Reverse hyperextension
Log this in the trackerA hip extension with the torso fixed, training glutes and hamstrings with a light spine.
What it is
You lie face down with your hips on a pad and swing the legs up behind you against resistance. The back extensors work without carrying a compressive load.
Muscles worked
Primary: Glutes, Hamstrings. Secondary: Spinal erectors.
How to perform it
- Lie face down with your hips at the edge of the pad and hold the handles.
- Let the legs hang with a soft knee, hips fully flexed.
- Raise the legs by squeezing the glutes until the body is in one line.
- Lower under control instead of letting the legs swing back down.
Common form faults
- Swinging so the momentum, not the glutes, lifts the legs. Slow the tempo to two seconds up and two down; drop the load if the swing persists.
- Arching hard past the top to lift higher. Stop at a straight line. Extra height comes from the lower back, which is not the target.
Programming
10 to 20 reps, often as accessory work after heavy pulling, or on a recovery day for blood flow to the low back.
Plan your training
Variations & substitutions
Frequently asked questions
- Is the reverse hyper good for a bad back?
- Many people find it comfortable because the spine is not loaded from above, but nothing replaces a clinician's view on your specific back.
- No machine. What is the closest thing?
- Lie face down on a high bench with your hips at the edge and lift the legs, holding the bench. Same pattern, lighter load.