HAmstring Development?

[deeepsouth_nz]

Apologies if there has been a similar topic but Im scratching my head to figure how I can get this area to grow.

I have been doing plenty of deep squats down to my heels, legcurls (standing/lying), stiffleggeds, glute/ham raises, walking/reverse/forward lunges etc etc. Any and every hamstring ex I can think of.....

.....high reps 10-15, low reps 6-8 BUT they just wont budge or at least not to the size and thickness when viewed from behind Id like (glute ham tie-in has improved somewhat though).

What can people recommend for hitting this area?

Not sure on the low reps as I had heard they are predominantly more fast twitch than the quads, so maybe should go lower and heavier?! But generally tend to mix the reps up anyway.....

Cheers

ds :-s

[Pete]

Are you not doing any deadlifts?

I'd be doing deadlifts lonnnnng before attempting to build hamstrings with quad exercises like squats and lunges.

[goinhard]

He listed "stiffleggeds", which will more than likely be stiff leg deadlifts.

There may be some articles on t-nation that could give a few ideas.

[aaa]

have you tried

training them first in workout

2 short intense hamstring workouts a week

stretching between sets

just some ideas cause your doing all the right exercises.

what sort of cardio you doin if any

[Pete]

He listed "stiffleggeds", which will more than likely be stiff leg deadlifts.

Ah sure -woops.

[SoaringSwine]

Good mornings! Nothing else can gives me hamstring DOMS except GMs anymore.

[biggurl27]

Reverse facing hack squats

[ohjoshua]

Single legged, weighted hyper extentions.

[ohjoshua]

Oh and with regard to rep ranges...

I have herd that the hip extension movement of the hamstrings (GM/SLDL) respond best to high reps

While the leg flextion (leg curlz) responds best to low reps.

[Marcus]

I've found heavy deadlifts have really helped my hamstrings. Also check your form and make sure you are really squeezing them during leg curls etc.

[Optimass]

Good mornings and reverse lunges

[laurasaur]

Check out this article

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_lost_art_of_hamstring_training

by my hero =P~

[michaelk]

Dumbell Leg curls

[musclenz]

Reverse facing hack squats

Agree with biggirl. These are really going to smash your hammies. Go heavy as possible up to 8-10 reps. Start with a couple of plates to get form & blood flow, then keep adding on a plate a side each set. Hams respond to heavy in the 8 rep range. Then finish with curls & get someone to spot your last few reps because hammies fail real quick at the top & then you ROM is limited. Finish with some negs. You're Got Cooked Ham

[deeepsouth_nz]

Train them first day of each week (monday) with glutes and they also get some additional work on the thursday (which is more quad orientated).

Do higher reps typically for the extension type movements and lower for the compound.

Im interested in reverse hacks BigGurl - sounds interesting.....so you just squat down as in a normal hack?!

May have to look into good mornings also....

[aaa]

Im interested in reverse hacks BigGurl - sounds interesting.....so you just squat down as in a normal hack?!

there is a movie of dennis wolf doin these on the muscular development website

[FoTwenny]

A little OT, but I see you're also from Invercargill. Which gym do you attend?

[deeepsouth_nz]

Hmmm, looks morelike a good morning to me...and not too flash for your back at that rate.. :?

[bigmd]

Ther reverse Hacks are great!! it does look dodgy on your back but you will be suprised. there is very little load on your back as if you are placed right from the dtart your centre of gravity doesnt change, which is often the problem when straining the back.

Another great Exercise, is what i call hamstring extentions. Kneeling back to front on a lat pulldown with heals under pads that sit on your knees. hold one end of a light bar or Broom stick Other end on the floor about 1m infront of you. Keep hips pushed forward glutes tight and focus on eccentric as you lower your body to the ground. bar to walk your hands down till you are parrel to the floor. then use only enough weight through your arms to get the body coming up again. walk your hands up the bar till you are back in start position. Hope that makes some sence.

hamstrings and triceps have been studied to be predominatly more Fast twich fibre, even if you look at there funtion. fast explosive movement

(the flexions of the knee when running, and de-acceliration. throwing a ball extention of the elbow. pushing, again extention of the elbow) With fast twitch lower volume in the set, higher resitance, faster tempo in concentric phase. to gain that size and strength be explsive.

think about athletes that have good ham development generally explosve athletes.

[Darwinstef]

I started using "hamstring extensions" about a month ago. I do it the same way as described by bigmd but place a bench a meter out to catch me at the bottom. I started off pretty poorly to be honest but now I can lower to the horizontal on my own steam and use a small push to start the move back to vertical. Killer exercise

[Matrix]

Mike D is right about the hammies of athletes, especially sprinters, many of whom have hammies better than many BBuilders. Ive also found martial artists in styles that require alot of squatting/jumping and kicking usually have pretty developed hammies to e;g Kickboxing/K1 etc.

I agree with ohjoshua on training them with two different rep ranges.

Studies have shown that hip extensors, in this case the gluteal end of your hammies are predominately slow twitch, which would mean they should be respondant to slightly high reps, performed with a straight(can be hard on lumbar spine) or slightly bent knee (good mornings, romanian dlifts, hammie extensions on roman chair etc) whilst the lower portion of the hammie (that crosses the knee) and is a kneeflexor responds preferentaly to higher loads, lower reps and explosive concentric movements.

Incorporating both hip extension, higher rep exercises and knee flexion, lower rep exercises(ham curls etc) into your routine will give you the best chances to improve them.

I also agree that Dlifts really work your hammies strongly and incorporating at leasst one form in each week is good for development and full body functionality.

One note of caution of you are doing reverse hamstring curls on a lat pulldown machines padding. Make sure that the padding is new or very cushioning as this can put alot of pressure on your patella if the padding is thin or worn.

They are a great way to finsh a hammie workout, following perhaps romanian dlifts and a form of leg curl.

If you after another way to train them that involves a bit of creativity, try dragging a sled in reverse which is strong man type training (great for hammies!).

[musclenz]

Ther reverse Hacks are great!! it does look dodgy on your back but you will be suprised. there is very little load on your back as if you are placed right from the dtart your centre of gravity doesnt change, which is often the problem when straining the back.

Another great Exercise, is what i call hamstring extentions. Kneeling back to front on a lat pulldown with heals under pads that sit on your knees. hold one end of a light bar or Broom stick Other end on the floor about 1m infront of you. Keep hips pushed forward glutes tight and focus on eccentric as you lower your body to the ground. bar to walk your hands down till you are parrel to the floor. then use only enough weight through your arms to get the body coming up again. walk your hands up the bar till you are back in start position. Hope that makes some sence.

hamstrings and triceps have been studied to be predominatly more Fast twich fibre, even if you look at there funtion. fast explosive movement

(the flexions of the knee when running, and de-acceliration. throwing a ball extention of the elbow. pushing, again extention of the elbow) With fast twitch lower volume in the set, higher resitance, faster tempo in concentric phase. to gain that size and strength be explsive.

think about athletes that have good ham development generally explosve athletes.

I eagerly await the video :grin:

[deeepsouth_nz]

Ok thanks for the further clarification on the reverse hacks Mike, will give them a go on Monday. Just out of curiosity, what do you do to hit your glutes and hammies and sets/reps wise?

Cheers

ds