45 Degree Back Extension

A step-by-step form guide from the Ægir Iron exercise library: how to do the lift, what to watch for, and the muscles it trains.

HOW TO PERFORM

Set the pad so its top edge sits just below the hip crease, then hook the heels under the ankle rollers with the legs straight.
Cross the arms over the chest. To add load, hug a plate to the chest instead.
Brace and fold forward at the hips with a flat back until the hamstrings stop you.
Drive the hips into the pad and squeeze the glutes to raise the torso until it is in line with the legs.
Pause there for a moment, then lower under control into the next rep.

Stop at a straight line from head to heels. Arching past it loads the lower back and adds nothing for the glutes or hamstrings.
A pad set too high sits on the stomach and stops the hips folding, so the lower back does all the bending. Set the height before the first rep.

Log it in Ægir Iron to track your PRs and estimated 1RM, and to see the sets each muscle gets every week. Free for individual lifters.