Table of Contents:
Best Hamstring Exercise? How To Perform Glute Ham Raises
Video taken from the channel: Barbell Logic
The Hardest Hamstring Exercise | No Weights!
Video taken from the channel: FitnessFAQs
Why You Should NOT DO LEG CURLS!
Video taken from the channel: GuerrillaZen Fitness
The Most Effective Way to Train HAMSTRINGS | Training Science Explained
Video taken from the channel: Jeff Nippard
The RIGHT way to do LEG CURLS 4 Maximum Muscle Growth
Video taken from the channel: Ron Williams
Nordic Hamstring Curl Technique, How to set it up, how to do it without a partner, and variations
Video taken from the channel: E3 Rehab
THE BICEP OF THE LEG: HAMSTRINGS AND THE LEG CURL
Video taken from the channel: MiamiMuscleUSA
Step-by-Step Instructions. Start by lying flat on your stomach. Adjust the roller pad so that it rests comfortably a few inches under your calves, just above the heels. Check to make sure the pads aren’t too Stretch your legs out fully. On an inhale, lightly grasp the support handles on each.
Variations Seated Leg Curl: Performed in a seated position with your back rested against the support pad. Standing Leg Curl: Involves lying with your torso bent forward at about 30-45 degrees so that one of the legs is Stability Ball Leg Curl: Requires you to lie supine on the floor and position.Stability Ball Curls Stability ball curls combine the benefits of a typical leg curl with a strong core workout.
Begin by lying face up on the floor with your calves propped on the ball. Extend.How To Do The Lying Leg Curl Start by adjusting the machine so your thighs and torso sit comfortably on the pads when you’re lying face down. The lever on.Body curls are a great progression/variation from sliding leg curls.
Instead of keeping your torso fixed and sliding with your feet, keep the feet stationary and move your body back and forth. They work best with a slideboard, but you can make due by putting a couple of sliders underneath a plate and resting your shoulders on top of the plate.Seated Exercise Technique 1) Take a seat on the machine with your back placed comfortably against the pad.
2) Position your lower leg against the pad of the extended lever, adjust the lap pad so that it is securely holding your legs in position. The lap pad should be between the knees and the hip.When at the gym, you should be able to do at least 12 to 15 repetitions of reverse leg curls if the weight is appropriate and your technique is good. Aim for at least four sets of 15 repetitions two times per week to increase your strength. 2. Build Knee Stability and Muscle Balance.
To do it: Place your feet hip-width apart. Keep your shoulders away from your ears.Here’s how to do the sliding leg curls: Grab your sliding tool of choice (and a mat, if necessary) and lie on your back with your knees bent, and.
How To Do A Biceps Curl A few things first: You can either do a biceps curl sitting on a bench or standing. It’s mostly personal preference, but Bonney says standing challenges your core more.How to PROPERLY Leg Press | 3 Leg Press Variations for Muscle Gain Duration: 7:32.
Colossus Fitness 967,130 views. 5-Leg Curls Duration: 2:12. Bill Comstock 14,655 views.
One option is to do the exercise with just one leg at a time, which may mean that you’ll start with a lighter weight. For that variation, keep the un-used leg in its same position, but lift it away from the plate slightly so it’s not in use. Another option is to do toe raises, which work the muscles of the calf.
As you curl each leg back in, feel your hamstring work to pull the towel back in. If the single towel or slider move is easy, put a towel or slider under each foot and alternate legs, sliding one leg out at a time. To perform the two leg curl, place both feet on top of one towel about hip width apart (or a towel/slider under each foot).The Benefits of Hammer Curls. Dumbbell Bicep Curl Variations. Now that you know how to do dumbbell bicep curls with perfect form, try different variations: bicep curls are the go-to move for bigger guns.
The key is to experiment with different variations and lifting techniques so you can target both heads of the bicep.In this video, I will teach you how to perform NHCs with just a padded barbell, plates, and a balance pad. I will also teach you proper mechanics, along with.
List of related literature:
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| from A Tooth from the Tiger’s Mouth: How to Treat Your Injuries with Powerful Healing Secrets of the Great Chinese Warrior | |
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| from Natural Bodybuilding | |
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| from Glute Lab: The Art and Science of Strength and Physique Training | |
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| from You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises for Men and Women | |
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| from Arnold | |
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| from Physical Activity Instruction of Older Adults | |
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| from The Cyclist’s Training Bible | |
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| from Pilates Anatomy | |
| |
| from The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding: The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revis | |
| |
| from The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Being Fit |
236 comments
Hey Blake, I’ve got a lot of hamstring pain due to SI joint related glute inhibition. Basically my hamstrings are overworked and firing whenever I do hip extension. HALP. Any tips on fixing my firing pattern?
¡Wooow! Great video, I loved it. And man ¿you’re made of iron or something? ¡What an incredible body! Blessings from Barcelona, Spain.
