Glute
Ham Raises
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This is an outstanding exercise for strengthening the hamstrings,
glutes, and to a lesser extent,
the calves.
One of the main reasons people injure their knees is because
they have far stronger quadriceps
(muscles on the front of the thigh)
than they do hamstrings (muscles on
the back of the thigh).
This exercise will strengthen the hamstrings to a high level
and will help to eliminate muscle imbalances that can lead
to injury.
It will enable you to generate more force and speed,
and it will help you lift an opponent up off the ground.
Benefits:
Glute Ham Raises will strengthen your hamstrings and glutes
like no other exercise.
They will give you greater explosiveness and overall power
in your lower body,
and will also lessen your chances of knee injuries and hamstring
pulls.
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Here, J.P. Pocock is shown doing Glute Ham Raises on a Glute Ham
Machine designed by Louie Simmons.
This exercise was originally developed by Russian athletes who
placed a gymnastics vaulting horse next to a set of wall bars
that were very common in Russia.
They rested their thighs on the vaulting horse and secured their
heels under the wall bars.
Then they performed the exercise as shown here.
Vasily Alexeev, the Russian Olympic and World Champion weight
lifter, who first broke the 500 lb. barrier on the Clean and Jerk,
routinely did 60 reps to warm up.
He also used 225 lbs. for 5 reps, a phenomenal feat.
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Curl yourself upright using your hamstrings and glutes.
Notice that J.P.’s kneecaps are not contacting the pad.
Also notice that the soles of his feet are in contact with the
toe late.
At the up position your thighs should almost be vertical to the
ground.
Keep your back straight throughout the movement.
Note:
If you don’t have access to a Glute/Ham
Machine,
contact me at:
SJA
P.O. Box 428
Perrysville, OH 44864
sjahq@aol.com
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Note:
The Leg Curl is a sissy exercise. It really only
strengthens the belly of the muscle,
not the insertions which stabilize the joint.
But once in awhile it might be useful for the sake of measurement.
Adhere to the following rule of thumb:
If you can’t Leg Curl at least 60% of what you can do for
a Leg Extension (another sissy exercise),
you are vulnerable to hamstring and knee injuries.
But don’t despair. Glute Ham Raises are a big part of the
solution.
Or, if you can’t afford a Glute/Ham
Machine right now, try improvising with a sit up board as we did
for years before finally buying one. (John
Marotta demonstrates in the picture below)
Be sure to place lots of padding under your knees since there
will be pressure on your knee caps.
Take off just enough resistance with your hands to allow you to
complete the rep,
until over time you don’t need your hands at all.
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