Completely agree with your explanation here. Without much tension at the bottom of the movement on the flat hyperextension, it removes one of the most important components of the exercise (tension on the muscles when in the stretched position) while making it much harder at the top of the movement. The 45 degree version is just much safer & more effective in my opinion. Loved the visual aides in this one, & very thoroughly explained. 💪
The 45 hyper is becoming one of my favorite purchases. It was well worth the price. You can’t put a price on having a healthy back. Thanks for the content
Highbar 45° back extensions are THE best hip hinge SFR wise with zero learning curve. The strength curve is superior to 90°. Bald Omni Man recommended the 90 degree version to me but I disagree, that stretch at the bottom of the 45° is unmatched by 90°
See arguments of Bret Contreras. Variety is king. Use standing hip extensions (I.E RDLs) for stretch and muscle damage; use horizontal hip extensions for muscle tension; use 45-degree hip extensions for metabolic stress. For accessories: Add a bent knee hip extension (I.E hip thrust) and a hip abduction exercise for the glutes and some leg curl variation for the hamstrings.
I’m so glad I bought one of these. Anytime my back is jacked up I’ll do a few super slow and controlled sets of 20, using my quads and hip flexors to pull my hamstrings under the biggest stretch possible at the bottom and pause at the top with a full glute squeeze. The lack of joint stress for the stimulus I get is just unbelievable.
It makes a lot of sense here, I can see the similarities with respect to performing a conventional deadlift, where weak hamstrings will make the mid point of that exercise, to be around midway which is the bar placed around the knee area. Great analysis
I think it's not just about the levers. You mustn't forget inertia. In the bottom position the when deceleration/acceleration is high, so is the inertial load (F=m*a). This will offset the bad leverage. I think this is good news because it makes exercises like 90 extension or rowing very effective if we try to deccelearte and accelerate hard! It's the beauty of inertial resistance! Strength curves can and should be manipuated with inertia!
I also find the 45° much better for hamstrings, but I still prefer the 90° for glutes, lumbars and upper back which is why I do both and I wouldn't do 45° only if I have access to a 90°.
I'm a new subscriber. Just subscribed today. Wondering if u could demonstrate how to safely load the bar on your back upon set up of performing the 45 degree exercise and how to exit safely. Please.
Long length partials have been shown to be some of the most effective range of motion for hypertrophy, so the flat version would have the least resistance during this critical phase of the movement = worse tool for the job. This shows that 45 degree is better just based off this understanding
I think, if I could only have one apparatus (besides well, a power rack), I'd go with the 45° hyperextension apparatus. Probably my favorite accessory exercise for the posterior chain.
Thank you for your content. I know you are not a product promo guy, but would you please tell me the brand of your 45 degree back extension bench? And, please detail the foot anchor set up. I think that detailing the foot anchoring set up (looks like wood, straps, etc )would really help me and others who want to learn and master this very valuable hip hinge move. Thanks for great content!
I'm gonna try it out. I've been doing the flat extensions. And I've been running into a problem. I feel my glutes activating like crazy, but feel almost nothing in my low back. I can feel a little in my low back when I lock out and focus on tensing my low back, but I still feel my glutes much more. Is this normal? Is there a better exercise to isolate the muscles in the low back?
How would you program the 45° extensions and Nordic curls in the same workout. If you would even do that. Also love content Alec. You’re the reason I bought a 45° extension machine. I use it almost daily.
I actually do exactly that. 3 sets of back extensions and 3 sets of Nordics. Hamstrings don't need much volume so 3 sets of knee flexion and hinge like that is a march made in heaven. I keep the reps for both in the 6-10 rep range as the lower back can quickly fatigue. A 15 rep set of back extensions gives a dreadful lower back pump (in a good way) but doesn't smash my hams like 3x6-10. Same with nordics. DOMs next day goes hard but both are progressing nicely for me.
