Most neglected exersice for hams/gluts/lower back- Weighted Hyperextension

This exercise has done wonders for me. It helped build explosive strength I can feel in my BJJ practices (escaping the mount, sidemount, halfguard, any bottom position), and it helps me build upon my squats and deads.

I was wondering, if its so successful, why aren't they recommended as much as other exercises. The answer to that question is when I looked up this exercise on the Internet http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/WtHyperextension.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Hyperextensions+(Back+Extensions)

They leave on the most important step: Thrust your hips forwards before you go up .The hyperextensions they are doing on those sites work the back/hams/glutes completely differently than the way I do it. In fact, I can not find a single Internet explanation that stresses thrusting your hips forward before you come up.

Here are the complete instructions to do hyperextensions my way
1. On the foot rest, you should be on the balls/toes of you feet, heels off the foot rest.
2. Maintain the neutral arch, same one as squats and deadlifts.
3. You should be holding a barbell (if you gym has one of those mini-barbells, use those). Grip should be over/under, like a deadlift.
4. Your arms should not be straight, it is very hard to maintain the neutral arch this way. Your elbows should be bent, weight kept close to your abdomen, and your shoulders should be back/chest out.
5. Your back should be completely straight. Straighten every vertebrate in your spin. When you go low, you should only bend at the hips. This will limit how low you can go, don't be surprised if you can't go that low, that's normal.
6. Coming up (most unique part of how I do these). Before you come up, Thrust your hips forward as much as possible, really dig your hips into the padding. Next look up (raise your head up), raise your shoulders even higher if possible. Now come up. Remember you heels should be off the foot rest throughout this exercise.
7. This should be doing very fluidly and explosively. Use the momentum generated from your hip thrusting and bringing your head up to help drive yourself up.
8. Like the squat, this is done best at high reps. I would say at least 12, at the most 20.
9. Since it is very easy to maintain the neutral arch in this exercise, I say it would be safe to max out.


I don't like the version shown on all the internet sites I found. I used to do em that way (I developed my own way through trial and error), and I would always use the same 45 lbs plate do my 10-15 repper, never improving upon this exercise. This exercise would always make my lower back feel tense and annoying.

By thrusting your hips forwards before coming back, the majority of the tension is in the hams and glutes. As far as I know the mechanics of this exercise is very similar to stiff-legged deadlift. In my opinion, this is better because in the stiff-legged dl, a lot of energy is spent keeping good form, esp the neutral back arch.

The last benefit I can thing off off the top of my head is that you can lift heavy with this exercise. Right now I'm at 20 reps of 100 pounds.

I mentioned this develops very good functional strength for grappling. As you can tell from the mechanics of this exercise, it will also develop function strength when you're 'grappling' with your girlfriend.

I call this, this the 'Santosh hyperextension'.

Straight Legged Deadlifts could also be done as an alternative.

I HATE these:cuss: . I'll stick to deadlifts.

This is an acessory lift and its a great supporter for your squat and dealift.

Goodmornings
Glute Ham Raise
Pullthroughs

are also good, and lots of people neglect them.

if you hate an exercise, it's probably because it's hard. it's probably hard because it's hitting muscles that are lagging. therefore, it pays to do exercises you hate (witness the number of guys who ***** about stalling on chest or arm work but refuse to squat because they "hate" it)

simba_ said:

I HATE these:cuss: . I'll stick to deadlifts.

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Have you tried them the way I do it (thrust hips forward before you come up)? I hate doing these the regular way too. Thrusting the hips forward before you come up turns it into a very different exersice.

sldl, pull throughs, and good mornings are have similiar mechanics to the way I do the hyperextensions. However, the hyperextention is the easiest way for me to move the most ammount of weight while maintaining the nuetral arch in my back.

I noticed I didn't explain why this is good for grappling. Good escapes from the any bottom positions are the bump and roll (bridge to throw your hips up, then roll towards, away from opponent). This exersice emulates that 'thrusting' movement you hips do when you bump and roll.

I've never thought about squeezing at the top, but I think doing my thrusting method might already make by glutes squeeze. I'll look out for it next time I do these.

For body building muscel mass, I think these should be done slow. For practical power, do these explosivly.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/WTGluteHamRaise.html

Espi said:

Hypers are the best exercise for hitting the lower back (spinal erectors)...no other exercise comes close...

