Machine Back Extension

How to do it

1. Sit in the back-extension machine with both feet planted on the footplate.
2. Set the roller pad across the upper back below the shoulder blades and take the handles.
3. Start with a slight forward lean, hips heavy on the seat and ribs stacked.
4. Press backward into the pad by extending the spine until the torso is upright or just past.
5. Pause without cranking into a hard hyperextension at the top.
6. Return forward under control and repeat without bouncing the stack.

Common mistakes

• Hyperextending the lumbar spine at the top instead of stopping near a tall torso.
• Using a hip thrust or a yank on the handles to move the stack.
• Letting the feet float so the hips slide and the erectors lose the load.
• Rushing the return and letting the plates slam the stack.