Leg curls, paused dumbbell deadlifts, and stretching has cured my APT.
For those who do have access to a list pulldown machine. You can try doing full reps, with the concentric, but with holding the grip of the lat pulldown in order to assist you by the weight you’ve put. This will also allow for progressive overload. Similar to Daniel’s pulley for OAC
I love working out because there’s nothing like life health and strength and freedom Thanks for sharing your video
What should be the rep range for this exercise?
And if my gym doesn’t have this particular machine, what is a goos alternate?
What about adding isolation work for the glutes to try and combat this problem?
Thanks Blake! Great to know! My trainer had me doing these some for a short period. If we come up to them again, I’ll suggest the alternates. She’s good a coming up with alts!
First Video I have seen from Jeff. I have been a lifter for 40 years. Mainly powerlifting. Great explanation of hamstrings.
I get calf cramps most of the times I try this exercise. Anybody else having the same problem?
Very nice!!! When will be video about shrimp squat? thanks a lot!!!
This video thoroughly impresses and excites me!! I highly appreciate your mentioning of the why of the exercise!! The Nordic is unique in allowing for supramaximal eccentric overload and targets BOTH ends of the hammies… I would argue that most hamstrings strains occur when the hamstrings are stretched on both ends with a load they are unable to handle. Makes sense to me why this exercise is great for sprinters and athletes who rely on linear speed(ie. Soccer players). Pretty cool how research has validated the theory! Sam, I noticed you said you’re not a huge fan of the exercise. I know you stick to the research, but I sure value your opinion too. What leads you to not be a big fan of it?
Should i max out my squat without accessory movements before i add these?
So it’s important for the ankle to mimic a position found during running, but the same isn’t important for the hip angle? If you look at the Nordic curl from “functional angles” standpoint, they can’t be further from the reality. You basically start from a position of active insufficiency of the hamstrings, thus nowhere near the late swing phase of running. Also, an average rep of a Nordic curl lasts only 2,6 seconds. So, in theory, the Razor curl is actually more functional. I tried both, and the Razor curl is definitely easier. So maybe it’s the intensity rather than the exercise and the type of the contraction that matters. Now I’m not here to criticize you because I think you guys are among the best resources out there for PTs and coaches. But I’m not a big believer in Nordics though you can’t argue with their efficacy. Even the single leg hamstring bridge is more functional than this. It’s also not entirely clear whether the hamstrings work isometrically or eccentrically during high-speed running. What do you guys think about the Single Leg Roman Chair Hold? It has recently been proven to be better at improving hamstring strength-endurance than the Nordics. It is also very hard and mimics the angles, and POSSIBLY the contraction type of hamstrings during running. Keep up the great work and maybe make a video on this exercise!!!!
Ron some would say the leg curl and extension are dangerous (Jeff C) would you agree?
I really liked the anatomical part, you did a very good job!
I might as well listen to Lee Priest….saying leg curl is the best for hamstring on Sam’s channel…..and never going beyond 70 lbs
Great domonstration! Thanks! I would love to hear your take on the RDL. Who would benefit and why. Thanks
Would compound excercises like curtsy lunge or (high feet) leg press count on the overall volume of training (hamstrings) per sesion? My hamstrings aren’t growing and I fear I may be over training them �� thanks for the fantastic aproach and well explained content!
You’re too sexy, man! I can’t really concentrate on your science…. loool sorry… Been wanting to tell you that a long time ago, but just never dared… Anyway, keep up the good work! God bless!
back of my of my knee pops when I do ham curls, I’ve stopped doing them but will the polling go away for good?
what is the functional benefit of building hamstring muscles? do we even need too much strength in them while glutes are meant to do most work? stretching them makes sense.
I have to work in a high school weight room, so I needed this. We have a rowing machine I could keep in mind. I will also keep the slide leg exercise in mind for home exercise.
I started doing hamstring curls recently and I found them to be really helpful. My quads were dominant and it seems I need to strengthen the hamstrings. I also work the glutes a lot
Very interesting! Genius! Looked at your perspective because i was doing glute lifts with knee extension/flexion with the stability ball for ham isolation but i think my dominant right gastrocnemus took over and inflammmed at the knee. Using a tennis ball to roll facsia there.
However, i feel if the hams are super weak like after surgery…ok to do a little bit leg curl.
You’re absolutely right. Sometimes I would lift my butt unintentionally, and I would not feel it in my hamstrings as much. I was so ignorant though, I thought I was getting stronger because I wasn’t feeling it in my hamstrings as much, even though I was doing the same exercise. Just like you’re saying, technique makes the difference.
Your machine appears to be hanging lower downward, if it is, did you have it special made,hm�� just curious��. Amen!!!
Hi, my left glute feels fuller than the eight flute, also my pelvis feels rotated. Should I work my eight flute more to fix the rotation? Thank you
Is the squat harmful for the hamstrings or just useless for the hamstrings?
