Exercise Guide

Glute-Focused Back Extension

A back extension performed with a rounded upper back and tucked pelvis so the glutes, not the spinal erectors, do the extending.

BeginnerStrengthPullCompound
Form
Glute-Focused Back Extension - Start position
Start
Glute-Focused Back Extension - Mid position
Mid
Glute-Focused Back Extension - End position
End

Illustrations by Bryl Lim for Workout Guide, after Everkinetic. Used unchanged under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Details

Primary Muscle

Glutes

Equipment

Machine

Difficulty

Beginner

Category

Strength

Force

Pull

Mechanic

Compound

Secondary Muscles

HamstringsLower Back
How to Perform
  1. 1

    Set the pad of a 45-degree back extension slightly lower than usual, below your hip bones.

  2. 2

    Round your upper back, tuck your chin, and turn your toes out.

  3. 3

    Hinge down until you feel a stretch in your glutes and hamstrings.

  4. 4

    Drive back up by squeezing your glutes, stopping when your body is in line - do not overextend.

Tips
  • ★The rounded back is deliberate here, and it is what separates this from a normal back extension.
  • ★Stop at the top rather than arching past straight; hyperextending puts the load back on the spine.
Explore by Muscle
GlutesHamstringsLower Back