Back pain/discomfort is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints among Americans. Some people will resort to avoiding all movements in general (not a good idea) or some will ignore the pain until it becomes unbearable. Lets try to take a different approach and do something to help!

The cause of lower back pain will vary from person to person. Chronic pain could be caused by weak hamstrings, glutes, or even just a weak lower back. Strengthening the posterior chain  (muscle groups just mentioned) need to be a major priority when combating back pain. All of these areas can be targeted by one great exercise. The Reverse Hyper-Extension  (RHE)!

There are many variations of the exercise depending on your physical abilities and available equipment. This is an exercise that should be done in high volumes such as starting with 3 sets of 15 repetitions. Increase to 20 repetitions. Increase to 4 sets. Once you can add some form of resistance (depends on your variation of the exercise) start back from the beginning, 3 sets of 15 and so on. Below are videos of great variations of the exercise! Watch each video as they all take different points of view of the exercise.

With a Bench : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d9_W–eUcI

With a Ball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk7bQVw4ggY

With a RHE Machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MthYct8yxQ

Please, feel free to reach out with any questions!