Clear logic in the design of our muscles and delusional people still think humans and everything else are the “result” of random, mindless and chaotic particles Lol.
This one is really a killer. I never tried doing it eccentric though, need to do that:)
such useful info. I’ve seen a handful of Jeff’s vids now and really think he’s doing some of the most insightful and well structured fitness videos out there on Youtube. New Sub for sure
Hi Daniel, it looks that in this position, the muscles force just between 90° to full extension, but no less, however in a deep squat you have hips lower than your knees, and so have a lower than 90° angle. Dont you think that muscles are going to be unmuscled in this part of the ROM?
2 leg days a week… ������… I can barely sit down and take a crap for 3 days let alone do it twice!
Thank you, Jeff “Muscle Nerd” Nippard (no offense intended). This is such great detail.
On my right leg, I have such an imbalance in my outer hamstring compared to my inner hamstring that I believe its the cause of my back problems. Im constantly having to pop my hips and back and my back “goes out” randomly. I’ll start a new workout today.
What about low bar squats? Arent those more focused on hamstrings?
20 sets total for all of legs? Or 20 sets for hams, 20 for quads, 20 for calves etc??
This is some bangin quality youtube fitness content. Dam you Nippard
“If you’re training this movement at the gym…” I was hoping you’d give recommendations for if we’re NOT training at the gym, too!
Would the barbell lunge also be a good hamstring exercise? My thinking is that as you step out with one leg you are activating the quad on that leg for the forward knee flexion, but the other leg would be flexing with your foot behind you supporting the weight of your body and the barbell on the eccentric and pushing up on the concentric. Basically loaded flexion with your foot in front of you works the quads, loaded flexion with your foot behind you (like on a lunge) works the hams?
Amazing demonstration and explanation. You earned yourselves a subscriber
Excellent Jeff. However, one important tip when performing seated/prone leg curls: Dorsi Flex, in order to limit the gastrocs from assisting. This places emphasis on the hamstrings
WOW!!! Fuckin amazing!! Your the man!!!!!! I’ll do it,, thanks again!!!
So what would be a good leg workout? Doing squats and lunges or something?
I’ve finally reached the band assisted version of these after a month and a few days of BW romanian deadlifts progressions. Can’t wait to try them!
+FitnessFAQs is there a way to progress to this because i have been struggling to get to this and using a resistance band don’t seem to cover it
Good info. I never have my clients do ham curls for those reasons. I’ve stopped doing them a long time ago. Stiff leg deadlifts, RDLs, and back extensions are the way to go
I just want to know will it help with elimination of Charley horse?
@JeffNippard what would you consider light? 20% of your heavy set, maybe?
My gym dont have ghr like that one. Will it work the same if i used to 45 degree one??
I neglect hamstring because you can’t use dumbbell or barbell, except deadlift.
This is a video just making content… But opinion is the down fall of personal training.
Thank you a lot! I just assembled mine yesterday, just started feeling these on My hams ��
Could my imbalance of strong, larger than average quads to weak gluten and hammys play a role in the low back pain due to a slight bulging disc?
I love the way you really explain things to the little details. By no doubt your content is the highest quality content in the fitness industry! Just wanted to say thanks and let you know it’s appreciated.
lol so tired of people saying stop doing this to make videos we all been doing all of these things for years
I don’t have a hamstring curl machine I heard that was best for building muscle is this true and wgats the best exercise I can do for big bicep hamstrings? Deadlifts and squats dont seem to do it?
Great exercise, the best exercise for hamstrings.
Although there is 1 problem. Its not simple to perfom outside the gym, I tried it in a numerous ways, and its really not comfortable without those small pillows. Either way, with some creativity I finally found a nice way to be able to do it at home:)
Also, what about the concentric part of the movement? I enjoy do that as well
Ok but whenever i do the lying leg curl I feel like my calves start to hurt or take over,, is this normal?? how do I assert this situation?
I do suffer from hamstring pulls when I sprint… Probably from not stretching enough before sprinting and definitely from having hammy that are weak…THIS EXERCISE CAN BE DONE EVERYDAY I ASSUME..WHAT IS A GOOD ROUTINE… SETS AND REPS THAT YOU WOULD RECOMMEND??
Leg curls on the machine make me feel a sudden brief discomfort on the knees on the concentric phase, which makes me believe it’s a harmful exercise. I’m a novice to this exercise only using 10kg…
Maybe my range of motion is too extense?
ok from the preview image i thought this dude misses a hand..
What about using it as an assistance exercise after deadlifts? Can it be bad for you if you are making sure that you have no imbalances?
I think I haven’t commented yet because you’re very analytical and logical, so I’ve been pretending to myself that you’re like AI creating videos. Forgot that you’re a human being. I’ve watched and learned a ton from all this hard work done and excellent content you’ve created. Thanks Jeff.
I have to say, you’re videos are very good and you’re so knowledgeable in the subject. Thank you for all that you do and I hope everything continues to go well for you!