I tried the 90 degress of the GHR with the barbell after seing Klokov and a few doing them holy fuck best exercise i have done in a while, hamstrings and lowerr back and upper back were raging with pain, had to lie down after doing them lol. Gym doesnt have the 945 degress set up machine thing and couldnt be bothered doing self setup like yours. Think both are one of the most underatted exercises to increase both squat and dead and overall strength and mass. Did have a 45 degress setup in my last gym and was an exercise i done a lot and made me strong as fuck
I have god awful thoracic mobility, literally can’t adduct my shoulders to get a bar on my back comfortably. So I do mine with a barbell held out in front of me with small plates and using a snatch grip.
Heyo Alec, you've probably heard of this question a billion times already but lets say I find it a bit too complicated to learn Olympic lifts because of the technique required to execute the exercise but would really want to get to gain the benefits of it. Do you have alternative exercises to supplement it while I am taking my time learning the movement or better yet replace it?
Love your content man I have a question I've been experiencing some lower back pain when performing the RDL probably because the nature of my job combination with training could I drop the RDL for the back raise to rehab my lower back for a little while are completely dropped the RDL for the back raise?
You can, sure. But if it were me I would try to figure out how to make it where RDLs performed at a reasonable volume/intensity don't hurt my lower back.
ROM is shorter when the bar is in front of you. Bar on back also intensifies the muscular engagement. Try it and you'll see. It's harder, but it's a massive upgrade to the movement, imo.
@@EnkiriElite thanks. Yeah I've been holding bar in front as its easier to set up but been looking to change it up. Even now 3 sets and I'm sore for days so can't imagine what this method will do 😬
Do you have any cues to feel the glutes/hams more besides turning the feet out slightly? Even if I make sure the pad comes below my pelvis I still feel mostly low back when doing these
I have a 45 back ext and a reverse hyper. I can't figure out how to program DL, RDL, SLDL ,45 ext, reverse hyper, KB swings, and hip thrust. there's just so many exercises for the posterior
I will say I like the flat hyperextension for doing isometric holds at the top position, I usually do 10-15 reps and then try to hold at the top for 45-60 seconds. Back pump is always insane.
Primarily so as to not impede the range of motion. I want to be able to move fully through the hamstrings without the weigut hitting the floor. But it also seems to increase the intensity of the muscular engagement
@@EnkiriElite I had a feeling that would be the response 😅 It's been about 2 months since I've replaced RDLs with 45°s and I don't see myself going back anytime soon hahaha
I focus on squeezing the glutes yo punch through to the top. But when you do the barbell on back version (like I'm showing here on the 45 degree machine) the electors syart to get pretty involved in that last 1 or 2 thirds of the movement. Especially as fatigue sets in.!
Out of laziness I've just been power cleaning the bar, taking one hand off of it so I can't set myself on the Hyperextension bench, then putting my hand back on and doing the set. Little bit dangerous doing that though
@@EnkiriElite agreed, I can get in backwards and do bodyweight reverse hypers too (or weighted with ankle weights). My back is finally feeling stronger and healthier every week. Thank you!
Wish I could perform weighted hyper extensions without fking my knees up because I love the pump in the hammies, glutes, and lumbar region. Great exercise, but I’m not sure why it hurts my knees after a few tough sessions.
Perhaps you need to start with less weight and less volume, and build up slowly from there as the tendons in the back of the knee become conditioned to this sort of intense stress.
Does this always happen regardless of the machine? Because it could just be a shitty machine with crap padding or the positioning of the padding could be off for you
Solid points brought up by both of you. To answer the second question, it might be the design of the machine or that my connective tissues are weak as Enkiri eluded to.
I have easier access to the 45, and as you say they are quite different in the sense that the 45 has a MUCH stronger hamstring stretch at the bottom and a proportionally lesser feeling of complete hamstring contraction at the top than the 90. But the feeling of impeded hip extension from all the blood accumulated after a hard set is one of the most gratifying sensations I experienced at the gym!
Lift your torso by pushing your hips into the pads and relax your upper back, without weights. Once you get the mind muscle connection add some weights if needed. Kinda late but I hope this helps someone someday ☺️
What about doing this movement with the bar in front of you in your hands instead of resting on your back? I've been experimenting with doing these w/ heavy weights but can't get them on my back because my gym doesnt allow for that kind of setup.
