Back extensions on the bench

Felix · Post by **Felix** » Sep 29, 2004 17:28

After seeing Tom Kurz' DVD Secrets of Stretching I decided to start training from scratch again, do I've been strenghtening my back muscles. I always do some rope skipping after my work outs and I run/sprint once a week. I've been doing this for about a month now and I just joined a fitness club to be able to do some excersises I can't do at home. This question is mainly concerning the strenghtening of my lower back. I can already do 3 sets of 30 repetitions of back extensions on the floor and recently I moved to back extensions on the bench. Right now I can only do 3 sets of 10 repetitions on the bench without extra weight. I also moved from 100 crunches + 100 reverse crunches to 100 sit-ups, but that's not really important right now (just to give some extra information). On the DVD Secrets of Stretching Kurz says that you should be able to do 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions of back extensions on the bench with at least 1/3 of your bodyweight before you can move on to the leg exercises. I weigh about 67 kg, so should I do like 3 sets of 10 repetitions of back extensions on a bench with a barbell of 24 kg behind my neck or holding in front of me? Also what is the best way to progress to the additional weights? While I'm training to achieve this kind of back strenght with weights, can I also do strenghtening exercises for the upper body or is it best to wait till I have moved from back extensions on the bench to dead lifts? And how about body weight calisthenics, is it ok to do pushups, hindu squats in this preparation period or should I really wait till I have a very strong lower back. Also one more question. Can I do good mornings and back extensions on the bench on the same day or are good mornings more of the same, like a replacement for back extensions?

I hope I can get to know some more on these matters, because I want to do everything as correctly as possible.

Thanks in advance.

UKfightfreak · Post by **UKfightfreak** » Sep 30, 2004 09:50

Ok - keeping it simple, your ok with hindu squats and press-ups.

As far as back extensions are concerned, just increase the weight (by holding a plate(s) across your chest and increasing by 1lb or 2 each session (or whatever feels comfortable) until you reach your goal.

Felix · Post by **Felix** » Sep 30, 2004 16:06

Hey thanks a lot for your reply. So I guess I'm also ok with pull ups then?

UKfightfreak · Post by **UKfightfreak** » Oct 01, 2004 08:32

Felix wrote:Hey thanks a lot for your reply. So I guess I'm also ok with pull ups then?

You are!

Felix · Post by **Felix** » Jan 06, 2005 18:30

Some months have passed and I can now do 3 sets of 15 repetitions of back-extension on the bench with 25 kg which is more than 1/3 of my bodyweight. So now I want to move on. I know that I should now progress to good mornings (and hipflexor exersices). I have a queistion that might sound stupid though... What I want to know is if I have to start all over again with light weights in the good mornings or continue from 25 kg (e.g. 28 kg) up till I can do 3 sets of 12 repetitions with for example 48 kg. In my last workout I did goodmornings at the end of my workout with two dumbells of 14 kg, which actually was pretty easy. I also tried with a barbell on my shoulders behind my neck with 2x15kg which was quite troublesome. And I don't really mean the weight itself, but rather the barbell and the stress put on my shoulders and neck. Hmmm, writing this I think kind of makes me understand what I should do (just lighter weights)... But I'd rather hear some advice and or experience from someone else.

Thanks in advance

b8rtm8nn · Post by **b8rtm8nn** » Jan 08, 2005 18:15

Hi Felix,

I prefer dumbbells to a bar across the back, which probably makes the exercise more of a straight leged deadlift than a good morning and the amount of weight you use will probably be greater than what you would use for good mornings, but I still like them more.

Thanks,
Bart

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Jan 12, 2005 22:09

I find with good mornings is that i like the bar lower on my shoulders and not on my neck at all. Also try to keep good posture during the excerse do not round off ur shoulders but keep them square, i find looking up so to speak helps with this.

wynnema · Post by **wynnema** » Jan 14, 2005 07:14

if you do good mornings properly it is difficult to round your shoulders because your hands should be holding the bar hence your shoulders are rounded back.

You should focus more on keeping the lower back straight, i believe this exercise put Bruce Lee out of action for 6 months and almost finished his career.

Felix · Post by **Felix** » Jan 15, 2005 16:44

Thanks for the replies. Wow, that's alarming to hear about Bruce Lee and good mornings, I'll pay good attention to the advice given here. But I think I'm going to stop with weights for a while anyway. I've noticed that I tried to rush too much, wanting to do 100 hindu squats, 500 situps. I did 100 sit-ups and 100 squats, but now I'm paying more attention to my form and stop when the form gets bad (before I did up till failure a lot)... I end up with much less repetitions that way, but the exercises feel more relaxed/comfortable. It's a bit hard on your pride I can tell you, and it's very tempting to grap a pair of dumbells or barbell, but I'll stay headstrong. Just push-ups, pull-ups, dips, sit-ups, back-extension (w/o weight), twisted crunches and reverse crunches for now. Listening to my body more. After all it's more important to feel good when exercising, than to reach great numbers in repetitions or resistance right.

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Back extensions on the bench

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