Hyperextension
Bench hyperextensions for a healthy, strong lower back. Can be loaded. It works mainly the lower back and glutes, with help from the hamstrings.
In Flawless, Gold, the third of eight ranks, starts at 10 reps in one set for men aged 23–39 and 8 for women.
How to do Hyperextension
- Set the pad so it sits just below the hip bones, hook your heels under the rear pads and cross the arms over your chest.
- Lower the torso with control by hinging at the hips until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings, back kept flat.
- Raise the torso until the body forms one straight line from head to heels, squeezing the glutes at the top.
- Don't go past the straight line into a big arch; hold a plate against the chest once bodyweight gets easy.
These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscle | Anatomical name |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Lower back | Erector spinae |
| Primary | Glutes | Gluteus maximus |
| Secondary | Hamstrings | Biceps femoris |
Muscle data from StrengthLog.
Why do it
- Lower back and hamstrings without spinal loading
- Endurance where most people give out first
- Cheap volume that doesn't cost recovery
Rep standards for Hyperextension
| Rank | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | start | start |
| Silver | 5 | 4 |
| Gold | 10 | 8 |
| Platinum | 15 | 12 |
| Diamond | 20 | 16 |
| Obsidian | 25 | 20 |
| Painite | 30 | 24 |
| Antimatter | 50 | 40 |
Numbers are reps in one set, for ages 23–39.
Flawless ranks Hyperextension by the most reps you managed in one set; the rank updates after every workout. Women’s limits are 20 % lower than men’s. For other ages the app lowers every limit: by 8 % under 23 and from 40 to 49, by 18 % in your 50s, 28 % in your 60s and 38 % from 70.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Hyperextension work?
It works mainly the lower back and glutes, with help from the hamstrings.
How do you do Hyperextension?
Set the pad so it sits just below the hip bones, hook your heels under the rear pads and cross the arms over your chest. Lower the torso with control by hinging at the hips until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings, back kept flat. Raise the torso until the body forms one straight line from head to heels, squeezing the glutes at the top. Don't go past the straight line into a big arch; hold a plate against the chest once bodyweight gets easy.
How many reps of Hyperextension is good?
In Flawless, Gold starts at 10 reps in one set for men aged 23–39 and 8 for women, Diamond at 20 and 16.
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