I prefer bear hugging a dumbbell in that case, or I have also used an EZ curl bar held in an isometric row position. I do not advocate holding the bar in front of you at arms length because it impedes the range of motion too much and detracts from the movement. Bar on back instead of in front increases the intensity of the muscular engagement, so I typically recommend doing it that way when you can. But you gotta make do with what's available to you!
My problem with the 45 degree hyperextension is that I feel like my legs will snap in half any second, but I guess I'll have to adjust the bench a bit. Also, how do you get to that setup? Do you have the bar in the rack and you take it from there or what?
If only people understood basic biomechanics along with the simple knowledge that a muscle is strongest at 1/2 the ROM of the joint, they could easily apply this logic to every exercise.
These fuck up the back of my knees. 😥 Can't ever get anything out of these before my knees hurt, be it for reps or heavy can't ever get muscles to feel it before joint gets pissed off. No foot position has made a difference.
Me, a 90 Degree Back Extension Enjoyer: You got a point
Haha give it a shot man!
Completely agree with your explanation here. Without much tension at the bottom of the movement on the flat hyperextension, it removes one of the most important components of the exercise (tension on the muscles when in the stretched position) while making it much harder at the top of the movement. The 45 degree version is just much safer & more effective in my opinion.
Loved the visual aides in this one, & very thoroughly explained. 💪
The 45 hyper is becoming one of my favorite purchases. It was well worth the price. You can’t put a price on having a healthy back. Thanks for the content
I love this exercise man! My favorite hinge movement of all time.
Highbar 45° back extensions are THE best hip hinge SFR wise with zero learning curve. The strength curve is superior to 90°. Bald Omni Man recommended the 90 degree version to me but I disagree, that stretch at the bottom of the 45° is unmatched by 90°
Agreed brother. I also believe the barbell loaded 45 degree hyper is the best hinge in existence 🤝
Same. I side with Enkiri and Geoffrey Verity Schofield on this one.
1 reverse hyper
2 hip thrust
3 45 degree back extension
@@EnkiriElite how does the good morning compare?
Try doing them with over a 100kgs and they start to become more of a safety risk and liability very quickly but sure
45° has grown to be one of my favorite leg/lowback exercise
See arguments of Bret Contreras. Variety is king. Use standing hip extensions (I.E RDLs) for stretch and muscle damage; use horizontal hip extensions for muscle tension; use 45-degree hip extensions for metabolic stress.
For accessories: Add a bent knee hip extension (I.E hip thrust) and a hip abduction exercise for the glutes and some leg curl variation for the hamstrings.
Thank you! This information is just what I was looking for and you explained it very well. I’m glad I found your channel.
I hope it helps ya man
I’m so glad I bought one of these. Anytime my back is jacked up I’ll do a few super slow and controlled sets of 20, using my quads and hip flexors to pull my hamstrings under the biggest stretch possible at the bottom and pause at the top with a full glute squeeze. The lack of joint stress for the stimulus I get is just unbelievable.
nice breakdown, more of these!
Thanks!
Love the free body diagramming man!
Thanks for showing how good those roman chairs are, man.
It makes a lot of sense here, I can see the similarities with respect to performing a conventional deadlift, where weak hamstrings will make the mid point of that exercise, to be around midway which is the bar placed around the knee area. Great analysis
Upperback lookin jacked on those 90degree hypers Alec 💪🏽
I think it's not just about the levers. You mustn't forget inertia. In the bottom position the when deceleration/acceleration is high, so is the inertial load (F=m*a). This will offset the bad leverage.
I think this is good news because it makes exercises like 90 extension or rowing very effective if we try to deccelearte and accelerate hard! It's the beauty of inertial resistance!
Strength curves can and should be manipuated with inertia!
Thanks for the explanation, I always felt like the 45° works the muscles harder. I also have never seen much carryover from the flat one.
I also find the 45° much better for hamstrings, but I still prefer the 90° for glutes, lumbars and upper back which is why I do both and I wouldn't do 45° only if I have access to a 90°.
great content alec, this is the kind of question I always ask myself but can't seen to get the answer unless I go deep into some rabbit hole
Hope it helps ya man!
Thank you, this is very helpful.
I was the guy wondering about this last week haha thanks
Hope it helps ya!
