Strength Ratios

I just found this table and I’m wondering if you guys think it’s right.

I have a hard time believing the hip extension - flexion ratio, and I always thought your quads should have equal strength with the hamstrings.

Did you mean knee extension/flexion?

There’s an article about that here:
http://jssm.org/vol1/n3/1/n3-1pdf.pdf

[quote]Wreckless wrote:
Did you mean knee extension/flexion?

There’s an article about that here:
http://jssm.org/vol1/n3/1/n3-1pdf.pdf [/quote]

That’s what I ment, and that a good article. I only skimmed through it, but is this correct?

  • Must compare the con. to the ecc.

  • Ratios change throughout the movement

  • I can’t use a simple 3:2, or 1:1 ratio

Yes, that’s what I noticed. But it’s pretty hard to put extra weight on mid-rep. So I’m concentrating on this part of the article.

The most frequently reported strength ratio of the muscles of the knee has been the concentric hamstring-quadriceps ratio Hcon/Qcon). Steindler (1955) advanced the generalisation that absolute knee extension muscle force should exceed knee flexion force by a magnitude of 3:2 i.e. Hcon/Qcon
of 0.66. Values ranging from 0.43-0.90 for this knee flexor-extensor ratio have been reported, although it is dependent on angular velocity, test position, population group and use of gravity compensation (see reviews by Nosse, 1982 and Kannus, 1994).
There seems to be little consensus of a normative value for this conventional H/Q ratio, although 0.6
appears to have gained some general acceptance. For instance, Heiser et al. (1984) stated that injury
prevention by detection of muscle imbalances should be based on a minimum Hcon/Qcon ratio of 0.60 at an angular velocity of 1.05 rad.s-1 (60?.s-1).

Also, you probably noticed that an H/Q ratio of 0.66 is identical to an Q/H ratio of 3:2.

So you just focus on a 3:2 ratio?

I’m gonna try and stick to these guide lines.

3:2 Q:H Ration

Hams stronger at lockout (180)

Quads strong at complete flexion (don’t know the angle)

Does this sound good. If yes, that makes another good reason for ATG squats.

Any reliable methods that you have heard about to determine what an athlete’s quad to hamstring ratio might be?

Don’t know

Without defining what you mean by “strength” (ie, what exercise or test you are using to measure strength), this table is completely meaningless.

Yes, strength training for the experienced is using circuits going UP TO 60% of max. Obviously, this article is correct.

One rotten apple spoiles the bunch…