Machine Reverse Hyperextension

Also known as: Reverse Hyper

StrengthRehabilitation

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Body Part: Glutes

Description

A plate-loaded hip extension done face down on a reverse hyper machine, with your torso on the pad, hips at its edge and ankles between the roller pads of the lever. Starting with your legs hanging down, you raise them nearly straight until they line up with your torso. It works the glutes, hamstrings and lower back.

How to Perform

Load a light plate on the lever, then lie face down on the pad with your hips at its edge and hold the handles.
Place your ankles between the two roller pads, with the rear roller against the back of your lower legs just above your heels.
Let your legs hang straight down with your knees slightly soft and brace your abs.
Exhale, squeeze your glutes and raise your legs back and up, keeping them nearly straight.
Stop when your legs are in line with your torso, with your pelvis still pressed into the pad.
Inhale and lower your legs slowly until they hang straight down again.
After the last rep, let the lever come to rest at the bottom before you take your feet out of the rollers.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Set the crease of your hips right at the edge of the pad, so your legs move freely while your pelvis stays supported.
Pull yourself into the pad with the handles to keep your upper body still.
Start each rep by squeezing your glutes, then drive your lower legs back into the rear roller.
Hold the top for a second with your glutes squeezed.
Use a moderate load for sets of 10 to 15 reps. This is an accessory for the glutes and hamstrings, not a max-effort lift.

Common Mistakes

Swinging the legs up with momentum instead of lifting them with the hips
Raising the legs above the line of the torso and overarching the lower back
Bending the knees on the way up, which turns the lift into a leg curl
Dropping the legs quickly instead of lowering them under control
Cutting the range short instead of letting the legs hang straight down at the bottom
Lifting one leg higher than the other or twisting the hips