TOP 9 Best Roman Chair & Hyperextension Benches 2017

If you’ve been in the gym at least once in your life, you’ve probably seen a dude or girl raising and lowering their torso on a hyperextension bench, aka the roman chair.

You’re probably doing hyperextensions – the ultimate exercise for the lower back – yourself, though most guys avoid the exercise since it makes them look weird.

Personally, I’m not doing the exercise at my local gym because the roman chair just doesn’t belong where it’s placed in my gym. I mean, when you’re performing hyperextensions you literally block dozens of dudes trying to make their way to the nearest barbell to do deadlifts and whatnot.

If this sounds familiar – and the placement of the hyperextension bench in your gym makes you want to shove your gym membership card down the gym manager’s throat – you may want to buy a roman chair for your home, because:

• it won’t suck up much space in your apartment;
• you won’t have to worry about looking weird while performing hyperextensions in your public gym;
• roman chairs don’t cost much – and do keep in mind that you’re investing in a healthy and strong lower back and abs.

Hyperextension Bench / Roman Chair: Key Specs

Top 9 Best Hyperextension Benches / Roman Chairs

1.     Marcy Roman Chair (Good price)

Marcy roman chair is the world champion in our today’s chart of best hyperextension benches because it offers the best possible quality-price ratio.

If I had to pick a second name for this roman chair, I’d name it “a versatile bench.” This bench is sturdy and is designed to serve you good for years to come.

The Marcy hyperextension bench is equipped with a heavy-gauge steel-tubing frame, which prevents you from falling down while using the machine (if your weight doesn’t exceed 300 lbs.)

You can carry this roman chair around the house however you like, as it only weighs a little more than 40 pounds.

2.     CAP Strength Roman Chair (Heavier, more expensive, yet awesome)

This hyperextension bench is perfect for home use if you want to have a developed core, abs and lower back. This bench, which is a little more expensive than our today’s No. 1 roman chair, is made of steel and provides extra stability.

Meaning: it doesn’t move around or tilt while you’re performing exercises.

The design of CAP Strength Roman Chair is sleek and you can adjust the bench to accommodate your body type (5 available positions to alter the vertical angle).

Unlike our today’s leader, this bench comes with two pads, which means there’s a little gap in the middle to prevent your genitalia from being squashed.

While there will be no pain in the genitalia area, expect some headache pain (metaphorically), as you’ll have to think where to place this rather large roman chair (56 x 29 x 43 inches).

3.     CAP Strength 45 Degree Hyperextension (Cheaper, 45-degree bench)

Yet another roman chair by CAP Strength, but more affordable than the No. 2.

It’s very similar to the top 2 roman chair, but its main uniqueness is the 45-degree tilt. It’s up for you (and your body type) to decide which one is best for you.

It comes with the same stable design and the two pads that prevent any discomfort in the genitalia area. You can adjust the bench with three positions for most optimal use.

4.     Fitness Reality X-Class Light Commercial Multi-Workout Abdominal/Hyper Back Extension Bench (For heavier individuals, sweat-resistant)

This sturdy hyperextension bench by Fitness Reality was designed special for heavier individuals who don’t want to miss out on the benefits of crunches and back extensions.

With the maximum weight capacity of 650 lbs. (more than twice as capable as our today’s top 3 benches), this roman chair is relatively easy to carry around the house as it weighs only 50 lbs.

It has 1 flat and 3 decline bench adjustments, which makes it a perfect choice for individuals of height range of 5’ to 6’4 inch.

The two pads are sweat-resistant and double stitched vinyl covering.

5.     Valor Fitness Adjustable Back Extension (Comfortable, versatile and adjustable)

The hyperextension bench by Valor Fitness is the best choice for those looking for a stable and adjustable roman chair that allows to perform three exercises: back extensions, crunches and dips.

The bench features sturdy design and is manufactured of 2” x 2” 12 gauge steel. Nearly everything in this roman chair is adjustable, even the calf and hip pads, which adjust from 26.5” to 32” from floor.

This roman chair’s foot plate is made of solid steel.

6.     Powerline Roman Chair/Back Hyperextension (Durable, versatile, long-lasting)

Another optimal choice for those looking to bring the core and back workouts to their home.

Made of durable 2” by 2” heavy-gauge steel, the manufacturer electrostatically applied powder coat finish to make the roman chair last for years to come.

It comes with a wide base that not only eliminates rocking and tilting, but also allows you to easily perform dips without fearing that the whole thing may fall down on you.

The bench won’t take up much space and you can place it wherever you like, as it’s only 46L x 25W x 36H inches.

7.     Goplus Adjustable Roman Chair (Affordable, easy to assemble, but not for heavy people)

This affordable roman chair might be exactly what you’re looking for. Not only is it cheap, but also very easy to assemble.

Featuring ample padding and durable construction, it provides you with extra stability and comfort when performing exercises.

It will, however, be a little uncomfortable for males, as the bench is equipped with a single pad, which means your genitalia will be squashed while using the roman chair.

Note: the hyperextension bench cannot be used if you’re over 220 lbs.

8.     Stamina Pro Ab/Hyper Bench (Best choice for versatile fitness)

When Stamina Pro entered the market of roman chairs with its revolutionary Ab/Hyper Bench, it made its competitors nervous… for all the right reasons!

