What equipment do you need for the machine reverse hyperextension?

You need machine to do the machine reverse hyperextension.

What is a good machine reverse hyperextension?

For men, a good machine reverse hyperextension is about a 77.5 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 25 lb and elite lifters pass 260 lb. For women, the standards run from about 25 lb to 260 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

Back · Machine

Machine Reverse Hyperextension

How to do the machine reverse hyperextension, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

Equipment: Machine
Difficulty: Beginner
Logged as: Weighted reps
Movement: Extension
Mechanic: Isolation

Find more:Back exercises Machine exercises

How to do it

Position yourself on the reverse hyperextension machine with your hips on the pad and legs hanging down. Grip the handles and secure your torso. Contract your glutes and hamstrings to lift your legs behind you until they are level with your body. Pause briefly, then lower your legs back down with control. Focus on moving through your hips rather than swinging.

1Feel your glutes and hamstrings lifting your legs up behind you
2Keep your core braced and avoid swinging for momentum
3Hold briefly at the top to squeeze your glutes

Common mistakes

Avoid hyperextending or arching your lower back; move within a comfortable range
Don't jerk or slam the weight; move smoothly
Avoid letting your legs drop uncontrolled; control the descent

Muscles worked

The machine reverse hyperextension mainly works the lower back, with the glutes and hamstrings assisting.

Lower BackPrimary
GlutesSupport
HamstringsSupport
Upper TrapsMinor
Upper AbsMinor

Machine Reverse Hyperextension strength standards

See how your machine reverse hyperextension ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.

Bronzee1RM25 lb
Silvere1RM52.5 lb
Golde1RM77.5 lb
Platinume1RM127.5 lb
Diamonde1RM202.5 lb
Champione1RM260 lb

Find your rank

Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.

Weight (lb)Reps

Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.

Kovo programs the machine reverse hyperextension for you and tracks it every session.

We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.

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More back exercises

See all back exercises →

Last reviewed April 2026.