I want to train my lower back to be strong eccentrically and concentrically no just isometrically. I started doing back extension going through actual full lumbar flexion and extension. After 3 months of slowly increasing the weight from 10lbs to 35lbs, My back pain I've had for over over 2 years is gone. I used to be only able to sit for 30mins in horrible pain. I can now sit for an unlimited amount of time and can bend forward all the way through full lumbar flexion without pain. I've also been to 3 different PTs through this time and only 1 suggested to perform full range back extensions. I am forever grateful

This video seems to run head-on into other videos focusing on how constantly avoiding spine flexion results in greater back problems. TBH I intentionally use this (and the reverse hyper) to put light loads on the lower back to take the spine through a ROM and it's really helped me be in less pain.

I’m not the expert but you could get a lot lower with a flat back if the pad was even lower than in the video. That stretch at full ROM has really gotten rid of my low back pain.

As someone with lifelong lower back pain, I do it the way you suggest, and it helps me immensely. If I let my lower back flex, it’s pain city.

You can use this machine to focus on glutes and hamstrings or back extensors. If you're focused on the latter, keep the load light and hit high reps, 15-25. Don't let someone tell you that you're wrong for hitting your extensors with this. It's just a different focus.

Kneesovertoesguy enters the chat....

I have fairly good hip mobility so I like to have the padding even further down. That way I can have a straight back while going lower and get the full range of motion of the glutes and hamstrings. Closer to the animation at 1:30 rather than staying parallell to the ground

Great information! This content is priceless, thank you both for your time. 💪

While it's true that for a hip extension this lumbar movement is not good, back extensions are actually a decent exercise for accessory work on the spinal erectors. However, it is a bit better to have a lower angle when performing back extensions, so performing the exercise on a GHD in order to place tension rather than compression on the discs is preferable.

I agree that to overload the compressed formof the spinal erectors you should do like youninstruct. But there is place for rounding the back to strength the muscle in a stretch form, all with the respective intensity, volume and resistance.

Great explanation of how to perform the exercises and why it should be done that way. Thank you 😊

Another great video, reinforcing stability at the spine/core whilst moving through the hips. You've been a blessing to my clinical practice 🙂

This exercise helped my lower back pain a lot and I was told by my orthopedic doctor that it is ok to do but if you have disc problems do not add weight.

Bret Contreras (among others) recommends using a slightly rounded back to target the glutes more. This is the first time I'm hearing that this may increase the risk of injury under load. Hmm...

Great information! You’ve just saved my back!

Thank you 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 When I was doing this exercise I was in pain... So I am going to try it again but following your instructions.

This is awesome. Thanks for clarifying this! It can easily be confused with glute-focused exercises on this which round the back, which isn't the safest idea for hip extensions long term

I use this exercise to intentionally train my spinal erectors, not my glutes, so i DO intentionally round my back (obviously going with lower weight + higher reps). I feel like it helped out my deadlifting

Definitely place it below my pelvis. I do full rom on this with no to low load. Helps me with a lot of my posterior chain. Helped me overcome cramps too.

I've begun doing those for my herniated disc as a rehab and it seems to not hurt and actually feel good afterwards! Can only recommend these for people who struggles with lower back pain! Of course, done right!

I like doing it with a fully rounded back long range, also isometrically with a straight back for short range loaded with weight. both are useful.

It's basically a good morning vs a Jefferson curl. Both have applications, but you need to really know what you're doing to maximize the benefit and minimize the risk of either, especially the latter (i.e., Jefferson curl).

I was waiting for this for so long man

Would love to see ways to integrate weight via a plate, dumbbell, and/or barbell. Where/how should it be held to be most effective?

Thank you!!! I wasn't feeling the burn in the right lower middle part as I was supposed to. This video has been very helpful

Bro thinks the gym lets you workout in bare feet

yeah no.. the reason why you should use that is because you can strengthen your erectors under tension instead of compression like the back would be if it rounds while standing.. I have degenerative disk disease and a few herniated disks.. doing this with a slight round going all the way down and only raising my body to horizontal is what has strengthened my back to the point of not having much pain..

Literally tried to use this yesterday and about killed my lower back 😅 thank you!

i learnt from so many other people and videos over the year to flex the spine at the bottom (round the back) and extend on the way up(chest high and spine straightened) to get the erector muscles now i'm being told no only isometrically is the way. God i am so confused

This is kind of contrary to what Brett Contreras (glute guy), says to do. He says to deliberately curve your upper back to turn off your spinal erectors to focus more on your glutes. Assuming the way you're coaching this is to train the hip extensors and low back. Thoughts/comments?

There are some fitness KZfaqrs (Ryan Humiston comes to mind) who advocate for doing these with back flexion specifically to build more lower back muscle (in a bodybuilding context). If someone is able to do this under load without pain, is it still safe to do this with back flexion?

