I’ve never done these before this morning. Are they supposed to suck this badly? I’m going to have trouble using the john tomorrow morning, I can feel the pain already.
But a question re: form - why is it called a “glute” ham raise? I didn’t feel glutes contributing at all. So am I doing it wrong?
Natural. I seriously only felt it at the knee, but that could be because I do a lot of deadlift and GM variations, and rarely (except lately due to shoulder probs) hamstring curls.
No glute feeling at all, but looking at those machines I guess they must work the glutes more?
Awesome exercise though, will definitely add this one in regularly. I couldn’t do them before but the gym has just added a rail along one wall that is about the right height to lock my feet under.
Oh I now what you mean, these are a bitch the only thing I don’t like about it is I cramp on it very easily might be because of height but its one of the few things that can give me a cramp in my hamstring-another is heavy benching- sometimes in my calves also which is odd.
We have a very nice one at my college gym, but an average one at the commercial gym these combined with romanian deadlifts will make it very unpleasant to walk.
Yeah, I started to cramp on one of my early sets, right down into my calf. I cramp badly on the hamstring curl, which is one of the (several) reasons I don’t do them too often.
This morning I tried them again, with my feet locked under a rail. I noticed I was pushing my toes back, but the wall was too far behind so I sat a plate against the wall so I had something to push against.
Not only could I complete 10 full ROM reps (small band assisted), but I felt it more in my upper hammies, glutes and calves - and no cramping feeling at all.
The gym owner tells me he’s moving the rail - bummer. I might rig something up at home.
[quote]DragnCarry wrote:
Funny you should mention that about the toes.
This morning I tried them again, with my feet locked under a rail. I noticed I was pushing my toes back, but the wall was too far behind so I sat a plate against the wall so I had something to push against.
Not only could I complete 10 full ROM reps (small band assisted), but I felt it more in my upper hammies, glutes and calves - and no cramping feeling at all.
The gym owner tells me he’s moving the rail - bummer. I might rig something up at home.[/quote]
Home doorway chinup bar setup low to the ground wrapped in a towell. A towel/cushion to kneel on.
Could set up another doorway chinup bar a little higher up to use as an anchor point for bands.
Natural GHR are a hell of a lot harder then those performed on the specialised rigs in my experience.
EDIT: Also…
you could skip the second chin up bar and simply use an explosive pushup to get yourself back up.
Home doorway chinup bar setup low to the ground wrapped in a towell. A towel/cushion to kneel on.[/quote]
Great idea, thanks!
I tried them on the two lat pulldown machines at the gym once before, no go unfortunately. The seats are too short to support my knees.
I once wrote an email to the gym suggesting that a Reverse Hyper would be a great investment, explaining it’s use for back rehab etc and I got a really snippy reply. I should suggest a GHR and see what sort of genius reply I get about that.
[quote]cookie_sq wrote:
When I look around youtube it seems a lot of stuff is called GHR even though it is really hamstring raises.
Am I wrong?[/quote]
You’re not wrong according to exrx! Honestly, I think Hamstring Raise is a much better description for the “natural GHR” as I really don’t feel it in my glutes at all.
[quote]Ryan P. McCarter wrote:
It really is better to push your toes down (plantar flexion) while you do them. It can help produce a stronger contraction in the hamstrings.[/quote]
GHRs do wonders, a great exercise.
amazing how many buff looking guys can’t do them.
important to stay rigid thru out the movement and under control, squeeze the butt cheeks at top.
I could usually do 3/4 of the stack on the leg curl machine at the gym for a solid 6 reps. Recently I tried the “natural GHR” and couldn’t even do a full rep, and could only hold the negative for about 1/2 the way down. Did about 4-5 sets of max reps, 2 days later I was walking around like Ed Norton after his prison rape in american history X.