A case for the loaded back extensions (Heisman get in here)

[BeginnerGainz]

Found this study comparing back extensions to RDLs (didn’t bother to mention seated back extensions) since those are my two favorite posterior chain exercises.

http://www.staystrongsc.com/blog/202...ion?format=amp

Looks like I was on to something using loaded hyper extensions! I picked up the idea originally from Pete Rubish and have been using them since last year.

[EiFit91]

Found this study comparing back extensions to RDLs (didn’t bother to mention seated back extensions) since those are my two favorite posterior chain exercises.

http://www.staystrongsc.com/blog/202...ion?format=amp

Looks like I was on to something using loaded hyper extensions! I picked up the idea originally from Pete Rubish and have been using them since last year.

Very interesting. I guess one may make a similar case for reverse hypers? Those cured my lower back pain and I replaced hyperextensions with reverse hypers earlier this year.

[GrouchyUSMC]

Reg Park used to do them as his first exercise for many of his workouts, mostly with a moderate weight to warm himself up for the bigger weights ahead. Park's best squat was over 600 and he benched 500 in street clothes at a 1957 Mr. USA show, with behind the neck presses of 300+ pounds. Strong dude.

[WolfRose7]

I always liked them with a barbell on a ghr

[jaxqen]

Why are they comparing it with RDL and not with SLDL?

[Camarija]

45 degree hypers are great! Rounded back with strict hamstring focus, very nice!
I use them while I'm rehabbing my lower back or hamstrings (so for the past 10 weeks or so).

BUTTTTT

Nothing messes up my hamstrings like strict hamstring focused romanians.
Instead of letting the lower back take over (especially transitioning from the hole to contraction), just keeping the tension on the hammies. It's pretty radical. Going back to RDLs in a couple of weeks, but probably keeping 45 degree hypers in for one of my lower days.

[Heisman2]

I am actually a big fan of hyperextensions and even advocate doing them as a compound movement for the erector spinae/glutes/hamstrings on my website. You can purposefully do them with a rounded upper back and focus on driving through with the hips to make it focus more on hip extension. I recall Alec Enkiri had a video on this as well.

Regarding the comparison to Romanians, this is a good example of strength curves making a difference as well as the torque at the top of the movement where there is more resistance on hip extension with the hyperextension than the Romanian deadlift (due to the pull of gravity being parallel with the muscles at the top in the latter movement).

[BeginnerGainz]

Why are they comparing it with RDL and not with SLDL?

Not sure but if you look at the picture of the person performing it, she looks like she is doing more of a stiff leg deadlift anyway.

Very interesting. I guess one may make a similar case for reverse hypers? Those cured my lower back pain and I replaced hyperextensions with reverse hypers earlier this year.

Never used a reverse hyper, so can’t speak to that. I do know they are supposedly good for spinal decompression.

I always liked them with a barbell on a ghr

Me too!

Reg Park used to do them as his first exercise for many of his workouts, mostly with a moderate weight to warm himself up for the bigger weights ahead. Park's best squat was over 600 and he benched 500 in street clothes at a 1957 Mr. USA show, with behind the neck presses of 300+ pounds. Strong dude.

A good point!

[EiFit91]

Never used a reverse hyper, so can’t speak to that. I do know they are supposedly good for spinal decompression.

They are amazing IMO. Here’s a study comparing hyperextensions to the reverse hyper:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30946266/

[supramax]

They are amazing IMO. Here’s a study comparing hyperextensions to the reverse hyper:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30946266/

I do both after Farmers' Walks.

[GeneralSerpant]

Wonder what they think about deadlifting with locked out legs.

[BeginnerGainz]

Wonder what they think about deadlifting with locked out legs.

Straight legged deadlifts are already a thing. You just don’t see them outside pics of golden era bodybuilders anymore.

[EliKoehn]

Straight legged deadlifts are already a thing. You just don’t see them outside pics of golden era bodybuilders anymore.

And ironically in common criticism that people don't engage their hips enough while deadlifting conventionally.

[BeginnerGainz]

And ironically in common criticism that people don't engage their hips enough while deadlifting conventionally.

You see that in people where there hips rise too fast, usually before the bar even breaks the ground.

[BeginnerGainz]

They are amazing IMO. Here’s a study comparing hyperextensions to the reverse hyper:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30946266/

Sweet thank you. That was a cool study.

Maybe I can convince the owner to get a reverse hyper, maybe get rid of that stupid hammer strength ground hammer thing that barely anyone touches….

[EiFit91]

Sweet thank you. That was a cool study.

Maybe I can convince the owner to get a reverse hyper, maybe get rid of that stupid hammer strength ground hammer thing that barely anyone touches….

You can do them on a bench or some other elevated surface. I do that and never used a machine. I initially started loading them by holding a dumbbell between my feet but lately I started changing the leverage instead (moving slightly further back so that I have less support).

[BeginnerGainz]

You can do them on a bench or some other elevated surface. I do that and never used a machine. I initially started loading them by holding a dumbbell between my feet but lately I started changing the leverage instead (moving slightly further back so that I have less support).

Love it. Love the Ingenuity.

[supramax]

You can do them on a bench or some other elevated surface. I do that and never used a machine. I initially started loading them by holding a dumbbell between my feet but lately I started changing the leverage instead (moving slightly further back so that I have less support).

