Lower Back Exercises

To do the back exercises described here properly you will need a hyperextention bench or other bench that is nearly waist high and will allow you to lock your legs horizontally behind you as you lay on it.

These lower back exercises involve extending your upper body over the edge of the bench so that, hinging at the hips, you can hang your torso vertical to the floor while your legs remain locked in the horizontal position.

Regular lower back exercises and abdominal exercises can help reduce back pain.

Hyper Extension

Using a bench designed as above, extend your body over the end of the bench so the front edge of the bench is located at the beginning of your hips.

Bend at the waist so your upper body is vertical with the floor. Place your hands behind your head and inhale as you raise your torso straight up until you are slightly past parallel.

Return to the starting position and exhale.

Twisting Hyper Extention

Using a bench designed as above, extend your body over the end of the bench so the front edge of the bench is located at the beginning of your hips.

Bend at the waist so your upper body is vertical with the floor. Inhale as you raise your torso up but to a right angle, as though doing a side bend as you raise up until you are slightly past parallel. Return to the starting position and exhale.

Do the prescribed number of reps on your right side and then change the direction of the angle to the left side, repeating the same number of reps.

Weighted Hyper Extension

Using a bench designed as above, extend your body over the end of the bench so the front edge of the bench is located at the beginning of your hips.

Bend at the waist so your upper body is vertical with the floor. Place a weight behind your head and inhale as you raise your torso straight up until you are slightly past parallel. Return to the starting position and exhale.

Twisting Weighted Hyper Extention

Using a bench designed as above, extend your body over the end of the bench so the front edge of the bench is located at the beginning of your hips.

Bend at the waist so your upper body is vertical with the floor.

As the name suggests, the twisting weighted hyper extention is a combination of the twisting hyper extention and the weighted hyper extention. Perform the twisting hyper extention holding a weight behind your head.

Alternating Twisting Weighted Hyper Extention

Using a bench designed as above, extend your body over the end of the bench so the front edge of the bench is located at the beginning of your hips.

Bend at the waist so your upper body is vertical with the floor.

The alternating twisting weighted hyper extention is performed as a twisting weighted hyper extention (described above) but the left and right twist are done consecutively to become one rep. So rather than doing the prescribed number of reps on one side then switching to the other, do a left then a right twist as one rep and repeat.

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