Slightly faulty logic. You should use leg curls to improve agonist/antagonist balance. Dominant quads are a very widespread problem, while muscle imbalance stemming from dominant hamstrings are extremely rare. Also Leg curls are not designed to “program” your muscle for a certain coordinative goal, since its an isolation exercise, no intermuscular programming takes place. That being said, theres also no “misprogramming”. For a certain coordinative goal, there are other go-to exercises, depending on your goal. What you did was like judging the value of an avocado by its protein or complex carbs content �� leg curls are FINE if you use them right.
Try this for super hamstring & glutes �� Subscribe to my channel & stay touch with me ❤️ https://youtu.be/_msiNCOFw0Q
As always, quality explanation, demonstration, and video production. Thanks Barbell Logic! ����
But your hamstrings have two actions, hip extension AND knee flexion. Only training one end of the hamstrings is asking for trouble. Think less about the muscles you’re trying to target and think more about the joint action. Knee flexion isn’t wrong or bad, then why not load it and make it stronger. Simply telling people that ALL Leg curls are bad is complete BS. Tell them its based on the individual and their limitations and goals. I for one can say that I’ve seen huge improvements in my squats and deadlifts by getting my knee flexion stronger. I’ve also have got rid of my knee pain I’ve had for a while, and also helped many of my clients fix their knee issues with the smart programming of loaded knee flexion. You’re not doing your job here buddy, sorry. Read up on Charles Poliquin’s stuff on leg curls, and why he recommends it’s use. No offence, but I’d rather get my info from a world class strength coach than some random on Youtube, and I recommend the same for everyone else.
Thanks for the gliding leg curls. Didn’t know they existed.
The nordic hamstring curls are too difficult for me so these will be a good alternative.
I have found slightly higher reps with medium weight is much better for hamstrings. I use to go heavy for 8 but now I perfer to do at least 12 rep sets. My reasoning is I am more in control of the movement. Same with leg extensions I always zone in on 12 plus reps. Legs are a weird muscle group. They need allot higher reps to grow. Just my opinion.
I don’t do weird exercises, not because I’m smart but because I’m dumb. I do low bar squat, OHP, deadlift (one set only), and on workout B I do low bar again, bench and bent over rows.
What are your thoughts on the low bar squat wrt hams as opposed to high bar? Does what you say in the vid apply equally?
What about recovery? I find my hams recover more slowly than the other groups, though that may be primarily a function of deadlift recovery. Btw your variety of the hanging deadlift has me intrigued, for it’s stretch reflex. I better get myself to look into this.
Thanks for all the great information, I’ve used it to create the best at home hamstring workout ever. It is like the gliding leg curl at 4:11 but with a chair with wheels it works great
Although leg development would be optimal with weights (mainly through squats and deadlifts) if you put your mind to it you can find some great exercises like this to favor your leg strength and hypertrophy. PS: dude you’re impressively strong at these
I’ve been doing this and my hamstrings have gotten more defined and stronger. It’s more intense and efficient than weights
my knees hurt so bad when i do leg curls and my hamstring cramps up so easily…..why is this? needless to say i havent been doing them anymore
Great video btw! I just wanted you to know to try to make your videos 10min long. This increases the green paper. Shelby church had a video about it.
I’m really frustrated because I don’t want to do Leg Curls since they hurt my knees, plus the issues you mentioned in this video, but I can’t do any exercise that works the lower back even moderately hard because I fucked up my sacro last year and it never got better.
I tried super light Romanian Deadlifts (20 lbs literally just holding 2 10 lb plates is all I can handle, and even then it hurts my sacro). So until I can fix my sacro (if ever) is there any possible way to work the hamstrings that won’t hurt either my knees or lower back? I figure the answer is “no”, just due to the nature of how the muscles need to be activated, but I thought I’d ask.
holy crap i’ve been trying to keep my foot flat on the foot plate this whole time……… Thank you so much for this!
Hmmm… eccentric… this makes it sound as if the “positive” movement was possible… but is it? It already looks incredibly hard as it is!
Good stuff. Thank you. This was just what I was searching. I split my quads and hams for two different days and I’ll be doing this for a few weeks.
Leg curls are great for bodybuilding and developing your hamstrings. I mix ’em up with stiff legged deadlifts, kettlebell swings, etc… as long as you use proper form and don’t rely on them as your main hamstring exercise they are great. Moderate weight, slow repetition, feel the negative, squeeze the glutes, and this is a great exercise. To each his own…..
For most people theyre not helpful, but for bodybuilders at the highest lvl, leg curls are important to really develope the short head of the biceps femoris, to get that extra detail on the hamstrings, but for most people, its just unneccesary.
I see so many people that do this with knees on the bench, myself included, keep up the good work Ron, great advice!
I already have quite big glutes and I feel them a lot when deadlifting etc but I don’t know if I have underdeveloped hamstrings or not. Should I still avoid leg curls and replace them with GHR for example?