Excellent video. Watched and immediately implemented. Can’t even begin to tell you the difference !Complete burn in my HS and way less tension on my low back. Great content !

I've worked as a personal trainer for nearly 20 years and I disagree with the message that this video is delivering. The two main exercises to perform using a Roman Chair apparatus are Back Extensions and Hip Extensions. While Hip Extensions are appropriate for conditioning the core and pelvic muscles isometrically in preparation for certain compound exercises like deadlifts and squats, both exercises are correct. They simply require different mechanical movement patterns depending on what you're aiming to achieve from each one. As the video suggests, the purpose of Hip Extensions is to lock the lumbar vertebra so that the trunk extensors are functioning isometrically as fixator muscles, supporting the trunk while the glutes and hamstrings are functioning to extend the hips. This is correct, but so to are Back Extensions, just for a different reason. Skeletal muscles are designed to contract isometrically and isotonically. If you only perform isometric exercises for a muscle, it will only strengthen isometrically. Therefore, you will not be strengthening the muscle throughout its whole range of motion. The vertebra is designed to flex, extend, laterally flex and rotate. A Back Extension on a Roman Chair enables you to extend from a flexed position, strengthening the erector spinae, multifidus and quadratus lumborum muscles through a full range of motion. To state that this exercise is not beneficial is misleading to your viewers and there's nothing wrong with including both variations in exercise routines some of the time, as they both require movement patterns that function with the mechanics of the MSK system rather than conflicting with them.

Problems stem from the fact that the movement is incorrectly named by the gym bros. Rounding and then straightening your spine is back flexion/extension. Elevating the torso without rounding is hip extension. Keeping the lower back in one place while raising the upper back is a hyperextension.

Thank you, I had no idea I've been screwing this up the whole time.

I see so many people trying to load lumbar through flexion and attempt to fix back pain with twisting stretches instead of training spine stability and hip mobility.

I've used this to help strengthen my posterior chain. I do as described with 10kg weight. Also, without weight, I flex upper back, (a bit like cat/camel). I've read most of the comments (611), and didn't see any mention of Paul Chek. So just adding him to the mix and his video "The Reverse Hyperextension Exercise". Keep strong everyone.

I think the pad should be even lower, so the top of the pad is below the hip crease. This allows you to rotate about the hips.

Thanks, I adjusted down the pads, grabbed a barbell and felt the burn in the Glutes....awesome. Thanks for showing the correct way.

I've always did it like this and it made me more problems than rounding my back and making my spine getting used to be free to bend more

Thanks for helping me get this Right 🏆

Great refresher!!

This was so helpful...thank you very much sir!!

Love to see ya'll working together 💯💯💯

Do rows with weights while in a straigth position on this bench. It will develop the ability to do back extension properly, or keep a right form on deadlifts. Rows forces you to keep a straight back.

A lot of the "booty" themed back extension instructionals have the upper back rounded to hit the glutes more. I've always went with the single leg back extensions on the GHD, mainly for knee comfort, but also to avoid having to use weights due to the 45 degree being way to easy. For whatever reason, my knees never liked the 45 degree angle machines.

Excellent video and information, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us Have a great a blessed life

This exercise save my lower from pain during squat and RDL

Fabulous! I've being doing it wrong, thinking that more bend means more results! Thank you for posting it!

I am learning so much keeping up with your channel! 😂🙏

I had a lower back injury and started training on this machine regularly but I would round my back to stretch and strengthen it. I found that never rounding the back is what keeps the lower back weak. It’s a natural movement that the human was designed to do.

This (for me) is THE BEST lower back, and glute work out - its makes for such a relaxed, strong lower back, it has removed so many lower back issues that I have struggled with for a long time. Cant recommend it enough. Who needs a Chiropractor? The Roman Chair is the solution!

It's not a Roman chair.

you should try the exercise with making a vacuum of the stomach and then lowering and lengthening the lower back while keeping vacuum and tilting the pelvis to anterior once you're down you go back up while keeping the stomach vacuum and posteriorly rotating the pelvis (very controlled) so the movement is focused solely on the errector spinaes you're making a contraction and lenghtening them at the same time this in my opinion is the pinnachle of the roman machine and creates cables as lowerback muscles once ya kno ya kno

Lower back is the core focus glutes are secondary and targeted towards the end of the upper motion

Okay, I'll subscribe. Was literally looking for back extension forn videos about an hour ago

Thing was still set up too high. Needs to be set below the hip joint to work the way it was mentioned.

I needed this. I adjust this machine and adjust and adjust and it never feels right.

