line with your body, lowering them slowly and controlled.
You have to start with 6 reps, 2 sets. But most important that numbers are the occurrence of pain on your back. Stop it immediately if you feel pain, even this happens during the first rep and set. You can try to place pendants higher, but not so high it prevents you from bending.
If you continue to feel pain, then is definitely the case to abandon hyperextension. generally, it is recommended to advise your doctor before getting involved in doing hyperextensions, as they are strength exercises and put the big load on your back. If you had some health issues in this region then there are big chances that you will not be allowed to do hyperextensions.
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Another detail that has to be considered is to count every rep you do. So, be careful do not do too many repetitions, and do not go too fast! As you see, hyperextensions mainly target erector spinal muscles. Along with this are involved in work gluteus maximus, hamstrings and adductor magnus group of muscles.
Only after few weeks of doing hyperextensions, you will feel lower back stronger and will improve your posture in the right way. You will strengthen the lower back, and risk of injury will be diminished significantly.
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For great results, follow the right of execution, breath properly (inhale when lowering your body, exhale on the way back). Also, if you a starter begin with simple hyperextensions, and work until you will be able to do hyperextension with hands out and the next level, with weights. Do not send you back on the way down, and do not arch it on the starter position.
Enjoy your training! 😉
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