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What, you never heard of http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BBDeadlift.html ?

seriosly, am I the only one who does em this way? I'm sure someone figured this out already.

I do hyperextensions, but instead of weighted, I do them single-leggedly.

No, what I mean: am I the only one who incorporated the thrust into this exersice

hyperextension is an exercise i consider to be more of a warm-up, rather then an actual workout (unless you are a HB10 broad in spandex, in which case do whatever you want). i usually use them in my pre-exhaust exercise right before i go to deadlifts. if you want mass, strength and power in your lower back / hams, do straight leg deadlifts. a 100 lb hyperextension vs a 400 lbs deadlift? which do you think will stress your body more to produce growth?

the key to it all is simple, i don't know why people try to complicate it. stick to compound movements, add 5lbs to your lifts every week, and if you ever plateau, increase your carb/protein intake a bit until you can keep going. you can't reinvent the wheel.

best of luck

-M

MindOverMatter said:

hyperextension is an exercise i consider to be more of a warm-up, rather then an actual workout (unless you are a HB10 broad in spandex, in which case do whatever you want). i usually use them in my pre-exhaust exercise right before i go to deadlifts. if you want mass, strength and power in your lower back / hams, do straight leg deadlifts. a 100 lb hyperextension vs a 400 lbs deadlift? which do you think will stress your body more to produce growth?

the key to it all is simple, i don't know why people try to complicate it. stick to compound movements, add 5lbs to your lifts every week, and if you ever plateau, increase your carb/protein intake a bit until you can keep going. you can't reinvent the wheel.

best of luck

-M

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Hypers def aren't a replacement for deads, but a good accessory lift along with pull throughs, glute ham raises and good mornings (though a good morning can be more than just an accessory exercise)

I don't think hes trying to reinvent the wheel here, he found something that has helped his performance in his sport and is just sharing it with others.

Espi said:

Never heard of that one. Do you mean stiff-legged deads?

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No i mean Glute Ham Raise http://www.kvusa.com/wl/floorghr.htm

is it fine to just skip accessory exercises and focus on the mains only during workouts?

i do these with a BB and people at the gym look at me like i'm crazy
any time the gym staff walks by when i'm in between sets, they ask me if i'm actually using the BB
i'm only up to a 70lb BB right now (it's right after deadlifts for me,) but it's one of my favorite exercises

kickureface said:

is it fine to just skip accessory exercises and focus on the mains only during workouts?

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Yeah, accessory work is not essential to improve on the main's. I do it cuz I have extra energy after my mains.


Any reason why you don't want to? If you want to do extra sets of a main, that is not a good reason. After a 5x5 deadlift or 20 rep squat, you should do something else (work different muscels or the same muscels a different way). Unless you are a pretty advanced athlete, your body will not recover fast enough so that you can improve on your next set.

Whatever makes you improve your exersices in increments of 2.5-5 lbs a week is good.

reyalp said:

i do these with a BB and people at the gym look at me like i'm crazy
any time the gym staff walks by when i'm in between sets, they ask me if i'm actually using the BB
i'm only up to a 70lb BB right now (it's right after deadlifts for me,) but it's one of my favorite exercises

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I do em after deadlifts too. I think they work out similiar muscels. Good minds think alike. I use the mini-barbells at my gym, but they only go up to 115 or 120, and im at 110. In about 3-4 weeks, i'll surpass those and I'll have to use a regular barbell. This is going to be awkward since all the hip extention machines are right next to each other, so when I do these, no one else can use the other hyperextension machine. THATS gonna get me alotta unwanted attention.

Btw, I don't think those chicks are giving you 'crazy' looks. This is a very good exersice to show off your gluts and hams. The thrusting motion also gives em a nice visual. This one chick was sitting at a curl machine directly across from me. She wasn't even doing any curls ever. From the corner of my eye, I think she was just staring at me.

BTW, do you do the thrust???

Its all about the thrust. . . . . . .THE THRUST!!!!!

im confused what u mean by THRUST haha, i just cant picture what u mean, u lower your upper torse, than raise, to full extension...i dont see how your hips can thrust, do u have a better video or slides show to depict?

Also you know the video u posted originally i dont know why the guys legs are so high?? the one at my gym my body is in a 'V' Shape if u know what i mean...