Damn, that is a lot of added load on those extensions. If this were a competitive lift, you’d be close to the podium.
Love this kind of video
This makes so much sense, I feel foolish for never have noticing it before. Damn!
Love the 45* variation for reps. V good posterior chain volume
Nice video thank you
I'm a new subscriber. Just subscribed today. Wondering if u could demonstrate how to safely load the bar on your back upon set up of performing the 45 degree exercise and how to exit safely. Please.
Long length partials have been shown to be some of the most effective range of motion for hypertrophy, so the flat version would have the least resistance during this critical phase of the movement = worse tool for the job. This shows that 45 degree is better just based off this understanding
Now do a video giving your opinion on high bar, zercher, and bench press grip on the 45°. Also how you set up for the high bar one.
I think, if I could only have one apparatus (besides well, a power rack), I'd go with the 45° hyperextension apparatus. Probably my favorite accessory exercise for the posterior chain.
It is my all time favorite posterior chain movement for sure man!
I only have access to to a flat surface for this motion. Should I still do it or should I replace it with a good morning or rdl?
Sending the "I read the description" algo 🤓 will tune in later - Happy Wednesday man!👍
Ayyy 'preciate ya bro!
Thank you for your content. I know you are not a product promo guy, but would you please tell me the brand of your 45 degree back extension bench? And, please detail the foot anchor set up. I think that detailing the foot anchoring set up (looks like wood, straps, etc )would really help me and others who want to learn and master this very valuable hip hinge move. Thanks for great content!
Good video and explanation
Thank you!
I'm gonna try it out. I've been doing the flat extensions. And I've been running into a problem. I feel my glutes activating like crazy, but feel almost nothing in my low back. I can feel a little in my low back when I lock out and focus on tensing my low back, but I still feel my glutes much more. Is this normal? Is there a better exercise to isolate the muscles in the low back?
How would you program the 45° extensions and Nordic curls in the same workout. If you would even do that.
Also love content Alec. You’re the reason I bought a 45° extension machine. I use it almost daily.
I actually do exactly that. 3 sets of back extensions and 3 sets of Nordics. Hamstrings don't need much volume so 3 sets of knee flexion and hinge like that is a march made in heaven.
I keep the reps for both in the 6-10 rep range as the lower back can quickly fatigue. A 15 rep set of back extensions gives a dreadful lower back pump (in a good way) but doesn't smash my hams like 3x6-10.
Same with nordics. DOMs next day goes hard but both are progressing nicely for me.
@@its_james_fitness sounds simple and effective. Thanks
What works hamstrings better, goodmornings or 45 degree hyper?
This is great info!
Hey bro ! Have you tried 45° Hyperextension using a snatch grip ?
You can actually kill 2 birds with 1 stone anihilating your rear delts too
do you think a higher angle would be better? something like a 67.5 degree hyperextension?
How many days a week do you perform this exercise?
This video is gold
I tried the 90 degress of the GHR with the barbell after seing Klokov and a few doing them holy fuck best exercise i have done in a while, hamstrings and lowerr back and upper back were raging with pain, had to lie down after doing them lol. Gym doesnt have the 945 degress set up machine thing and couldnt be bothered doing self setup like yours. Think both are one of the most underatted exercises to increase both squat and dead and overall strength and mass. Did have a 45 degress setup in my last gym and was an exercise i done a lot and made me strong as fuck
I have been doing the 45 degree hypers unilaterally :)
Also doing them 1 leg down and 2 legs up to overload the eccentric
I have god awful thoracic mobility, literally can’t adduct my shoulders to get a bar on my back comfortably.
So I do mine with a barbell held out in front of me with small plates and using a snatch grip.
I suffer from Lowe back pain due to i have Bulge disk which one do you recommend me 90 or 45 thanks
Well defended as usual!👍
I hope you find the ideas useful in your training!
Heyo Alec, you've probably heard of this question a billion times already but lets say I find it a bit too complicated to learn Olympic lifts because of the technique required to execute the exercise but would really want to get to gain the benefits of it. Do you have alternative exercises to supplement it while I am taking my time learning the movement or better yet replace it?
