Hamstring Training - 1 of 3

The Hamstrings: Section 1 of 3 ''The Glute Ham Raise''

Unilaterally as you test athletes, young and old alike, there is a glaring weakness that is common amongst them: insufficient strength in the posterior chain, and hip extensibility. There are many reasons for this deficiency. Much of it has to do with the long-term impact of lessening functional work habits and changing recreational habits in our day to day lifestyles. In order to improve performance, these matters need to be addressed.

One of the major issues in this regard is the manner in which the glute/hamstrings are trained. Hamstrings are typically worked improperly in most training environments as most gym settings utilize curling style motions in order to isolate the hamstrings. These leg curl machines neglect the origin and insertion points of the hamstrings. The overuse of the leg curl machines is partially due to the modernization of the commercial gym. For proper development, the hamstring needs to be developed as a hip extensor. Maximal power generation, stabilization and improved postural alignment (to name a few) are deeply dependent upon powerful hamstrings. That being said, training the hamstrings is no laughing matter and it takes gut-wrenching hard work.

Within SST's training protocols, hamstrings are trained with more variety than most are accustomed to. The hamstring is a fast twitch muscle and requires low reps in the 5-7 range.

Glute/Ham Raise
This is arguably one of the best exercises to target the hamstrings. Leg Curls just won't suffice since they do not work the hamstrings at both the origin and insertion point of the muscle like the glute/ham raise or RDL does.

Many people don't perform glute/ham raises because they simply don't have the equipment or have never heard of them. However, they can be performed with or without the normal equipment found at a normal gym.

Who are they good for?

- Sprinters and jumpers
- Power sports (football, wrestling)
- Quad Dominant sports (skiing)
- *Anybody at any level of sport and/or activity*

At SST we use 3 main variations of the glute/ham raise

•  Glute/ham raise to parallel

•  Glute/ham raise & back extension combo

•  Glute/ham raise ‘bend at hip only'

All 3 variations are effective in high threshold motor unit activation of the posterior chain. We employ all 3 for most athletes as a method of variety, also, some athletes are unable to do one of the forms or another. We have found that the ‘bend at hip only' method can be the easiest because you can control at what angle the athletes knees are kept at (the lesser the angle, the greater the difficulty).

Here are some pictures demonstrating each of the 3 variations:

Glute/Ham Raise to Parallel

  Glute/Ham Raise & Back Extension Combo

Glute/Ham Raise ‘Bend at Hip Only'

Hopefully after reading about the glute/ham raise you will give them a try next time you are working out legs. If for some reason you are a posterior chain freak, try holding a plate against your chest or a bar on your shoulders to increase resistance.

If done correctly, your hamstrings should be screaming the next day.