I’ve heard many names for this exercise…the naughty(?) curl is a first for me lol.
I like gliding and sliding leg curls which activate the glutes. Russian curls too and the ones mentioned in the video. Thanks
Bro this exercise is definitely my top1 for hamstrings even tho i can only do it from the heap (easiest progression) and even then it kills my hamstrings like nothing else. Hell, i can jump on the machine and pull the full rack (110kg) for reps with my hamstrings but it’s NOTHING compared to even the easiest progression of this killer exercise.
Glad you made a video about it and really happy to see that you approve this exercise!
Okay then how are you supposed to get your hamstring muscles built behind your legs if you can’t do reverse leg curls
The slide leg exercise can be done with a swiss ball, it’s more convenient.
EMG studies show that hamstrings are hardly active during sprinting. The lower extremity extension is due to ground reaction forces mainly.
I did a few sets of hamstring curls for the first time then a week later I played football and pulled my hamstrings for the first time.
Question: Blake
Do you think amount of weight contributes to synergistic dominance? Maybe go lighter weight on hams..?
Hams do stabilize knee…athletes need that.
“it takes up a big footprint” I live in a small appartment and i just bought one… I love it and i think i’m going to get rid of my dinning table. Who needs a dinning table anyway?
I love your tips. They’ve really helped me grow and getting more out of every workout.
Thanks Champ
Please Daniel, the word is EK-centric!!! Not Ee-centric. You make some of the most authoritative BB vids on Youtube. Don’t lower yourself to everyone else’s level by also mispronouncing the word! There are two ‘Cs’ in the word for a reason. The first syllable Ec, means ‘away from’. Centric means ‘center’. This is why the word is also used to describe crazy people, b/c they’re away from the center, or the norm. The word you keep saying, ‘E-centric’, means ‘without a center’. Be more educated than every other lunkhead on here and pronounce the word properly! EK-Centric. People might call you crazy, -even eccentric, for saying it that way, but you can sleep well knowing that you’re in the right. And sleeping well builds more muscle!
Your leg development will not be optimal if you do not do legcurls. Sorry bud. There’s no ‘synergistic dominance’ if you squat and legcurl your ass off.
Any excuse can be used to avoid hard work. I call that ‘synergistic pussification’ ��
I used to do leg extensions and leg curls before learning about squats and also learning on youtube videos that leg extensions and leg curls aren’t good for you. So I haven’t done leg extensions nor leg curls for many years now and I don’t like it at all. The results were much better when I used to do leg extensions and leg curls when I am playing basketball or jogging. My friends used to tell me it felt like my legs were made out of springs because I could run and jump higher and I felt that way too. I felt like the muscles were giving me all the support I needed when I was running or jumping, I really felt the strength in my legs but now that I haven’t done leg extensions and leg curls for so long I don’t feel the strength I used to have nor the speed I used to have when I used to do these exercises. I am planing to do these exercises once again.
I love hip extension exercises but there is absolutely noting wrong with doing hamstring curls. You need hip extension and knee flexion to target all of the hamstring muscles.
I do ankle weighs lying down legs curls because i ran a short distance without stressing my legs last month i felt a little knee pain above my left knee since i have been walking fast my entire life which is my normal walk because i never could walk slow even if i had too so i decides to use light ankles weighs to workout the knee pain i can still walk real fast with no problem i must have had pull something because i ran a quick short distance about longer than a semi truck no more longer than that i also use my bicycle to workout the knee pain of my left knee since im using ankle weighs lying down legs curls i also work my right leg which i didn’t have any pain in my right knee i just want to even both legs out instead of working out just my left knee
The result, a damn good pump on the hamstrings. I can finally stop hogging the hack squat machine:). Cheers
Hi guys…. Welcome to YouTube. Leg Curls are bad, Leg Extensions are bad, Squats are bad, Leg Press is bad, Sissy Squats are really bad. These pencil neck “Personal Trainers” have declared all these exercises as BAD. Anything left for us bodybuilders to do. Someone enlighten me ��
I had a knee injury and the doctor said that I should do leg curl but actually my knee hurts after doing this exercise, can this exercise also damage the knee?
Is anyone experiencing popping on the back of the knees? It happens to me just when I do hamstring curls, it is kinda uncomfortable
Could you further explain how you did the bed sheet part. Specifically how you prepared the bed sheet for the workout. Thanks!
I noticed you curl your toes to your shins during the movement, is it better to point your toes away, or curl them toward your shin, as you’ve shown?
If I do these should I keep back extensions in my program, too?
So that’s why the leg slide is so brutal! Awesome alternatives!
What are you smokeing so wrong on lots of info wheres your info coming from and no not your personal experience get us some info on why you feel this way or stop talking trash about things you apparently know half truths about
Bodyweight leg curls on a glute ham raise machine are superior.
What about using body weight leg curls using furniture sliders?
