Trending This Week - Back Extension

A fit20 member on the abdominal machine.

The back extension trains the muscles that support your spine and prevent it from getting injured. The back muscles, also called paraspinal muscles, run in two up and down columns on each side of your spine. They have many connections to the vertebrae of your back but also attach to your pelvis, ribs, and even other muscles that are also involved in keeping your back strong and pain-free. No doubt you are familiar with the fact that back pain is very common and disruptive. The good news is that back pain is usually preventable and the first step is to ensure your back muscles get strong and stay strong.


The back extension machine we use at fit20 is perfect for this. The movement starts fairly straight up and then we ask you to arch your spine backward in a gentle reverse C, pushing the upper pad toward the floor. This allows for optimal contraction of those paraspinal muscles. By the way, going backward is very safe, it places very little stress on vulnerable back structures. This is the only exercise where we stay away from true temporary failure and your trainer will pick the ideal spot for your 10-second hold.