- To do a regular hyperextension lie face down on a Roman chair and hook your feet in the feet pads. Put your hands behind your head. Inhale and lower your body toward the floor. Exhale and raise your back up as high as you can comfortably can. Move at a controlled speed without using any momentum. You should squeeze your abs and glutes during hyperextensions to protect the muscles of your lower back.
- You can add some rotation to the hyperextension exercise to work your lats, the muscles in the middle of your back. When you raise your torso up, twist your shoulders to the left. Then, twist your shoulders to the right. Return to center and lower your body back toward the floor. You can also twist just to one side as you raise up and alternate with each repetition. Exhale as you raise your torso and twist, and inhale as you lower your torso.
- A variation of the hyperextension exercise is to hold a plate to your chest as you do the exercise. This will make it more challenging for your back muscles and you should only try this once you can easily do the non-weighted version. You could hold the weight behind your head if you prefer, but it is safer for your neck to hold it to your chest.
previous post