The Back Extension Works Best when You Stop Making These 4 Mistakes
The trouble is this exercise is either neglected for far more TikTok-worthy exercises or just rushed through sloppily. Correct form works “best” with the back extension.
Here we’ll learn how to do this awesome exercise, what is needed, and some common back extension mistakes stopping you from getting the best out of it.
There’s not a lot to the back extension, and after watching a YouTube video or two, you, too, can rip some good reps on the Back Extension machine. It is an exercise that is easily progressed, regressed, and benefits all lifters. Because, you cannot have enough lower back and glute strength.
Although it is a simple move, mistakes can still be made that take away from the effectiveness of this exercise. Here are four things NOT to do when performing this excellent exercise for the lower back and glutes.
With exercises that target the lower back and glutes, there is a temptation to hyperextend the lower back to get more range of motion. This is a big no-no because if you keep doing it, the lower back will let you know in certain terms that this is not working correctly. When you feel this more in the lower back than the glutes, it’s a sign you’re taking it too far.
Fix it: Finish the range of motion with the glutes by giving them a good squeeze by the time your approach lockout. This will ensure you’re not taking it too far.
The Back extension is not a 1RM exercise but adds muscle-building volume to the glutes and lower back. It is better to perform with control and feel your glutes and hamstrings rather than using momentum. Better here to focus on tension and not speed.
Fix it: It’s easy to say to slow down, which you should, but performing the Back extension with tempo, say three seconds eccentric and concentric with a three-second glute squeeze (3033 tempo), will do the trick.
Fix it: Performing it with tempo is a great starting point, and feeling the stretch in your hamstrings, not your back, is critical here. Knowing how to hip hinge is essential, too, and going back to the basics may be needed if you have trouble understanding the difference between your hips and back.
The Back extension is easier to do with your hips resting on the pad but less effective. The movement for this exercise happens at the hip joint, and when you lock the hips in, the muscle-building benefits for the lower back and glutes go bye-bye.
Fix it: Adjust the padding to rest on your quads, not your pelvis.
