Want a stronger and better looking backside? Then you need to include Reverse Hyperextensions into your training! Here’s what to expect to gain when integrating reverse hypers into your training routine. Some benefits include:

1. Improved Leg Strength

2. Injury Resilience (Lower Back and Hamstrings)

3. Better Hip Extension

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Improved Leg Strength - Glute and Hamstring Development

Glute and hamstring muscle hypertrophy is key for strength, power, and fitness athletes for movements like squats, deadlifts, pulls, running, and nearly every other human movement. When looking to increase muscle hypertrophy of the glutes and hamstrings, coaches and athletes have a wide array of movements to choose from.

Reverse hyperextensions can be a great exercise option when looking to limit additional loading places upon a lifter’s central nervous system, lower back, or hips; as it minimizes spinal loading and may even help decompress the vertebrae in the spine.

Don’t be surprised when your hamstrings, glutes, and perhaps even lower back are sore after a few sets of reverse hypers.

It’s a good accessory lift for strengthening your posterior chain, which carries over into the deadlift, squat, and olympic lifts.

Injury Resilience (Lower Back and Hamstrings)

“It decompresses the spine and has no vertical compression on the spine at all. This machine serves as a rehabilitation mechanism in the eccentric phase. The spine is gently stretched and depressurized during the process, creating--in essence--an internal pumping mechanism, filling the spinal column with spinal fluid and the lower back muscles with blood.” - (www.roguefitness.com)

Strong, muscular, and flexible hamstrings are key to max force production and injury prevention. When looking to build a resilient lower back, one should address any weaknesses or imbalances in glute and hamstring development (in addition to proper hip function and lower back/core stability).

Movements like reverse hypers allow individuals to train the hamstrings and glutes in a similar movement pattern to deadlifts and other pulls from the floor without the added spinal loading/forces. This can be beneficial for those athletes who have lower back issues/flare ups, are recovering from hard training, and/or are looking to maximize lower back health.

Better Hip Extension

Hip extension is key for nearly every athletic endeavor and feat of strength, power, and fitness. The posterior chain is a series of muscles that are responsible for hip extension, with both the glutes and hamstrings being the primary muscle groups (as well as the spinal erectors).

Increasing the strength, speeds, and control throughout wider ranges of motion can enhance performance in squats, deadlifts, and explosive lifts.

How to Program Reverse Hyperextensions

Reverse hyperextensions are often done to increase glute activation, hypertrophy, muscular endurance, and strength.

Powerlifter and Westside Barbell guru Louie Simmons (inventor of the Reverse Hyperextension) suggests that athletes perform higher repetitions (12-20) per set when focusing on “restoration”/muscle growth (size).

If the goal is to increase strength and general hypertrophy, 10-12 repetitions can be done. Loading should be kept around 25-50% of one’s best back squat (lighter weights for higher rep ranges and vice versa).

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