I think he literally has a video around that concept and he recommends snatch grip high pulls iirc.
power cleans and high pulls
@@ARDAYILMAZ72 nice thats good to know
Love your content man I have a question I've been experiencing some lower back pain when performing the RDL probably because the nature of my job combination with training could I drop the RDL for the back raise to rehab my lower back for a little while are completely dropped the RDL for the back raise?
You can, sure. But if it were me I would try to figure out how to make it where RDLs performed at a reasonable volume/intensity don't hurt my lower back.
@@EnkiriElite okay brother really appreciate ill keep working on it thanks
That title 😂
thoughts on olympic lifting specialisation?
If you want to become a good Olympic weightlifter then you should specialize in Olympic weightlifting!
What difference is there between having the bar on your back vs in your hands when doing 45 degree back extensions
ROM is shorter when the bar is in front of you. Bar on back also intensifies the muscular engagement. Try it and you'll see. It's harder, but it's a massive upgrade to the movement, imo.
@@EnkiriElite thanks.
Yeah I've been holding bar in front as its easier to set up but been looking to change it up. Even now 3 sets and I'm sore for days so can't imagine what this method will do 😬
Do you have any cues to feel the glutes/hams more besides turning the feet out slightly? Even if I make sure the pad comes below my pelvis I still feel mostly low back when doing these
so its similar to skull crushers starting with arms perpendicular to the floor vs starting with arms at a 45° angle behind you
I have a 45 back ext and a reverse hyper. I can't figure out how to program DL, RDL, SLDL ,45 ext, reverse hyper, KB swings, and hip thrust. there's just so many exercises for the posterior
You have a good problem to have. It is expensive to have a home gym and most gyms don’t even have anything for the posterior
I will say I like the flat hyperextension for doing isometric holds at the top position, I usually do 10-15 reps and then try to hold at the top for 45-60 seconds. Back pump is always insane.
hyperextensions are brutal. I got pretty bad doms even tho I regularly do good mornings np
Thx for the input. Been wondering bout the flat vs 45°
Some gyms don’t even have a 45 and only a flat if they have one at all
Is there a reason why you do these with the barbell on your back rather than in your hands?
Primarily so as to not impede the range of motion. I want to be able to move fully through the hamstrings without the weigut hitting the floor. But it also seems to increase the intensity of the muscular engagement
@@EnkiriElite That's what I figured. Thank you
In the last video, you said 45° Hyper is the best hinge exercise. What makes it better than a RDL?
I have my reasons. That's another topic for another video
@@EnkiriElite I had a feeling that would be the response 😅 It's been about 2 months since I've replaced RDLs with 45°s and I don't see myself going back anytime soon hahaha
Been doing 45° extensions zercher style because of a wrist injury and I don’t think I need anything else for hinge movements rn
Yo Alec, have you ever tried rotating while in this position? It would be like training rotation or anti rotation but for the posterior chain
I found 90 degree was easier than 45 degree on my back with a herniated disc 🤷♀️. Not to say I like one over the other just my experience.
What do you think about single leg 45° back extension as a hamstring prehab exercise? I am focusing on sprinting and jumping RDL affect me too much.
Single leg hypers are a solid accessory. I prefer bilateral in general though for these as I think there is more to be gotten out of them thst way.
Here we go again ahahahahha, love you man
🤝💪
why dont fix all this with bands?
Bands would make the problem worse.
Do you do the exercise by pulling from your back or squeezing the gluts?
I focus on squeezing the glutes yo punch through to the top. But when you do the barbell on back version (like I'm showing here on the 45 degree machine) the electors syart to get pretty involved in that last 1 or 2 thirds of the movement. Especially as fatigue sets in.!
hyperextension is the best machine no doubt better than back extension
Theres only 1 hyper in my gym and its far far away from any racks. Any ideas on how to get the barbell on my back?
Carry barbell
Out of laziness I've just been power cleaning the bar, taking one hand off of it so I can't set myself on the Hyperextension bench, then putting my hand back on and doing the set. Little bit dangerous doing that though
I just bought a flat implement! Zah!
Still a great exercise bro!