What should be a strong thighcalf ratio.?? ��… Please anyone tell me..!!
I love watching you grow on YouTube and you’ve been a great model for me ��
The equipment at home only allows me to do this exercise with plantar flexed feet… is this alright
Is there a concern at the patellofemoral joint with chronic use of this exercise?
I always thought you just went to parallel to the floor, nobody else in my gym does them this way. Glad to see the proper form
Instructions unclear ended up doing bicep curl in squat rack��
What do you think about the nordic hamstring exercise? I never do leg curls because my hamstrings usually spasm bigtime from them, especially the standing ones. I do deads/squats and walking lunges/bulgarian splits mainly for lower body and I don’t generally have any hamstring issues as i’ve never injured it in the past but I know that i’m probably limiting my jumping potential and shock absorption for my knees by avoiding hamstring specific exercises. I also do glute bridges but was thinking of adding these nordic hamstrings to my lower body workout regimen. What do you think? I’m basically trying to figure out a few new exercises to help me in sport, i’m mainly a volleyball/baseball player but im about 6’1 235 so it’s pretty hard on my body and I do training pretty regularly to rehab some RSI/Joint Injuries [supraspinatus tear, labrum tear, PFS in my right knee and a couple ankle injuries]
Does this still work or have they patched it in the newest update
so glad I’ve liked this channel, it surprises me with great information almost every day.
I have a question. When you sprint, the hamstrings seem to serve both to propel the hips and to slightly bend the knee, or rather to keep it slightly bent. But when you do any variation of a deadlift, the hamstrings would appear only to be serving the first function. Does that mean that deadlifts are lacking in their transference to sprinting performance?
thanks for this video and all your others…I was actually searching How to DO lying leg curls without a machine and this video changed my mind! I want to build some size on my hamstrings…what would you recommend as the best but most safe exercise to do this please?
This is such excellent content. The biomechanics are well explained ����������������
Well I’m suffering now from bad knee pain and I can’t even walk due to this leg curl �� not happy
What would be a good alternative exercise for hamstrings if stiff-legged deadlifts are out of question (low grade spondylolisthesis)?
In the thumbnail and beginning of video, Jeff nippard has no hands
hi there blake, i am gonna probably apply at your site so we can do a specific program for me. I really like your aproach. I think I have anterior pelvic tilt, and I saw lots of videos on youtube saying that when you have APT your hamstrings are actually lenghtened and WEAK, and not strong and shortened. They do feel very tight, but they say it is neurological tightness and not mechanical tightness, because it is so lenghtened that the body kinda tightens it to prevent more problems. So instead of stretching them i would have to strenghten them and try to make them tighter. that is what they say for APT: stretch hams and alower back and strenghten abs, glutes and hamstrings. would love to hear your input. thanks
I think it is called the Natural Hamstring Curl. If I am not mistaken. Wouldn’t the GHR be done on the machine with the rollers to help with the exercise? I could be wrong.
This guys strength and endurance just amazingly high ty btw also for awesome videos i learned a lot.
Thanks for this information! I will do deadlift insted of leg curls. Subed: ) Ok, after checking your other video I’ll add hip thrust after deadlift. Thanks dude
Modulating the intensity on these is easier than the nordic hamstring curl
Hi Blake, what do you think oh Glute Ham Raises? Single Leg Deadlift and step up are good?
what if you do Hamstring curls prone while the glutes are contracted and you’re doing them to try and tighten the hamstrings to combat anterior pelvic tilt
Im a girl.. hmmm a weak girl ��.. can i purchase your workout n start this strength journey! I dk if it was designed for girls as well
Sir I want to improve my upper chest please confirm how to improve
Would a bodyweight leg curl be safe? Its where you start off in a glute bridge position on a slippery floor with socks on and you do the same motions as a leg curl, only with the glutes kicking in on the action.
I can buy in to what your saying here, however Ive had good results doing 2 sets of light leg curls, on the machine with a resistance band and 10 lb plates after doing 6 or 7 sets of squats. I foam roll before and after my workout along with real good stretching. I dont do the leg extension machine because when i tried them, it gave me knee pain.
I could throw out leg curls and probably be okay.
Should I stop if I havent had any issues?
Thanks Ron, that was some great advice. Keep it up bro. I’m always enlightened by your channel.
Thanks for the helpful info. All your videos are very educational
Hey daniel i bought the body by rings program and i can say it was awsome. I planned on starting it again. But now when i try to log in the page it says thst the email is not found as a memeber. Can you plzz help me with this? Thanks.
Best ghr video on YouTube…no one else explains where exactly to place your knees.
so the deadlift and romanian deadlift are not enough for hamstrings and you must add the leg curl to hit the biceps femoris short head?
Thank you for the detailed video. My request would be to make a video on Smith Machine Incline Barbell Bench Press. Thanks
What about for someone who stands all day and their knees tend to be hyperextended? Still avoid curls?
