Hyperextension

Set your hips on a 45-degree back extension bench and secure your feet on the footplate. Bring your hands lightly together in front of your chest and start slightly bent with your torso aligned with your legs.

Lift your upper body by extending from your lower back through the rest of your spine. Feel your spinal erectors tighten in sequence, and move so your torso extends as one unit rather than folding through one spot.

Pause briefly when your body forms a straight line, then bend forward slowly. Keep some back tension as you lower and return at a speed you can control.

Focus on the spinal erectors tightening in sequence from your lower back upward. If you feel your back muscles more than your glutes, you are moving in the intended direction.

Throwing your head back or extending past a straight line concentrates stress in your lower back. Bouncing up with momentum lets inertia lift you instead of your back muscles, so slow the movement down.

Inhale as you lower and exhale as you extend your body. Continuing to breathe keeps your torso from bracing all at once and lets each part of your spine move smoothly.

Move your hands from your chest to beside your temples, then behind your head to raise the difficulty gradually. Find a level where you can repeat with the same position and tempo before progressing.