Overview

• Posterior chain training in user-friendly selectorized form.
• Rollover pad design increases hip comfort.
• Range of motion provides more low back stretch than competitive designs.
• Leg roller pad provides the articulation necessary for proper form.

Description

The Performance Series Reverse Back Extension machine provides strength training and stretching. Strength training happens in the concentric (lifting) phase. Stretching occurs in the eccentric (return) phase. This blurs the line between power training and therapy. Because of this, the Reverse Back Extension has both an athletic training component and a rehabilitation one. When you combine these benefits with the relative ease-of-use that a selectorized design provides you have a device that is just as at home in a therapy environment as it is in a weight room.

The Performance Series Reverse Back Extension is supplied with a 200-pound weight stack in 10-pound increments. A weight stack upgrade of 250 pounds is available. Tough but smooth pillow block bearings feature grease fittings for easy maintenance. PowerMax pulleys prolong cable life and use shielded bearings for long lasting, smooth action. The cam plate features a thick, chrome-plated pop pin plate for easy, smooth adjustments time and time again.

The importance of a strong posterior chain:

The importance of a strong posterior chain (the low back, glutes, hamstrings, and calves) is at the center of athletic performance training. This is where an athlete’s acceleration and speed is born. While glute/ham raises are a very effective form of way of training this muscle group, they place an emphasis on the hamstrings. The reverse back extension places more of the emphasis on the lower back, a common problem area for athletes and non-athletes alike.

Advantages over similar pieces from the competition:

• The swing arm is constantly under tension, preventing a swinging momentum from building. It also requires the user to exert just as much effort on the tenth rep as on the first to lift the pendulum upward.
• The swing arm is constantly being drawn forward, which means the lower back stretch that is important for rehabilitation is always present, and arguably even more consistent, than in plate-loaded designs.

Note: This item was previously known as the Varsity Reverse Back Extension. This machine features a 20 lb counterbalance to offset the weight of the roller pad and lever arm.

This item is featured in a blog post. Read it here.