Best hamstring exercise

kethnaab · 02-11-2006, 12:50 PM

Well, why not a few more polls, eh?

Mikey1 · 02-11-2006, 12:51 PM

wheres the poll??

kethnaab · 02-11-2006, 12:53 PM

easy killer! it takes a few seconds for the poll to show once the post is shown!

on a side note, I didn't list these in any particular order, other than "the first 7 kick ass, the last 3 kinda suck"

but again, that is my opinion only.

Mikey1 · 02-11-2006, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kethnaab

easy killer! it takes a few seconds for the poll to show once the post is shown!

oh i didnt know that......i never started one before

rockhuddy · 02-11-2006, 12:59 PM

No lunges??? They would be second place for me, after GHRs.

kethnaab · 02-11-2006, 01:19 PM

well no problem then! your #1 is in the poll! :P

I didn't put lunges because I doubted anyone would list them as a #1. #2 maybe, but not #1.

DavetheDog · 02-11-2006, 01:29 PM

Rom DL. Easily.

Poll could have included pullthroughs too - guess some of the PL guys like them.

kethnaab · 02-11-2006, 02:14 PM

yeah, pull throughs as well, but most of the PL guys or the guys who like them would list GM's or RDLs as primary, at least that's what I figured

only 10 choices, so...

Brutarian · 02-12-2006, 02:47 PM

Hip raises.

jked4life · 02-12-2006, 04:15 PM

Romanian Deads. However, I think regular deads hit the hams just as well. They're not on the poll

mangina · 02-12-2006, 04:36 PM

I have a question. All I have done for my hammies is SLDLs, and they have grown pretty nicely and feel very nice. I have never done leg curls before, but I am wondering why they suck? I don't see how any of the compound lifts offer the kind of contraction that leg curls would give. Again, I'm not defending them because I love compounds myself, but I just am wondering why.

Also, how do I do a glute ham raise?

kethnaab · 02-12-2006, 05:24 PM

leg curls don't necessarily suck, but they do not allow for anywhere near the overload that the compounds do.

Sasarai · 02-12-2006, 07:32 PM

Sldl

jked4life · 02-12-2006, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kethnaab

leg curls don't necessarily suck, but they do not allow for anywhere near the overload that the compounds do.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

kethnaab · 02-12-2006, 07:52 PM

i'm impressed. GMs are running neck-and-neck with the almighty RDL.

dparm99 · 02-12-2006, 07:57 PM

How can you put some of those crap exercises in and leave out lunges!?

kethnaab · 02-12-2006, 08:01 PM

are lunges your favorite hamstring exercise? or are lunges #2 for you?

dparm99 · 02-12-2006, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kethnaab

are lunges your favorite hamstring exercise? or are lunges #2 for you?

I would have voted for them if they were on the list.
But that's besides the point, they should be on the list regardless!

kethnaab · 02-12-2006, 08:41 PM

in all honesty, I have not done a single set of lunges in my 20+ years of working out

not saying they aren't worthwhile, it just never occured to me to put them on there.

dparm99 · 02-12-2006, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kethnaab

in all honesty, I have not done a single set of lunges in my 20+ years of working out

not saying they aren't worthwhile, it just never occured to me to put them on there.

I'll forgive you this time mate.

kethnaab · 02-12-2006, 10:29 PM

'preciate. there are other good choices up there, pick one. :P

$AJ · 02-12-2006, 11:10 PM

low box squat.

mangina · 02-12-2006, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kethnaab

'preciate. there are other good choices up there, pick one. :P

no Atrainer flies?

MantisShrimp · 02-12-2006, 11:37 PM

I'm partial to the ham execise that everyone likes to ridicule, lying leg curls. Sure they don't help build flexibility and don't overload as much, but given my program I like the fact that they leave my back out of it, I get enough back work already. Similar to biceps, I don't wanna do pullups for biceps because I already have back work built in. I sometimes do SLDL for the stretch but never with anything near maximal effort.

Back squat is my other main leg exercise and honestly my hams are growing faster than my quads. Not saying I'd recommend this plan to anyone else, but I like what it's doing for me.

dparm99 · 02-12-2006, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mangina

no Atrainer flies?

haha

kethnaab · 02-12-2006, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mangina

no Atrainer flies?

*laughs*

well, leg curls have overtaken the venerable Romanian Deadlift as the #3 favorite hamstring exercise.

Glute/Ham raises are only 3 votes ahead, and stiff leg deadlifts are running away with this competition...I'm just glad to see GM's get some love.

MantisShrimp · 02-12-2006, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kethnaab

*laughs*

well, leg curls have overtaken the venerable Romanian Deadlift as the #3 favorite hamstring exercise.

You know the thing I like about the leg curl is that you have no distraction, no real form worries, just you, with your face buried in the bench grinding away on your reps, there is no way to cheat, you've either hit your target or you have not. I've gone from doing 70x20RP on leg curls to 100x20RP in the last 3 months, and that growth is showing up in my ability to get my deads off the floor.

FarEastBeast · 02-13-2006, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MantisShrimp

I'm partial to the ham execise that everyone likes to ridicule, lying leg curls. Sure they don't help build flexibility and don't overload as much, but given my program I like the fact that they leave my back out of it, I get enough back work already. Similar to biceps, I don't wanna do pullups for biceps because I already have back work built in. I sometimes do SLDL for the stretch but never with anything near maximal effort.

Back squat is my other main leg exercise and honestly my hams are growing faster than my quads. Not saying I'd recommend this plan to anyone else, but I like what it's doing for me.

Lying leg curls never did anything for me personally, but I feel standing leg curls on a low cable with an ankle strap really well. But for me SLDL is number one because my hams have always lagged and I need that direct, heavy work on them. You simply can't go heavy on curls safely or effectively, though they are valuable companions to SLDLs.

T. Bone · 02-13-2006, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by $AJ

low box squat.

Bingo.

MantisShrimp · 02-13-2006, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarEastBeast

Lying leg curls never did anything for me personally, but I feel standing leg curls on a low cable with an ankle strap really well. But for me SLDL is number one because my hams have always lagged and I need that direct, heavy work on them. You simply can't go heavy on curls safely or effectively, though they are valuable companions to SLDLs.

Yeah but the hamstrings are not even the target muscles for the SLDL or SBSLDL.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...gDeadlift.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...gDeadlift.html

I don't wanna base my hamstring power on lifts where they are synergists. Too inefficient for my already minimalist program. If anything I'd go for hyperextensions or their inverse, GMs. But here again, too much back synergist activity.

I go to absolute failure on leg curl, it can be dangerous in the eccentric portion but if sufficiently warmed up, it's not a problem.

And glute ham raise and regular "ham raise" are just variations on the leg curl IMO.

If the goal is overloading, they get plenty of overloading during my back squats and 1-3RM conventional deadlifts. The goal of my ham training is to KILL my hams as quickly and efficiently as possible. And then to go to Dennys and eat a "Moons over my Hammy" sandwich.