Weighted Hyperextension

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Adjust the thigh pad so the top edge sits just below your hip crease, allowing for full range of motion at the hips.
2. Secure your feet firmly against the footplates with your ankles tucked under the padded rollers.
3. Hold a weight plate firmly against your chest, crossing your arms over it to keep it locked in place.
4. Start with your body in a straight line from your head to your heels, engaging your core.

How to do it

1. Inhale and slowly hinge at the hips to lower your torso toward the floor, maintaining a flat back until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
2. Exhale as you engage your glutes and hamstrings to pull your torso back up to the starting position.
3. Maintain a controlled tempo, taking 2-3 seconds to lower and 1-2 seconds to rise.
4. Stop when your body forms a straight line; avoid arching your back past the neutral point.

Form checklist

• Keep your chin tucked and neck neutral to avoid straining the cervical spine.
• Ensure the movement occurs at the hip joint rather than rounding the lumbar spine.
• Keep the weight plate tight against your sternum throughout the entire set.
• Avoid using momentum or swinging at the bottom of the movement.

Pro tips

• Focus on driving your hips hard into the pad to maximize glute and hamstring recruitment.
• At the top of the movement, pause for one second and perform a hard peak contraction of the glutes.
• If you feel excessive strain in the lower back, check that the pad isn't set too high, which forces the spine to round.

Make it harder

• Hold the weight plate at arm's length toward the floor to increase the lever arm and mechanical tension.
• Incorporate a 3-second isometric hold at the top of each repetition.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the weighted hyperextension work?

The weighted hyperextension primarily targets the erector spinae, glutes, and hamstrings, and also works the quadriceps as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the weighted hyperextension?

The weighted hyperextension uses weight plate.

Is the weighted hyperextension good for beginners?

The weighted hyperextension is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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