spesmilitis
Master Don Juan
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2006
- Messages
- 1,511
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- 6
This exercise has done wonders for me. It helped build explosive strength I can feel in my BJJ practices (escaping the mount, sidemount, halfguard, any bottom position), and it helps me build upon my squats and deads.
I was wondering, if its so successful, why aren't they recommended as much as other exercises. The answer to that question is when I looked up this exercise on the Internet http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/WtHyperextension.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Hyperextensions+(Back+Extensions)
They leave on the most important step: Thrust your hips forwards before you go up .The hyperextensions they are doing on those sites work the back/hams/glutes completely differently than the way I do it. In fact, I can not find a single Internet explanation that stresses thrusting your hips forward before you come up.
Here are the complete instructions to do hyperextensions my way
1. On the foot rest, you should be on the balls/toes of you feet, heels off the foot rest.
2. Maintain the neutral arch, same one as squats and deadlifts.
3. You should be holding a barbell (if you gym has one of those mini-barbells, use those). Grip should be over/under, like a deadlift.
4. Your arms should not be straight, it is very hard to maintain the neutral arch this way. Your elbows should be bent, weight kept close to your abdomen, and your shoulders should be back/chest out.
5. Your back should be completely straight. Straighten every vertebrate in your spin. When you go low, you should only bend at the hips. This will limit how low you can go, don't be surprised if you can't go that low, that's normal.
6. Coming up (most unique part of how I do these). Before you come up, Thrust your hips forward as much as possible, really dig your hips into the padding. Next look up (raise your head up), raise your shoulders even higher if possible. Now come up. Remember you heels should be off the foot rest throughout this exercise.
7. This should be doing very fluidly and explosively. Use the momentum generated from your hip thrusting and bringing your head up to help drive yourself up.
8. Like the squat, this is done best at high reps. I would say at least 12, at the most 20.
9. Since it is very easy to maintain the neutral arch in this exercise, I say it would be safe to max out.
I don't like the version shown on all the internet sites I found. I used to do em that way (I developed my own way through trial and error), and I would always use the same 45 lbs plate do my 10-15 repper, never improving upon this exercise. This exercise would always make my lower back feel tense and annoying.
By thrusting your hips forwards before coming back, the majority of the tension is in the hams and glutes. As far as I know the mechanics of this exercise is very similar to stiff-legged deadlift. In my opinion, this is better because in the stiff-legged dl, a lot of energy is spent keeping good form, esp the neutral back arch.
The last benefit I can thing off off the top of my head is that you can lift heavy with this exercise. Right now I'm at 20 reps of 100 pounds.
I mentioned this develops very good functional strength for grappling. As you can tell from the mechanics of this exercise, it will also develop function strength when you're 'grappling' with your girlfriend.
I call this, this the 'Santosh hyperextension'.
I was wondering, if its so successful, why aren't they recommended as much as other exercises. The answer to that question is when I looked up this exercise on the Internet http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/WtHyperextension.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Hyperextensions+(Back+Extensions)
They leave on the most important step: Thrust your hips forwards before you go up .The hyperextensions they are doing on those sites work the back/hams/glutes completely differently than the way I do it. In fact, I can not find a single Internet explanation that stresses thrusting your hips forward before you come up.
Here are the complete instructions to do hyperextensions my way
1. On the foot rest, you should be on the balls/toes of you feet, heels off the foot rest.
2. Maintain the neutral arch, same one as squats and deadlifts.
3. You should be holding a barbell (if you gym has one of those mini-barbells, use those). Grip should be over/under, like a deadlift.
4. Your arms should not be straight, it is very hard to maintain the neutral arch this way. Your elbows should be bent, weight kept close to your abdomen, and your shoulders should be back/chest out.
5. Your back should be completely straight. Straighten every vertebrate in your spin. When you go low, you should only bend at the hips. This will limit how low you can go, don't be surprised if you can't go that low, that's normal.
6. Coming up (most unique part of how I do these). Before you come up, Thrust your hips forward as much as possible, really dig your hips into the padding. Next look up (raise your head up), raise your shoulders even higher if possible. Now come up. Remember you heels should be off the foot rest throughout this exercise.
7. This should be doing very fluidly and explosively. Use the momentum generated from your hip thrusting and bringing your head up to help drive yourself up.
8. Like the squat, this is done best at high reps. I would say at least 12, at the most 20.
9. Since it is very easy to maintain the neutral arch in this exercise, I say it would be safe to max out.
I don't like the version shown on all the internet sites I found. I used to do em that way (I developed my own way through trial and error), and I would always use the same 45 lbs plate do my 10-15 repper, never improving upon this exercise. This exercise would always make my lower back feel tense and annoying.
By thrusting your hips forwards before coming back, the majority of the tension is in the hams and glutes. As far as I know the mechanics of this exercise is very similar to stiff-legged deadlift. In my opinion, this is better because in the stiff-legged dl, a lot of energy is spent keeping good form, esp the neutral back arch.
The last benefit I can thing off off the top of my head is that you can lift heavy with this exercise. Right now I'm at 20 reps of 100 pounds.
I mentioned this develops very good functional strength for grappling. As you can tell from the mechanics of this exercise, it will also develop function strength when you're 'grappling' with your girlfriend.
I call this, this the 'Santosh hyperextension'.