I just tried this myself. It was so uncomfortable for my knees, at the point of the hamstring attachment. Could that be because the knee placement is so close together on a pulldown machine?
I’m not a big fan of the TRX in general, but doing that gliding hamstring curl on the TRX is a great variation of that exercise.
please do a video about leg extensions. I seem like it would be a great follow up to this video. And a good follow up to that would be showing us some bad isolation exercises and some good isolation exercises
thanks love your stuff man
Awesome!
what about leg extensions? heard somewhere they bad for knees. Should an athlete do them?
i been on the gym for 6 months, i don’t work, pretty much the legs, do you recommend easy deadlifts with proper form to a new/begginer on legs?
You must love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. You must love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus the anointed/Christ is Lord.
a bit flawed line of though considering that the short head of the bicep femoris is a knee flexor only so a knee flexion movement is required. One could argue that the GHR is a bettwr movement for those purposes as it has more glute activation involved but mixing up some curls is not a bad approach either.
Should I refrain from deadlifting while my hams are tight? They’ve gotten a lot better since I’ve been fixing my posture, but I find it difficult to determine when you’re done fixing and you can go back to working out normally.
love ur videos based on facts based on science keep doin your thing
Would a standing cable kickback be a good exercise for the glutes?
came across this exercise back in the 90’s. from what I read, track runners have been doing this exercise, long before I read about it. the article called it the GHG raise, glute/ham/gastroc, and claimed it was the only exercise that contracts the hamstring at both the hip and knee joints, at the same time. the article was in a magazine called “Sports Fitness”, that was published by Joe Weider of “Muscle Builder” fame…the article was titled, “How not to pull a Hamstring”.
I’m gonna begin calisthenics, and I wanted a little bit of advice. I believe I will have to spend a lot of money to buy a pullup bar, a dip station, somewhere to do low bar stuff (like australian pullups and BW bicep curl); and I wonder if buying rings would be a better choice. As they seem to be very versatile, as I can adjust the weight, to get the benefits of all equipment I said above. Do you think it’s a good idea for a beginner? Because they seem to be a little bit advanced. Please, feel free to comment, any help is aprecciated.:)
Great video! I just subscribed after watching the video.
I’ve been wanting to add this equipment to my home gym for a long time. Like many, my hamstrings & glutes have always been weak areas. I just purchased my glute ham raise. I’ve been practicing the movement a few reps daily. I will add the exercise to my regular workout routine once my form is mastered.
I have scoliosis and I’ve been training for years I kinda think I should see a specialist at some point
Daniel, what are the tradeoffs between bodyweight and weighted leg training? You seem to advocate both, and in some videos you’ve said it’s best to train legs with weights. I’m a little confused since you have a whole bodyweight leg training program.:)
The Standing single-legged hamstring curl machine seems like a good option. I think as long as you dont do too many sets and dont use too much weight,they will have a good place in a well-rounded lower-body bodybuilding routine. I actually did them today after i did seated calve raises and they are apparently a good complement to calve training. I felt the pump in my calves and they seem to have an explosive component/benefit to them. The standing single-legged glute press machine is another seemingly unexploited and beneficial missing link type of bodybuilding/sport-specific movement that seems to be quite good in doses,much like the standing single-legged hamstring curls.
I almost died. Thank you. Hopefully I can walk tomorrow. Now I know what I need to strengthen!! Wow!!
If nordic curls are too difficult, what beginner progressions would you recommend before starting them?
Hi Blake, its hard to see when you’re demonstrating the movement on a dark background with you dark exercise pants. Had to squint to see what you were talking about… I got some low-vision problems. Just my opinion, not meant to offend you. Thanks!
Looks like you have to be in great shape before you can even dare to try this exercise, other you’ll seriously hurt yourself..
Now how could I do all of these at home?!
Specially deadlifits and leg curls
Not much weight is needed. The technique is worth more. Thanks a lot!!!
Concentric Leg Curls highly increase injury risk while sprinting.
Please make the next video on the correct form of deadlifts,
please a request from a subscriber of past 3 years.
What’s the best hamstring exercise when I don’t have access to equipment (e.g. when out of town)?
I’ll be incorporating this exercise into the routine next month. I have a few questions though. What’s the best way to do these at home without that bench? And should I only be doing the negative portion of this exercise? Or can I also pull myself back up and do the positive portion of this exercise if I can?
0:11 Are you sure it is OK to do that to your knee caps? It seems a lot of weight and stress on it.
Those are the worst. Good exercise, but I hate them. So painful!!
Aaaaah god damn, I think my hamstrings are totaly destroyed xD, and I didnt actully do it slow but damn this exercise is intense
Good scienced based excersises. Love it, you’re helping me with my physiotherapist exam
Hi Daniel. Looks like there will be incredibly large compressive forces acting on the kneecap. Any idea to modify it?
