I’ve been doing reverse hypers with the dedicated machine, i just use a glue/ham raise bench and get on it pictures. Saw a picture of someone doing it awhile ago in a t-mag article. Question is, how do i do anything about bodyweight? Gonna try holding a dumbell between my feet, but that seems like it would be kinda awkward.
Get yourself some chain from the hardware store with a clip. String the chain through some plates and wrap the chain around your ankles. Then do some reverse hypers.
Before I scored a barely used L. Simmons machine for $100 (yes, you read that correctly), I used a regular hyperextension machine and faced backward (i.e. face towards the feet). Since I couldn’t imagine trying to squeeze a dumbbell with my feet, I put one between my feet and affixed it by wrapping a big rubber band (like the kind physical therapists use for shoulder abductions). I suppose you could also use a bungy or rope, too. The other possibility are the iron shoes making a comeback…Ivanko makes a really good pair, as do a couple of other companies.
I’m sure it is cool and all (simmons says so) but why would reverse hypers be any better then reg. hypers or even better glute-ham raises? just not sure why you would not just do hypers or glute-hams?
Drag the normal hyperextension machine over to a cable machine. Get some foot loops and wrap them around your feet and attach the loops to the cable. Then do the reverse hypers ‘backwards’ in the machine. Works quite well.
I would love to buy it, but one thing is prohibitive.
- PRICE: ~$1000 for the PRO model; ~$700 for Standard model; ~$400 for Home model (home model’s weight capacity is too low!); That much money on a one trick pony, is alot to swallow for a Home Gym. (this price does not include shipping and handling; which is also very expensive for the PRO model). I don’t doubt its effectiveness, in fact if the price came down (PRO for $700, STANDARD for $400), I would snatch one up in a heartbeat
again WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY,???
A serious answer. I hope that’s what you were after. The Reverse Hyper rotates the sacrum more effectively than the other exercises, making it a better Lumbar rehabilitation exercise for starters.
Secondly, it provides for better load control for higher rep sets.
For what its worth, I agree that its not necessary for bodybuilders and that glute ham raises are a better choice. But for strength athletes, its a different story
I know what its like to not have a dedicated machine. Here’s what I have to work with at the present time. Benches not high enough, hyperextension machines at 45 degree angle(can’t use these) and glute ham raise. Here’s what I do(it sucks and it hurts my stomach but damn it I have to do them)I raise a preacher bench by putting plates under it so the pad is at a 90 degree angle. Lay across this holding on to the seat. I then put a DB between my legs around the feet and hold it there and then lift. Its not the most efficient but it gets the job done. For hetyey225, I feel it is a better glute/ham exercise this way. In this position you are using more the the glutes/hams to lift the weight and the spinal erectors in used for stabilization. In the normal hyperextension the glutes/hams are used for stabilization and the spinal erectors is the primary movers. Hope this helps.
The sacrum has better rotation? What do you mean?
More control with higher reps? How so?
I think the big difference as it pertains to the sacro illiac joint is that the feet are fixed with a regular hyperextension exercise thus the sacrum is moving on a relatively fixed pelvis. With a reverse hyper the pelvis (inominates) are moving on on a relatively fixed sacrum even though the sacrum is not actually “fixed”.
A more pronounced difference is probably the recruitment patterns of the muscles involved and the resistance curves. I would say the hamstrings play a much greater role with the reverse hyper but I don’t have any EMG study just a hunch.
I put wrist straps around each foot and then tie them together. i then put a dumbell between them. the wrist straps keep the dumbell from falling tword your croch when you reach the peak of the movement. I have done them with a 45lbs dumbell like this with no problems…
My explanation was pretty much as Louie describes in his videos. The explanation, with diagram, on the video illustrates the point better. It was in a Reverse Hyper training video provided with the machine, and I don’t have it, anymore.