Muscles Involved: lower back, glutes, hamstrings
Exercise Description: Stand in the center of the Back Extension station. Facing the large flat pad, lean forward until your upper thighs are on the pad with your hip-bones above the pad. Then place the backs of your ankles (above the heels) under the smaller pad. Beginners, place your arms across your chest. Experienced exercisers, place your hands behind your head with your thumbs behind your ears. This adds extra resistance to the exercise. When in position, inhale and slowly lower your upper body at the waist until it is almost vertical to the floor. Then exhale, and slowly lift your upper body back to the starting pose. Hold for a beat, and repeat the routine. For advanced exercisers, hold a weight plate against your chest to amplify the resistance, or let it hang down with straight arms.
Useful Tips and Variations: Be careful not to raise your torso beyond the point where your spine is straight and your back is flat. Manage the movement, and do not swing your body to cheat the workout.