These articles explore the body, the mind, the environment, and the systems that shape human health. Each piece is written to make complex ideas easier to understand, whether the topic is training, nutrition, sleep, stress, digestion, symptoms, physiology, disease, or the way modern life affects how we feel and function.
Strength, Health, & the Art of Living Well
A Case for the Hyperextension
In many gyms, the hyperextension has a bit of a therapeutic image. If you do this exercise, it is because your physical therapist has advised you to. But real members of the iron tribe who do not need a physiotherapist, of course, do not do the hyperextension. They are going to deadlift. Yes right? Thought wrong, Norwegian sports scientists discovered.
Why you should include the hyperextension in your workouts
In many gyms, the hyperextension has a bit of a therapeutic image. If you do this exercise, it is because your physical therapist has advised you to. But real members of the iron tribe who do not need a physiotherapist, of course, do not do the hyperextension. They are going to deadlift. Yes right? Thought wrong, Norwegian sports scientists discovered.
Study
Vidar Andersen, of the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, compared the effects of the hyperextension [using the term Roman chair extension] with those of the Romanian deadlift and the machine back extension.
Andersen had the exercises performed by 15 female students, who had been training with weights for quite some time, with a load with which 6 reps were possible. He stuck electrodes on the subjects' bodies so that he could see how hard muscles such as the erector spinae, the biceps femoris or the gluteus maximus had to work during the upper and lower part of the movement.
Results
The figure below shows the activation of the muscle groups. Of these three exercises, the hyperextension appears to provide the best stimuli for the muscle groups. The Romanian deadlift comes in second.
Practical application
"For athletes and recreationally active people aiming to optimize the neuromuscular activation of the glutes and hamstring, we would particularly recommend the Roman chair exercise", writes Andersen.
"This exercise was in general more effective in activating these muscles, likely due to the biomechanical properties of the exercise creating a consistently large torque throughout the whole range of motion, and particularly in the upper part. It is also easier to perform with proper technique than the Romanian deadlift."
"Machine back extension was clearly inferior to the other two exercises."
Honor the deadlift
That's not to say Andersen thinks serious athletes should forget about the Romanian deadlift. The exercise certainly has its qualities.
"The Romanian deadlift maximizes its torque in a flexed hip position", Andersen continues. "As the hip is extended, the torque continuously decreases, allowing for increased velocity. These biomechanics would simulate running, and especially the top speed phase, where the hip torque is greatest in the late swing phase where the hip is flexed."
"Therefore, we recommend athletes and recreational trained to consider the purpose of the exercises before choosing which one to include in their weekly resistance-training program."
Pearls of Wisdom
Pearls of Training Wisdom from Ed Coan, Charles R. Poliquin and Matt Wenning
Bench Press
Correct Grip Width
Grip width is a function of your biomechanics and needs to be set according to this. Biomechanics change from athlete to athlete due to shoulder width, length of the humerus and length of the forearms. A simple way to figure this out is to go into your natural push-up position, the body automatically selects the grip width you’re the strongest in and feels the best. That’s your competitive bench press grip. Just because you´re allowed to grip wider doesn´t mean it’s good for you.
Bench More with Structural Balance
Train your rotator cuff muscles and scapular retractors for a big bench and healthy shoulders. How are you supposed to bench big weights if you can´t even stabilize them? That’s like putting a Lamborghini engine into a Civic while still relying on the Civic’s breaking system. You´re just begging for an injury.
Drive your head into the bench on the concentric phase of the lift
This activates your neck extensors and puts another 2-7 kg on your bench. Strong neck extensors potentiate every upper body lift.
Squat
Always keep your Sternum high
And pick a spot somewhere in front of you that’s slightly above to look at. This ensures that your head is high at all times. Your eyes dictate where the body goes. Look down and you’ll round forward.
Warm up your weak and/or inactive muscles before you train
Pick 3 exercises to address them and try to get those muscles working. Don’t smash yourself on the warm up, just potentiate those muscles. If you sit on your ass the whole day your glutes are most likely inactive and the lower back will take over a large portion of the work. I´m sure you experienced this at some point: your lower back is completely fatigued after squatting. That’s because your glutes are not firing.
60-70% of your total training volume should be traction based exercises for your spine
Heavy squatting and deadlifting always compress your spine so make sure you decompress it when doing your accessory work for more longevity.
Deadlift
The deadlift has a disadvantage to the bench press and the squat
This is because there´s no eccentric movement preceding the concentric phase. In the other two lifts it´s possible to correct your form on the way down but with deadlifts you can’t. That’s why the starting position is most important.
Deadlift cycles are the shortest due to their demand on the nervous system
Stretch your hip flexors statically before deadlifting
This will put another 5-15 kg on your deadlift. Tight hip flexors inhibit the strength of your hip extensors.