Method
- Place your ankles firmly under the footpads of a hyperextension bench as you lay face down on it.
- If you can, adjust the upper pad so that your upper thighs fall level on the wide pad and that you have enough space to bend at the waist without any hindrance.
- Cross your arms in front of you (my choice) or behind your head while keeping your body straight. This will be where you start. Tip: To add more resistance, hold a weight plate in front of you with your arms crossed.
- Begin progressively bending forward at the waist as far as you can while maintaining a flat back. As you make this motion, inhale. Continue forward until you feel a pleasant hamstring stretch and you are unable to continue without rounding your back. Remember to keep your back straight when performing this exercise. Additionally, some people are more capable than others. The most important thing is to extend as far as your body will allow you to without arching your back.
- As you inhale, slowly elevate your torso back to the starting position. Advice: Resist the urge to bend your back past a straight line. Additionally, avoid swinging your torso at any point to avoid harming your back.
- Continue for the specified number of repetitions.
Variations: You can execute this exercise without a hyper extension bench, but you’ll need a spotter.
The stiff-legged dead lift and the good morning are additional exercises that are comparable to this one.