Mount the reverse hyperextension machine and secure your legs between the foot pads. Your upper body should be lying face down on the machine’s surface, your hips should be positioned off the edge of the surface, and your legs should be hanging straight down.
Hold the handles for stability.
Execution
Keeping your knees slightly bent, exhale as you slowly raise the lever as high as you can by extending your hips and your lower back.
Try to hold the contracted position for a count of two.
Inhale as you slowly reverse the motion and lower the lever to the starting position.
Repeat.
Comments and tips
Maintain full control of the movement. Do not allow the build-up of momentum. Otherwise, you may injure your lower back.
Keep your neck level with your torso.
The machine reverse hyperextension is great for working your erector spinae (spinal erectors), which run up your spine. The exercise is often used to treat lower-back pain.
The reverse hyper machine was invented by American powerlifter and strength coach Louie Simmons, who is also the owner of the Westside Barbell gym and the developer of the Westside Barbell training system. See the first video.
If you are new to the machine reverse hyperextension exercise, begin by using only your body weight. You can perform bodyweight reverse hyperextensions using either a Roman chair (see second video), a stability ball (third video), or an inclined bench (fourth video). It is even possible to perform the reverse hyperextension on your elbows (fifth video)! However, this is a very advanced movement.
