What muscles do back extensions work?

The lower back and glutes, with the hamstrings helping to straighten the hips and the upper back holding your posture.

Are back extensions good for lower back pain?

Many people with a healthy back use them to keep it strong. If you have back pain, ask a physiotherapist or doctor which exercises suit you before you start.

Are hyperextensions and back extensions the same?

Yes, they are two names for the same exercise. Despite the name, you shouldn’t “hyperextend”: stop when your body is straight.

Back Extension: Muscles Worked and How to Do It

Back extension: muscles worked and how to do it

The back extension trains your lower back and glutes, with your hamstrings helping to straighten your hips and your upper back holding your posture.

You lie face down on a back extension bench (often called a hyperextension bench) with your hips on the pad and your ankles locked in, lower your upper body towards the floor, and raise it again until your body is straight. It is a simple way to strengthen the back of your body with little load on the spine.

At a glance

Main muscles: Lower back
Glutes
Also works: Hamstrings
Upper back
Movement: Hip hinge (deadlift family)
Equipment: Back extension bench
Type: Isolation (one joint)

Front

Back

How to do a back extension

Set the pad so its top edge sits just below the crease of your hips, so you can bend freely at the hips.
Lock your ankles under the foot pads and lie with your body straight, arms crossed over your chest or hands lightly behind your head.
Lower your upper body towards the floor by bending at the hips, as far as you can with control.
Raise your upper body back up by squeezing your glutes and lower back, until your body forms a straight line.
Stop at straight. Don’t lean back beyond it.

Cues that help

"Hinge at the hips": the movement happens at the hip crease, over the edge of the pad.
"Stop at a straight line": lifting higher only bends your lower back backwards.
"Squeeze your glutes to come up": they should start the lift, not your neck.
"Slow both ways": control the lowering and the lift.

Common mistakes

The pad set too high, across your stomach, so you can’t bend at the hips and your lower back folds instead.
Arching hard at the top, past a straight line.
Throwing yourself up with momentum.
Craning the neck to look forward. Keep your head in line with your body.

More glutes or more lower back?

Keeping your back straight and moving only at the hips, with your feet turned out slightly and a hard glute squeeze, puts more of the work on your glutes and hamstrings. Letting your back round slightly at the bottom and straighten as you rise puts more on your lower back muscles. Both are valid: choose one per set and do it on purpose.

Sets, reps and weight

For strength and muscle: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Rest 1 to 2 minutes between sets.
Once body weight is easy, hold a plate against your chest or a dumbbell under your chin.
It fits well at the end of a leg or back session, or as a warm-up before deadlifts.

Variations and alternatives

Horizontal back extension (glute-ham bench): a longer range, harder at the top.
Reverse hyperextension: the legs move instead of the upper body.
Romanian deadlift: the same hip hinge standing, with a barbell.
Glute bridge or hip thrust: the glutes without the lower back.

Tracking your back extensions

PushBeyond logs the reps of each set, and any added weight, and charts the history of the exercise. Its muscle map counts the back extension for your lower back and glutes, with your hamstrings and upper back as helpers.