Hit those Hamstrings Hard!
Sick of waiting in line and relying on machines to hit your hamstrings? Fret no more. Here are my top 5 favorite exercises for the hamstrings. Leave those reverse curls for the girls.
Muscle and Brawn Supplement Store
Lowest Prices | Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 | Free Magazine
1. Hang Romanian Deficit Deadlifts
Take the weight off the rack, slightly bend your knees, descend down knuckles to toes, then reverse the direction with a strong hip thrust. Still Confused? Look at these pics…
2. Stiff Leg Chain Suspended Good Mornings
Don’t have chain suspension, shame on you, try them off pins then. No power rack? Really, you’re killing me. Just do them normal, but use a light weight. This exercise is all about form and focus. Do them strict, hit full r.o.m, and your ham’s will light up like the fourth of July.
3. Sumo Stiff Leg Deadlifts
Focus on pulling those hips through. *Want an alternative? Wimp, do pull throughs with bands or cables. Pretty self explanatory. Mimic a sumo stiff legged deadlift and pull the bands or cables through your legs, and focus on the burn.
4. High Pulls
Fast, explosive, dynamic and very effective! A very technical lift, but I will dumb it down for you. Think fast deadlift that turns into a combination of a calf raise on your tippy toes to a upright row, but all in one motion =). Done right, and your hamstrings will be begging for mercy. Afraid you’re going to pull something? Try box jumps. No box jump on the sacred bench. Chances are 70% of everyone who wants to use it doesn’t work out legs anyway.
5. Reverse Hyper Extensions
The powerlifter’s #1 staple lift for rehab, muscle growth and recovery. Don’t have a reverse hyper machine in your gym? Then try:
*Full R.O.M Hyper Extensions – Don’t just stop once your body is straight and you look like Superman, crank it back a few more degrees and activate those hammys.
Train in a really lame gym with no hyper extension bench try this alternative:
*Free Range Hyper Extensions – Find an ab bench with leg supports or someone to put pressure on the back of you ankles, and curl your back towards your butt. Yes, it is that simple. No excuses. Stop eyeing the donkey kick back machine and man up already.
*Want to make it more fun? Add in monster mini-bands, or some chains to your workout. This will add more weight and intensity, but essentially keep good form without making the lift too heavy through the full R.O.M.
There you have it. 5 of my favorite movements with some alternatives, showing you don’t all need brawn to get strong.
What?! No glute ham raises?!!
Glute Ham raises is the same thing as full rom hyper extensions more or less, but I guess that is the more common name. Still nothing mainly about the name glute and ham in an exercise.
*MANLY not mainly damn you internet typeos!