Exercise Profile
- Target Muscle Group
- Exercise TypeStrength
- Equipment RequiredBodyweight
- MechanicsIsolation
- Force TypeHinge (Bilateral)
- Experience LevelBeginner
- Secondary Muscles
Hamstrings, Lower Back
Target Muscle Group
Glutes
Hyperextension Overview
The hyperextension is a variation of the hip hinge movement pattern and an exercise used to target the glutes.
Some may choose to utilize this exercise to target their lower back. However, for optimal health and maximum benefits, it is best to think of this exercise as a glute exercise.
Hyperextensions can be included in your leg workouts and full body workouts.
Hyperextension Instructions
- Setup in a hyperextension machine with your feet anchored and torso roughly perpendicular to your legs at a 45 degree angle.
- Begin in a hinged position with your arms crossed and initiate the movement by flexing your glutes.
- Extend the hips and finish with your body in a straight line.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Hyperextension Tips
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Keep in mind that there are two ways to do hyperextensions. For the vast majority of folks (outside of a sport specific application - ex. Gymnastics or Olympic weight lifting), they stick with the first rather than the second option.
- Glutecentric: Slightly flex your upper back and extend your hips until your body is in a straight line and focus entirely on gluteal activation.
- Erector-centric: Arch globally through the spine and focus entirely on erector activation.
- If you can’t seem to feel your glutes activating, palpate the musculature with your hands and focus on pausing the movement at the peak of contraction.
- If you find one glute has less contractility than another, perform twice as much volume on that side relative to the other with unilateral variations until you have established an efficient mind/muscle connection.
40 Comments
What if my gym does not have?
Hyperextensions what is a good alternative i go to planet fitness
Hi Andy, if your PF location has a back extension machine (most do), then that would be what I suggest going with. I hope this helps!
I don't understand anything about hyperextensions
Are the hyperextensions necessary in a full body routine, including squats, deadlifts and rows?
Hi Jorge, they are not absolutely necessary, but it does make a great accessory movement for those exercises, and it can help make your lower back stronger and healthier. So, if you see them in a program, it's probably for a good reason.
Thank you for your awnswer, but unfornately my gym does not have a hyperextension bench, can you recommend me other deadlift accesories?
Sure, good mornings with a barbell or band would work, as would rack pulls.
What are some unilateral variations you recommend to focus on the weaker side?
Hi Ali, which side is weaker, and are you talking about the hamstrings or lower back? This exercise works both. My guess would be hamstrings, but I want to be sure before I drop suggestions.
I'd live to use the hyperextension machine but I'm 4'10 so it doesn't fit low enough. What could I do I stead?
Are you training at home or in a gym, Vanessa?
Go with a reverse hyper or rack deadlifts. Either will help.
Gym
Yas
Any replacements for this? I workout at home and don't have a hyperextension machine, I have a few bench and a yoga ball.
If you can incline your bench and brace your feet, that would work as well. You can also use your yoga ball to do an upside down crunch with your belly on the ball to work your lower back.
Sharing this one for others. If you have a squat rack, take two long 2x4s and place them across the safety arms at waist height, then place something like a towel over the boards. Lay belly down over the boards, and you have a reverse hyper.
Thank you for the recommendation. I usually don’t leave comments, but I I’ve been trying to figure out something for hypers at my home gym. A 2x4 wrapped with a foam floor tile on the safety arms worked awesome!
Love it! Glad to help, Rob. I have done that with a band around the ankles while connected to the rack for extra resistance. Ankle weights and a dumbbell between the feet works as well, as long as you do them slow.
Thanks for reading M&S!
Should I hold a weight for this exercise if I don't feel fatigued by the end of my reps?
You certainly can. I use a weight plate or kettlebell, but a dumbbell or even a barbell would work if you have enough space.
Any good replacements for this? I workout at home and dont have a hyperextension machine
What do you have at home, Landen? Let me know and I can offer some options.
What is an alternative exercise to hyperextension, because I domt have an hyperextension machine.
Hey Jay, training at home or a gym? If you train at home, let me know what you have.
I train at a relatively small gym but they don't have that hyperextension machine I see in the demo clip.
If the gym has a low back machine, you can use it. If not, rack deadlifts are going to be your best bet. Just don't go super heavy on them.
"Begin in a hinged position with your arms crossed"....skip to video of woman with hands on her hips.
what about "Thx for the free workouts available" ?!? I dunno bout you, but most of the workouts I find online are to pay for. Given horse and shit, you hater.
Can you please send me a routine that I can do that I can lose a quick 10 pounds,I don't care how intense it is or how hard I have to work to get theses results.I have belly fat, seems to all gather in that a rea,please help me. thank you
There is a "hammer strength" piece of equipment at my gym that I do a similar exercise with. It's more of an upright position, but I stand on the base and lean over a padded rest tat comes just above my pelvis area. I usually do body weight first, then again holding 10 lbs. Is this the same exercise as you are talking about here . . . same results?
can I substutite this with deadlift?
They work simular muscles but not the same... i personally do both :)
Can you help me get the right food plans for cutting up
Here is a really helpful guide for fat-loss and diet planning:
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-guides/fat-loss
I'm pretty sure with reverse hypers you just turn around on the hyperextension stand and instead of raising your upper torso, you raise and lower your lower torso (i.e. your legs).
Wouldn't that be Roman chair seat up ? Or incline seat up?
I really like your videos. I wish you would also show a reverse hyper extension however. My work out routine i get from you guys have it on there but no video to describe what to actually do.
Yes can easily substiture an exercise ball for the hyperextension machine. Be care full not to over hyperextend.
How do you do this if you do not have the hyperextension machine? I an incline bench and an independent chest press. Can it be done on an exercise ball?
well if u have any younger siblings or cousins i usually use them .lol .. lay on ur stomach on a bed with half ur body ( upper of course ) out of the bed and ask one or two of them to sit on ur legs and do the exercise :D