Back Extension
Move · Resistance Training · Movement, Typed Supps
Where the pad sits on your hips decides whether this is a lower-back exercise or a glute exercise.
Stage by stage
- Set-up (Pad below the hip bones): Pad height decides the axis: below the hip bones the pelvis rotates freely and the movement is a hinge.
- During the set (Hip extensors drive, erectors hold): Glutes and hamstrings extend the hips while the spinal erectors work isometrically to keep the back neutral.
- Immediately after (Peak load when horizontal): The hardest point is where the torso is horizontal, because that is where the moment arm from the hips is longest.
- Weeks later (Trunk endurance improves): Extensor endurance improves first and shows up as less fatigue late in sets of heavier hinge lifts.
Muscles trained
- Primary: lower back, glutes
- Secondary: hamstrings
Intensity
3.5 METs (Calisthenics, light or moderate effort, general (e.g., back exercises), going up & down from floor (Taylor Code 150)).
Time to effect
- Weeks: Lower-back endurance and control of the hip-hinge pattern improve, which often reduces fatigue during heavier hinge lifts.
- Months: Genuine strength gains build in the erector spinae, glutes, and hamstrings, adding a layer of support under bigger lifts like the deadlift.
Related supplements
Common myth
"Back extensions are dangerous for the spine." In reality: Done through a controlled range with a slight hip hinge, the movement is driven mainly by the glutes and hamstrings, with the lower back working isometrically to hold position. The real risk comes from rounding the lumbar spine at the bottom and yanking back up — not from the exercise as designed.
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