Dumbbell Hyperextension

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Adjust the thigh pad of the hyperextension bench so the top edge sits just below your hip crease, allowing for a full range of motion at the pelvis.
2. Secure your feet firmly against the footplates and lock your ankles under the padded rollers.
3. Hold a dumbbell against your chest with both hands, crossing your arms over it to keep it secure.
4. Start with your body in a straight line from your head to your heels, engaging your core and glutes.

How to do it

1. Inhale and slowly hinge forward at the hips, lowering your torso toward the floor while maintaining a perfectly flat back.
2. Continue the descent until you feel a significant stretch in your hamstrings or until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor.
3. Exhale and drive your hips into the pad, using your glutes and hamstrings to pull your torso back up to the starting position.
4. Return to the neutral 'straight line' position at the top, avoiding the urge to arch your lower back past the point of alignment.

Form checklist

• Keep your chin tucked slightly to maintain a neutral spine from neck to tailbone.
• Ensure the hinge occurs at the hips rather than rounding through the lumbar spine.
• Maintain a slight, soft bend in the knees throughout the entire movement.
• Keep the dumbbell tight against your sternum to prevent it from shifting your center of gravity forward.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'pushing' your hips into the pad to initiate the upward phase, which helps prioritize glute recruitment over lower back strain.
• Imagine pulling your shoulder blades back and down to keep the upper back rigid and prevent the weight from pulling you into a rounded posture.

Make it harder

• Hold the dumbbell at arm's length toward the floor to increase the lever arm and demand on the spinal erectors.
• Incorporate a 3-second eccentric (lowering) phase followed by a 2-second pause at the top of the movement.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the dumbbell hyperextension work?

The dumbbell hyperextension primarily targets the erector spinae, glutes, and hamstrings, and also works the abs and obliques as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the dumbbell hyperextension?

The dumbbell hyperextension uses dumbbell.

Is the dumbbell hyperextension good for beginners?

The dumbbell hyperextension is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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