Dumbbell Back Extension
A loaded back extension on a 45-degree bench, holding a dumbbell at the chest to add resistance to the hip hinge.
How to do it
- Set the hip pad of a 45-degree bench just below your pelvis and lock your ankles under the roller.
- Take a single dumbbell and hold it against your chest with both hands.
- Brace your abdominals and set your head, spine and hips in one straight line.
- Hinge at the hips and lower your torso until you feel the hamstrings lengthen.
- Drive the hips into the pad and extend until your body forms a straight line.
- Pause at the top, lower under control, and repeat for the prescribed reps.
Key technique cue
Hold the weight to your chest; stop at a straight line, no arching.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Adding load before bodyweight reps are controlled, which rounds the back under the extra lever arm.
- ✕ Letting the dumbbell drift away from the chest, which increases spinal load without training anything extra.
- ✕ Extending past a straight line at the top, which compresses the lumbar spine under load.
- ✕ Using momentum out of the bottom, which removes tension from the glutes and hamstrings.
Benefits
- ✓ Adds progressive resistance to the hinge without putting a bar on the back.
- ✓ Bridges the gap between bodyweight extensions and loaded barbell hinging.
- ✓ Trains the erectors to hold a neutral spine while external load is present.
Progression: from easier to harder
- Step 1
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Step 2 -
Step 3 You are here - Dumbbell Back Extension
- B-stance Back Extension
About the exercise
The dumbbell back extension is the loaded version of the standard 45-degree bench extension. A single dumbbell held against the chest sits well above the hip joint, which lengthens the lever arm and increases the demand on both the spinal erectors holding position and the glutes and hamstrings producing hip extension. Because the load sits high on the torso, technique degrades quickly if the weight is too heavy, so progression is usually made in small increments once bodyweight reps are controlled and pain free.
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