Unlike all of the aforementioned products, this roman chair is actually equipped with a bench, which can be used for a wide variety of exercises, including dumbbell rows and even bench presses!

For this reason, Stamina Pro made the roman chair super durable and heavy duty. It’s fully adjustable (footrest, backrest, thigh pad) and provides maximum comfort when using the bench.

Note: the hyperextension bench cannot be used if you’re over 250 lbs.

9.     XMark 45 Degree Ab Back Hyperextension XM-7609 (Pricey but durable, 45-degree roman chair)

A little more expensive, but even more durable hyperextension bench constructed of 11 gauge 2” x 3” steel and dual 8” x 4.33”.

Its roller pads are vinyl-covered with chrome end caps. The roman chair by XMark allows you to accommodate your body type and use it with maximum comfort.

With the 45-degree bench, you can be sure in the stability, as this roman chair is equipped with a wide, horseshoe-shaped base.

How to Use a Roman Chair / Hyperextension Bench

Have you chosen your best hyperextension bench? No time for celebrations yet – there’s a lot to do before performing your first back extension or ab crunch set on the roman chair:

• The first thing you need to be careful with after buying the roman chair is its assembly. It’s important to understand that any missteps and inaccuracies in its assembly may lead to serious injuries.
• If you are not sure how to assemble the bench by following instructions, seek help from a consultant at the shop. It may cost you a few bucks, but at least you will sleep peacefully knowing that you won’t get injured using the roman chair.
• Choosing the right place for the hyperextension bench at home is equally important. Find a spot where the floor is perfectly even and firm. If the floor is uneven or soft, it may not only damage the floor, but also cause instability and lead to injury.
• The ideal roman chair must feature at least one adjustment option. Since we are all different, there is no ‘standard’ positioning of the footrest, backrest and thigh pad to keep everyone happy.
• Keep in mind that you’ll have to be adjusting the bench differently for each exercise (back extensions, dips, ab & oblique crunches).

Best Roman Chair & Hyperextension Bench Exercises

Unlike any other piece of gym equipment, the roman chair can be a versatile machine that targets your core, abs, obliques, abs, triceps, shoulders and even chest!

Most hyperextension benches are built in such a unique way that they allow you to perform back extensions, ab crunches, oblique crunches, leg raises, dips and some are even equipped with a bench, which transforms your roman chair into a 3-in-1 station.

5 Most Common Exercises You Can Do on Roman Chairs:

1. Back Extensions

2. Ab Crunches

3. Oblique Crunches

4. Leg Raises

5. Dips

Additional Exercises You Can Do on Hyperextension Benches:

If your roman chair is equipped with an additional flat bench (like the top 8 Stamina Pro Ab/Hyper Bench on our list above), it opens even more fitness opportunities for you.

With the flat bench, you can do just about any exercise you normally perform on a flat bench in your public gym. However, you will need a set of dumbbells or a barbell for most of the exercises.

Hyperextension Bench and Roman Chair Benefits

One might wonder, “Why on earth would I want to lower and raise my torso over and over again if I’m not using any weights? Isn’t it pointless?”

Not at all. Hyperextension (back extension) is an exercise performed on a roman chair or 45-degree hyperextension benches.

The idea of the exercise is to train your spinal erectors and warm up the lumbar verterbrae. In plain English, here’s what back extensions do to you:

• You can warm up the spinal erectors and lumbar vertebrae before performing a more complex and compound exercise such as deadlifts.
• You strengthen your lower back and prevent low-back pain (31 million people in the U.S. experience pain in the lower back at any given time, according to American Chiropractic Association);
• You train the spinal erectors and lumbar vertebra to prevent any health issues from slouching and sitting in a wrong posture for prolonged periods of time if you have a sedentary job / lifestyle (studies show that Americans are sitting an average of 13 hours a day).

Benefits:

• Improve Your Posture. For some of us, it can be quite a challenge to squeeze a trip to the gym into our busy schedule.

We sit at our desk for at least 8 hours to earn a living, and we return home to sit in front of the PC or TV. There’s a lot of sitting in the modern world.

A sedentary lifestyle is one of the main causes of bad posture. If you own a roman chair, you don’t have to waste your time on trips to and from the gym.

Having a hyperextension bench at home allows you to perform back extensions, a vital exercise to strengthen the lower back muscles and the core as well as improve bad posture.

Having proper posture has several other health benefits, including fatigue and muscular pain prevention. A good posture can even make you happier.

• Eliminate Back Pain. It’s not just bad posture that contributes to back pain, but also weak abs and lower back. Hyperextensions on a roman chair have been clinically praised for their unique ability to eliminate back pain.
• Train Your Body From Head to Toe. When you think about a hyperextension bench you probably think about back extensions and maybe ab crunches.

Well, throw oblique crunches, dips and leg raises in that mix! Therefore, you can train your entire body with a versatile roman chair (there are quite a few of those in the list above).

Do note that some roman chairs are equipped with a separate flat bench, which means you can even do dumbbell bench presses, one-arm dumbbell rows and many other exercises.

• Adjust to Your Body Type. Pretty much any roman chair can be adjusted to suit your body type. Whether you’re taller or shorter, hyperextension benches are quite adjustable and sturdy.

That means all members of your family can benefit from a hyperextension bench standing at home. Moreover, there are even foldable roman chairs, which means they are super easy to store.