I do my reverse hypers on the same Roman Chair that I do my standard hypers. The hands go where the feet went.

[EiFit91]

I do my reverse hypers on the same Roman Chair that I do my standard hypers. The hands go where the feet went.

I don’t have a roman chair so for standard hypers I mostly did «wife sit on me for support hyperextensions» lol

[MyEgoProblem]

Classic example of
Deep stretch - at long muscle length
vs
contraction - at short muscle length

Both are useful!

I actually really like the 45' barbell raise, ala Pete rubish Took this well over 4 plates for sets... Super easy to get heavy so I started gripping it wide as hell to increase rom and get an upper back feeling I liked.

I also really like a deep good morning and rdl! Taken them over 3pps and 5pps respectively for sets too.

The only hinges I dont really get on with are hip Thrusts/bridges.. I can't get under the bar without it being on blocks cos my ass n quads is big and my pelvis(skeleton) is too thiccc... Lol. I took Davis up on a 6pps challenge years ago and smashed it for 10reps as a never bothered again.

My usual answer of, don't take anything off the table unless it hurts you and rotate similar stuff holds true here 😉

[BeginnerGainz]

Classic example of
Deep stretch - at long muscle length
vs
contraction - at short muscle length

Both are useful!

I actually really like the 45' barbell raise, ala Pete rubish Took this well over 4 plates for sets... Super easy to get heavy so I started gripping it wide as hell to increase rom and get an upper back feeling I liked.

I also really like a deep good morning and rdl! Taken them over 3pps and 5pps respectively for sets too.

The only hinges I dont really get on with are hip Thrusts/bridges.. I can't get under the bar without it being on blocks cos my ass n quads is big and my pelvis(skeleton) is too thiccc... Lol. I took Davis up on a 6pps challenge years ago and smashed it for 10reps as a never bothered again.

My usual answer of, don't take anything off the table unless it hurts you and rotate similar stuff holds true here 😉

I mainly relegate bridges as part of my warm ups now. Just a set to fatigue with bodyweight to get the glutes nice and warmed up. Never liked them as a main lift because I find them hard to get under as well. Maybe if I was built like Bret Contreras? Lol.

Apparently there are some plate loaded machines that alleviate the problem of trying to wedge under a barbell on the ground but I’ve never seen one in person.

[George2100]

Thanks, I might try to replace RDL’s with hyperextentions. RDLs bother my SIJ and I already do 4-5 other hamstring movements

[Heisman2]

Apparently there are some plate loaded machines that alleviate the problem of trying to wedge under a barbell on the ground but I’ve never seen one in person.

I previously went to a gym that had one and it was really nice. It was this one: https://www.ironcompany.com/nautilus...thrust-machine Worked really well and I liked the movement a lot. However, I don't do them anymore as the set-up is too laborious with a barbell for my tastes.

[BeginnerGainz]

I previously went to a gym that had one and it was really nice. It was this one: https://www.ironcompany.com/nautilus...thrust-machine Worked really well and I liked the movement a lot. However, I don't do them anymore as the set-up is too laborious with a barbell for my tastes.

Yep that is the one

[supramax]

Thanks, I might try to replace RDL’s with hyperextentions. RDLs bother my SIJ and I already do 4-5 other hamstring movements

When I hit 120 lbs with my kettlebell swings, the RDLs became redundant. That's another option for you. There are only a small handfull of exercises that can match the overall benefit of kettlebell swings.

[VTLifts]

Classic example of
Deep stretch - at long muscle length
vs
contraction - at short muscle length

Both are useful!

I actually really like the 45' barbell raise, ala Pete rubish Took this well over 4 plates for sets... Super easy to get heavy so I started gripping it wide as hell to increase rom and get an upper back feeling I liked.

I also really like a deep good morning and rdl! Taken them over 3pps and 5pps respectively for sets too.

The only hinges I dont really get on with are hip Thrusts/bridges.. I can't get under the bar without it being on blocks cos my ass n quads is big and my pelvis(skeleton) is too thiccc... Lol. I took Davis up on a 6pps challenge years ago and smashed it for 10reps as a never bothered again.

My usual answer of, don't take anything off the table unless it hurts you and rotate similar stuff holds true here 😉

These seems very interesting, especially with a wide grip.

Pete Rubish came out years later and said he would not recommend doing them heavy like he did before as he thinks it likely contributed to his low back injury. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aS0zMN3Fo8 FWIW he says if you're using 2 plates you're probably doing it wrong.

[GeneralSerpant]

Straight legged deadlifts are already a thing. You just don’t see them outside pics of golden era bodybuilders anymore.

Oh. Well for a while there Google didn't know the difference between stiff leg and straight leg and I thought that it was being cancelled or something for being bad for beginners.

[MyEgoProblem]

These seems very interesting, especially with a wide grip.

Pete Rubish came out years later and said he would not recommend doing them heavy like he did before as he thinks it likely contributed to his low back injury. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aS0zMN3Fo8 FWIW he says if you're using 2 plates you're probably doing it wrong.

Honestly...
I dont think that is what hurt him. Medical thinking seems injury data dont support this.

His immense gear use and genetics to be insanely strong and do huge workloads are 99.9% likely the issue.

But he is 100% welcome to his programming opinions!

All they did to me was thicken my erectors, toughen up my connective tissue (Including lumbar area) me put mass on my ass n hams.. Much less stressful than another floor pull in my week