There is no question the reverse hyperextension is one of the most effective, safest movements to strengthen the lower back. The problem with the exercise is finding where on earth to do the reverse hyperextension at home, where you are swinging your legs around all over the place. Here are a few setups and ways you can perform the reverse hyperextension exercise right at home.
Reverse Hyperextension At Home (Barstool Edition)
Reverse Hyperextension At Home - The Setup
The movement of the reverse hyperextension exercise (reverse hyper) can be done extremely effectively at home - with the right setup. The key is finding a flat, stable surface that can hold at least 2x your bodyweight that rests 1.5-4 feet off the ground. Here are a few common household amenities that may be able to support your reverse hyperextension at home:
Barstool Reverse Hyperextension At Home
I am not going into much detail on this because I created a beautiful gif of this exact movement above. Rest your belly on the barstool, grab a counter or another fixed surface, orient your body parallel with the ground, and swing your legs away.
Folding Table Reverse Hyperextension At Home
This one is more likely, and considerably easier on the guts. There is one variable that you must not miss with the folding table reverse hyperextension - you must use a weight to counterbalance the table. If you do not, you will tip.
Countertop Reverse Hyperextension At Home
This one is also very likely, and will be your most stable option at home. Lay your upper body across the counter, grab hold, and start performing the reverse hyperextension for some great lower back strength gains.
Bed Reverse Hyperextension At Home
I have only heard rumors of this, and have never seen it in action. The reverse hyperextension on your bed at home sounds nice until you try it and find there is nowhere to grab! On top of that, you sink down and are angled at a suboptimal reverse hyperextension angle to say the least.
Reverse Hyperextension At Home - How To
Once you have your reverse hyperextension amenity of choice selected, it is important to ensure you check a few boxes with your positioning:
- Am I parallel to the ground?
- Am I stable, or do I feel like I may fall off?
- Can I swing my legs from here?
- Am I grabbing onto a fixed surface?
Once you check these boxes, you are safe to start swinging your legs and performing the reverse hyperextension exercise right at home.
Check out this video on the folding table reverse hyperextension at home exercise below, and leave a comment if you made it this far in the article!