Back Extension Guide - With or Without a Machine

A missing piece of the lower back conversation

0/18: Intro

This week I’m teaching you a missing piece of the lower back conversation - with or without equipment.

1/18. Resist

Resisting the back rounding is a fundamental ability and I strongly believe in training yourself to above-average strength and flexibility here.

2/18. Round

Intentionally training a rounded back also works well for a lot of people.

However, it is often scary and painful for people who already have back problems.

3/18. A Third Ability

What’s rarely trained is the ability to come OUT of a rounded position.

This is a lighter supplement to heavy lifting, adding extra circulation, flexibility, and strength - but fundamentally safer.

4/18. Welcome to The Machine: REGRESSION

Before we even get into the form, a machine allows incredible regression!

For those I have sought to help, this has been the most consistent bridge from “UNABLE” to “ABLE” to train the lower back.

5/18. Welcome to The Machine: EXTENSION

In an overly sitting, underly sprinting society, the average person is weaker than natural when the backside muscles extend the body.

This angle loads this ability without even moving!

6/18. Welcome to The Machine: GENTLER ROUNDING

The angle also reduces the stress in the rounded position, even providing support to work on your flexibility!

7/18. Exact Form

First, flex the abs.

This puts tension on the backside, whereas if you lean back, you lose the tension.

Then round the body.

Then slowly come OUT of a rounded position.

Fully squeeze your butt muscles to finish the rep, and repeat.

8/18. Many Forms Can Work

The above form is my suggested starting form, slowly, to start taking control of these abilities in a gentle manner.

But regardless of how you do it, I’ve seen it to be helpful, provided you’re comfortable and working to improve the ability of your backside.

9/18. Loading

For progression, any loading that’s comfortable for you can work.

Kettlebell is my personal favorite because it allows full range of motion at the bottom, yet is still challenging at the top.

And a bonus is the forearm benefits!

With the back extension, we’re already building lost FARMER STRENGTH, and the kettlebell adds to that, so it makes sense for my taste.

10/18. Modern Pelvic Solution

A common question I get is from people who have been told by their doctor that they have a condition where the front of the hip is too tight, and the backside is too weak.

Last week’s topic, the ATG Split Squat, plus the back extension, work directly in line with the doctor’s diagnosis!

11/18. QL!

Another bonus is the ease of effective training for the quadratus lumborum, a muscle on either side of your lower spine.

Progression is from lower hand, to hand behind head, and for extreme demands you could even hold weight in the hand.

12/18. No Machine, Flexibility

Without a machine, the elephant walk is a gentle way to improve the rounded position, because you can reduce your body’s weight with your hands.

I’ve done a lot of these over the years.

Bend both knees. Straighten one in order to stretch the backside. Bend both again. Straighten the other. Repeat.

Progression is from higher to lower.

13/18. No Machine, Extension

Since you can do the ham roller exercise with just a piece of cardboard, I include this in the no-equipment department.

With progression from two legs, to two-up-one-down, to one leg, plus INTENT on contracting the butt muscles, this can help you get excellent extension strength.

14/18. No Machine, OUT of Rounding

For someone feeling good in the rounded position, there’s no reason you can’t hold a relatively light weight and then give yourself a great lower back workout by training your ability to come out of a rounded position.

15/18. No Machine, QL (Harder)

Without a machine, I like to mimic the same foot position as I do with it, getting a great stretch and strength workout for my QLs.

However, the balance can be a bit advanced…

16/18. No Machine, QL (Easier)

Seated (ideally with a wall behind you), you can progress from ASSISTED, to unassisted, and then to hands behind head.

17/18. Demand v Ability

This is a reminder that humans don’t have infinite ability.

However, we CAN improve our Ability to handle the Demands of life.

Drugs and surgeries for back problems are abundant.

My job does not require me to evaluate or criticize such methods of handling lower back pain.

My job is adding more SKILL to the overall Ability department, and I hope you got that today.

I’ve been over 10 years without a knee or back problem, despite long-term, major knee problems and then costly back problems starting up prior to my exploration with Ability.

So I have firm reality on Demand v Ability, but I also know that I could get hurt!

So I train at my enjoyable level, cultivating my Ability with gratitude, but not forcing weights or levels of exercises that don’t feel good.

18/18. My Machine

I made ours the first pre-assembled, fold-out-and-start back extension on the market because I have two toddlers and I’m burnt out on stuff arriving to the house which then blows my mind at how user-UNfriendly it is.

So this is a user-friendly product at a good price.

There is nothing particularly special about the function of mine vs other models.

Thank you for studying today.

Yours in Solutions,

Ben

My Back Extension

My Back Ability Zero to Pro programs