TRAINING
THE HAMSTRINGS AND GLUTES
The hamstrings (posterior of
the thigh) are another major muscle group (in volume) but surprisingly, are
very dissimilar from the quads.
1.
While the
quads are primarily slow-twitch dominant, the hamstrings are more balanced
between slow-twitch and fast -twitch muscle fibers with fast –twitch fibers
having only a slight edge. So the hamstrings are trained differently from the
quads. As a result, hamstring exercises should be performed with a slow eccentric movement
and an explosive concentric movement.
2.
The hamstrings
have only two major movement patterns; hip flexion and knee flexion (flexing at
the hips and flexing at the knee)
3.
The different
sections of the hamstrings appear to work more in unison as opposed to the
quads where the different muscles have more specialized functions. Only the Bicep Femoris muscle of the hamstring shows
more activity during knee flexion.
You’ll
notice that the glutes are included in the anatomy chart. While not a part of
the hamstring complex, the glutes serve much the same function as the
hamstrings and are affected by the same exercises.
While
some exercises for the quads also have an effect on the hamstrings and glutes
and are definitely useful in development of the hamstrings, the positive
effects are only during a portion of the range of motion. Squats, hack squats and leg press all affect
the hamstrings and glutes when “coming out of the hole”. That is, coming out of
the bottom half of the movement. On leg
press and hack squats you’ll get better activation of the hamstrings if you
place your feet as high as possible on the foot plate.
The top exercises for the hamstrings
that follow will include videos. Since hip flexion is generally required, the
lower back also comes into play so you want your form to be correct. Begin with
light weight and master your form before progressing to heavier loads. Most can
also be done with kettle bells or dumbbells, bands or other apparatus. Go to the "Calculators/Resources" tab at the to of the article for other suggestions.
Romanian
Deadlift (also called a straight legged deadlift)
Deadlift
or Sumo deadlift (studies show little or no difference in muscle activation so
use whichever works best for you)
Glute-Ham
Raise
Lying
Leg Curl
Good
Mornings
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