- EquipmentMachine
- PatternIsolation
- Reps10 to 20 reps
- Joint loadLower back
Lie face down on the reverse hyper machine with your hips at the edge of the pad and your legs hanging down, ankles in the strap or against the pad.
First cueLift with the hips and glutes.
How to do the Reverse Hyperextension
Set up. Lie face down on the reverse hyper machine with your hips at the edge of the pad and your legs hanging down, ankles in the strap or against the pad.
- Hold the handles and lift your legs behind you until they are about level with your body.
- Squeeze the glutes at the top.
- Lower under control.
Form cues
- Lift with the hips and glutes.
- Keep the legs together.
- Control the swing.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the legs up with momentum.
- Lifting the legs far above level.
Muscles worked
Main target: Lower back. The erector spinae run either side of the spine. They straighten the back and hold it straight under a load, in every hinge, squat and carry.
On the way: Glutes and Hamstrings.
Its other side: Abs, in the trunk pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Reverse Hyperextension, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Cable Crunch Superset partner: it trains the other side of the trunk pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Cable Woodchop Same core session: it trains the obliques.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Reverse Hyperextension first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Reverse Hyperextension 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Cable Crunch 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Cable Woodchop 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Captain’s Chair Knee Raise 3 × 8 to 20 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Back Extension
Bodyweight
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Working weight and 1RM calculator
Enter a set you did: the weight, the reps and how many more reps you had left in you. The estimate is the formula the StatBlockFit app uses for its records, weight × (1 + (reps + reps in reserve) ÷ 30); above 12 reps it is rough.
Training zones
| Zone | Share of 1RM | Usual reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 85 to 90 % | 3 to 6 |
| Muscle growth | 70 to 80 % | 6 to 12 |
| Endurance | 60 to 65 % | 15 to 20 |
A warm-up before the working sets: 50 % for 5, 70 % for 3 and 85 % for 1, each rounded down to a plate.
Common starting points, not a prescription: the right weight is the one you can lift with good form for the reps you planned.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Back Extension.
Other variations of the Back Extension: Prone Cobra.
Do before it: Bird Dog (bracing) and Prone Cobra (same movement, lighter).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Reverse Hyperextension is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Reverse Hyperextension?
Set up: Lie face down on the reverse hyper machine with your hips at the edge of the pad and your legs hanging down, ankles in the strap or against the pad. Steps: 1. Hold the handles and lift your legs behind you until they are about level with your body. 2. Squeeze the glutes at the top. 3. Lower under control. Form cues: Lift with the hips and glutes. Keep the legs together. Control the swing. Common mistakes: Swinging the legs up with momentum. Lifting the legs far above level.
What muscles does the Reverse Hyperextension work?
It trains the lower back as its main target and works the glutes and hamstrings on the way.
What can I do instead of the Reverse Hyperextension?
At home: Back Extension. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Reverse Hyperextension with?
Good partners in the same workout are Cable Crunch and Cable Woodchop.
How heavy should the Reverse Hyperextension be?
Pick a weight you can lift for the planned reps with one or two left in reserve. As a common starting point, sets of 3 to 6 reps use about 85 to 90 percent of your one-rep max and sets of 6 to 12 reps about 70 to 80 percent; the calculator on this page does the arithmetic.