Glute-ham Raise Question

Hey guys, I saw in a thread about how to do GH raises with a power rack and a bench. I decided to try them tonite by setting the bar low on a Smith machine and loading 3 plates on each side. Then I use the bar to anchor my feet and put my knees on the bench. I was curious, how far down should I try to go? All the way?

By the time my body gets parallel with the bench my hamstrings just give out and I have to catch myself with my hands. I really want to start progressing in this exercise. Thanks.

I have never been able to go down all the way, but isn’t the answer rather simple? Go down as far as you can, including occasionally falling forwards. If you find you can go lower after a while, fine. If not, it’s a bloody good exercise anyway.

TQB

PS. I sometimes get a sharp shoot of pain in the back of my legs, as if a tendon snaps past a nerve or something.

I’ve just started doing these too. I’m fvcking sore today from working glue-hams two days ago. I’m probably not doing it right but I lowered myself to the point of catching my self w/ my hands then used my arms to give a boost up while tring to focus mostly on the legs (i.e. only using enough arms, no more or less than needed).

If somebody would post a video or two with proper form I’d be very appriciative (I just watched a few off of youtube to learn them).

[quote]Gambit_Lost wrote:
I’ve just started doing these too. I’m fvcking sore today from working glue-hams two days ago. I’m probably not doing it right but I lowered myself to the point of catching my self w/ my hands then used my arms to give a boost up while tring to focus mostly on the legs (i.e. only using enough arms, no more or less than needed).

If somebody would post a video or two with proper form I’d be very appriciative (I just watched a few off of youtube to learn them).

[/quote]

That technique is fine, as far as I know.

I’ve always done ‘Natural’ Glute-Ham raises, which is what it sounds like all posters in this thread are doing, as opposed to a glute-ham machine.

Just lower yourself as far as you can using your posterior muscles, then catch yourself with your hands, and push off with your arms just as little as it takes to get yourself back up using the same musculature that you lowered yourself with.

If you can pick yourself off the floor from a parallel position doing a natural GHR, than you must have unholy hamstrings from hell. Just catch yourself with your hands, and give yourself a little boost to get going. Not as good as a proper GHR bench, but still a damn good exercise and better than leg curls.