Back Extension

Description

The back extension bench is a training device used to strengthen the back and dorsal hip muscles in training and rehabilitation. In order to derive training recommendations for the exercise back extension, knowledge of the body movements, the on-off pattern of the muscles and the resulting joint moments and loading conditions is fundamental.

Healthy and trained subjects performed back extensions in a submaximal range. This movement can either be conducted with a dynamic hip flexion and a stabilized spine or with an isolated dynamic spine flexion and a stabilized hip. Both variations were executed under four different conditions: two-legged, one-legged left, one-legged right and two-legged with a particular breathing pattern. Kinematics and kinetics were measured for all eight conditions in order to define the range of motion of the knee and hip, the range of curvature of the lumbar and thoracic spine and the joint moments in the knee, hip and spine (L4/L5). To determine the on-off pattern and fatigue in the muscles, electromyographic measurements were taken.

Goal

The aim of this project was the biomechanical investigation of core and hip movement and the identification of joint moments and loading conditions in the spine, hip and knee for submaximal strength training with back extensions.