@@EnkiriElite agreed, I can get in backwards and do bodyweight reverse hypers too (or weighted with ankle weights).
My back is finally feeling stronger and healthier every week.
Thank you!
Wish I could perform weighted hyper extensions without fking my knees up because I love the pump in the hammies, glutes, and lumbar region.
Great exercise, but I’m not sure why it hurts my knees after a few tough sessions.
Perhaps you need to start with less weight and less volume, and build up slowly from there as the tendons in the back of the knee become conditioned to this sort of intense stress.
Does this always happen regardless of the machine? Because it could just be a shitty machine with crap padding or the positioning of the padding could be off for you
Solid points brought up by both of you. To answer the second question, it might be the design of the machine or that my connective tissues are weak as Enkiri eluded to.
I have easier access to the 45, and as you say they are quite different in the sense that the 45 has a MUCH stronger hamstring stretch at the bottom and a proportionally lesser feeling of complete hamstring contraction at the top than the 90. But the feeling of impeded hip extension from all the blood accumulated after a hard set is one of the most gratifying sensations I experienced at the gym!
Alec please make a new video on how to perform back extension for glutes n hams
Have you watched my vid from a few years ago?
@@EnkiriElite yes but it's not quite eleborative
Not much to learn bro you hop on and go all the way down, come up until body in a straight line, go down again under control
Lift your torso by pushing your hips into the pads and relax your upper back, without weights. Once you get the mind muscle connection add some weights if needed. Kinda late but I hope this helps someone someday ☺️
What about doing this movement with the bar in front of you in your hands instead of resting on your back? I've been experimenting with doing these w/ heavy weights but can't get them on my back because my gym doesnt allow for that kind of setup.
I prefer bear hugging a dumbbell in that case, or I have also used an EZ curl bar held in an isometric row position.
I do not advocate holding the bar in front of you at arms length because it impedes the range of motion too much and detracts from the movement.
Bar on back instead of in front increases the intensity of the muscular engagement, so I typically recommend doing it that way when you can. But you gotta make do with what's available to you!
Idunno why, but this video gave me villain origin story vibes. Are you going dark side?
Lol depends what kind of dark side we're talking about
@@EnkiriElite just pick a dark side, there are too many good guys.
My problem with the 45 degree hyperextension is that I feel like my legs will snap in half any second, but I guess I'll have to adjust the bench a bit. Also, how do you get to that setup? Do you have the bar in the rack and you take it from there or what?
Maybe you are weak, I can remember my first time doing hypers on a flat hyper, it did make them burn
Please read my coment about inertial loading below! I think you have the knowledge to rethink this.
Speak of the devil, was just thinking about this yesterday
I still don't get it. Is there a dummy version of this? 🤣😭
This was the Dummy version 😭
if my main reason for me doing it is to train my hammies without taxing my lower back , should i keep the bar in my hand rather than high bar ?
No, going in hands is more a glute exercise as you go heavier and emphasise the squeeze. Highbar all the way down for hams
@@its_james_fitness fair , i 'll try high bar for sure
I agree, if you can set it up with the bar on your back then it is worth it to do so.
If only people understood basic biomechanics along with the simple knowledge that a muscle is strongest at 1/2 the ROM of the joint, they could easily apply this logic to every exercise.
Been on these for years, but I always do them with barbell resting on floor.. grip DL style... pull
So wait, you're saying jacked dudes with big DLs like Pete Rubish and Bald Omni Man were right all along? 😯
Bald Omni Man always says the 90 degree is better. Gotta side with Enkiri on this one.
@@heath6809 I have heard him talk about 45 blowing up deadlifts so I guess he likes both, which is fine I guess? I don't see any sides here.
@@ROHITBIRJERANE
He talks about the 90 degree being better in his tier list, which some people disagree with obviously.
@@heath6809 Oh you're right! Just checked the 2022 one to be sure.
algorithm
W
money
yessssir
I’m scared you’re going to break your neck
algo comment
These fuck up the back of my knees. 😥 Can't ever get anything out of these before my knees hurt, be it for reps or heavy can't ever get muscles to feel it before joint gets pissed off. No foot position has made a difference.
Maybe keep a slight bend in your knees
Sooo gey