I believe this is the first time I don't agree with you at all, save for the part of the pad placement. The Spine can easily handle flexion under load, so I use this exercise ESPECIALLY for for that purpose and try to get as much movement, from round to hollow, in my back. It's not like you can load the exercise with your deadlift weights. Obviously, this is not true for people with eg bulging discs or other acute injuries. But it's perfect for preventing those, since you get to move and therefore provide nutrition to your discs and strengthen the ligaments in your back.

Much appreciate the video. I used to get lower back pain and avoided this machine until I sank the pads way down.

Hey mate, as always, thanks for the quality content. Question: How does one increase the strength and size/thickness of the spinal erectors? I would like to increase strength and muscle tissue in and around the trunk in preparation for rugby. I hope you see this and thanks if you do answer.

I’m a 72 yo retired PT with lumbar DJD/DDD and my back does better with the pad blocking my pelvis so that my lumbar spine does go into flexion and my lumbar paraspinal muscles perform a eccentric/concentric contraction. We don’t live in a isometric world, but anyone who has any lumbar instability should definitely perform this exercise the way he suggests.

Thanks for this video, man, it was really helpful and I wasn't mindful of this adjustment

My hyper-extension machine arrived today. Great tips!

Thanks for the pointers in the back extension. Can you do a video tutorial on the reverse hyper? Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the advice on positioning of the pad. But not sure about “grab with the toes” - ain’t no gym that wants you to use their equipment barefoot lol.

I like to use this piece of equipment as a stretch device. Lower pad, then bend at waist keeping back straight to stretch lower back, glutes and hams, simply by hanging.

I usually put the pad much lower, like mid-high thigh and do bigger rom, it fires up the hamstring like crazy.

Already doing deadlifts and squats ; If your trying to strengthen lower back then hinging at the hips is not the best ….. The lower back is only isometrically exercised any other way which includes squats , dead lifts , only isometrically exercises lower back. The length of the lower back does not change. The better way to strengthen lower back and improve in other other exercises is to have more shortening and lengthening of the lower back muscle as in the first part of this video. This can be done under low load depending on how strong your lower back is.

What if the goal IS to train the Erector muscles dynamically? Of course the load should be reasonable, but is the bodyweight itself always too much? And if not, where do you draw the line?

Thanks heaps for the vid, changed my technique straight away

I really like this guy

The best duo on the internet ❤. I actually didnt fully understand the actual machanics of this excercise until now. thanks!

Thanks! This was interesting

Nope, movement of the lumbar spine under load is not dangerous, and it doesn't increase the risk of injury.

Genius. I never thought of this.

Exactly opposite to what Bret Contreras, the glute guy says. Bret backs up his recommendations with studies. Can you?

FANTASTIC video.. I’ve been doing it wrong all along .. thank You

Great information

I needed this😅😅. Thanks!!

Great video! But one question, if you load it "properly" (for back extensors) and do the movement, for the back extensors, is that bad? Isn't that just a great exercise for the back extensors?? To work them not only isometric like they do in so many other exercises, but to work them dynamically as well?? I've learned a lot from this channel, keep it up!!!👍

i see so many people doing this wrong… this short video could prevent so much pain.

Thanks

The ATG Program by Ben Patrick encourages full range all the way to the bottom on back extensions (with a back that rounds), so I'm wondering if there's a way to justify what he's showing compared to what you guys are encouraging.

I do both but with lighter weight i do an exaggerated rom the whole way through for injury prevention. It works for me

Spot on great advice for everyone. Back health over time is imperative to all athletes/bodybuilders.

Kneesovertoes and Squat University need to do a panel. This is the most friendly beef I've ever seen.

Wow! I've been having the pad in the wrong position the whe time! Although, I do have my back straight. Good video! I'm going to try this!

Nice vid. I use this with my training clients who want a nice booty, paired with side-clams and Romanians or hip thrusts. But a quibble with foot placement. There is solid research on this exercise with turned out feet, which makes this exercise a glute slayer!

Well, not if you wanna actually train the lower back. Just keep the loads light.

Great advice. As usual people in the comments probably dont know much about kinesiology and anatomy. You clearly explain why you don't want your back to be rounded under load and what joint action should be occuring and wear.

New favourite exercise

I thought this was about how to train the lower back. I am still rounding my back with just body weight to train my lower back. I feel it helps.

👏🏼 I do it exactly like this for years 👍🏼

Please clarify that this is a low load situation, and that you can also train the erectors with spinal flexion in this 45° hyperextension machine. There are too many videos prescribing either or when it comes to spinal flexion, and it just creates more confusion.

Thanks so much for your help

I think you might be stalking me. Every time I have an issue, a pain, an injury, or a doubt about an exercise you make a video about it 😮🤯

I thought this was supposed to be done as a hinge. The foot information was new to me.

Thanks for the vid!

Suffering from low back pain for 3 years now. Even with the pad adjusted correctly, my lower back is killing me. I get pain during exercise as well