Great video, I think it is also important to note that any concentric exercise such as leg curls will shorten the muscle which can increase risk of hamstring injuries. So it is important to ensure that eccentrics such as the sliding hamstring and glute-ham are included to promote lengthening while strengthening
Great product!>>> ur2.pl/1190 Perfect for people who are working with smaller areas to work out. Very durable and does the work. I was skeptical at first but now I’m glad I made the purchase.
So what could a novice person do to build up to these?
Asking for a friend.
Guess i can only try this if i dont have to walk much the following days.. XD
How do I do this if there is nothing to catch me at the bottom of the lat pull down bar? It’d be tricky to move a bench there because of where it is located with a bunch of other machines.
Thank you for sharing your techniques! “The goal is to build muscle and not lift weight,” wise words, Thank you!
Hi Blake, great video as usual! I have a question: last summer, I broke my tibial plateau playing sport; bad fracture, had surgery to fix it (6 screws and a plate). 8 months later, I’m working hard with a physio to come back stronger, but occasionally I get irritation in my knee from the metalwork. The doctor and physio say that it should go away, but I was wondering if you have any extra knowledge regarding irritation from surgical metalwork? Thanks in advance
Planar flexion of ankle is key to inhibit gastroc muscles and isolate the hamstring during knee flexion.
What I’ll do is very light weight on the hamstring curl and do very fast a few times. Guys, you have to work the muscle in the back of the hamstring but make sure you also work the opposite muscle that way there is no dominance. This video is only partly right. There is a highly effective way to overcome dominance. It’s the same with the arms, you might as well say bicep curls are the worst workout. No man, if you work the bicep, then, you have to work the tricep. The same goes for the legs, when you work the hamstring, you must work the front of the thighs and make sure to never hyper extend nor use too much weight when doing leg extension. It’s also the same with the core, if you are going to work the abs and front hip, then, you have to make sure you work your back and back hip. In the end, this guy really does not understand fully how the body works based on the information here. Always make sure to have a diet heavily containing collagen 1,2, and 3 and high in leafy greens when working any hinge joints in the body. Do this and you can never have injury. Thanks
I dont goto a gym to workout never have but probally will once i get older
Of course I find this out after this exercise gave me knee pain and I decided to look into it…. never again
would you recommend this for someone with lower back issues? looks like this exercise would be hard on the lower back.
Really helpful video.
Is there a difference between stiff leg and Romanian deadlifts?
if you shouldn’t do leg curls then why people make it?: D
great information! i always felt that they feel kind of “wrong” to me, will stop doing these now:)
great video content, thank you!
I did this exercise and is really effective but it puts lot of pressure on my knee which pain my knee cap.. ������
Hyperlordosis level hard. Shouldn’t you try to get your spine in natural position? Shouldn’t you try to activate your abs there as well to prevent hyperlordosis?
I love how these guys try to use science to hide the fact that they are afraid of hard work and to promote their own hustle! Come on son! Of course you want to shut off the glutes while doing leg curls! You’ve already killed them with squats and deadlifts!! This prevents your hamstrings from not being hit as hard as your quads! Who cares why YOU don’t like them… They work and they work very well! Sorry Fam. Thumbs way down from me!
I’ve always been wondering how to improve hamstrings since any lower body exercises tend to few stretch dominantly at the lower back and hip.
Probably no wonder I had a back injury a while ago.
But I will know what to do.
I need to ask my girlfriend to clench her fists and see if the tip really works
I have to say your are a beast of knowledge good luck for 2018 see u Master
If you don’t have a lat pull-down machine you can also use a bench and the strap from your gymnastics rings: https://youtu.be/G43RVAY0CTE
STOP doing that triangle hand gesture in every video…if you are a Christian THEN STOP IT WITH THE SATANIC hand gestures while you are talking
This exercise makes running at faster speeds much less difficult. I can run at 10 mph without as much effort nowadays. Trying to maintain higher speeds for 30 minutes. My primary motivation is my weak heart.
Is there an equivalent exercise to this for at home workouts with no equipment? Thanks
What about bodyweight leg curls? I feel my glutes very good when performing this exercise. Can I do it?
Hey Daniel,
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and making such great content!
Can you please give us an example of a good hamstring exercise (with no weights) that can be done unilaterally? I’m asking this as I recently had knee surgery on one of my legs and it will take a while to recover.
Just got one of these yesterday for our home gym, very useful vid, thank you.
With this same line of thinking wouldnt something like the glute bridge be a bad exercise since its associating hip extension with knee flexion?
Hi Daniel. Any workout focusing on the butt and full day of eating? thanks
Holy shit…. i tried it and its fucking hell ����… i could only hold tension til like a 45degree angle… after doing it 4 times it was just too much to try again xD
I heard people tore their muscles with this one. Powerlifters specifically.
Jesus Christ died for your sins on a cross and rose again after three days. You have committed evil deeds, as we all have done. God is a just judge, and must punish you for these sins, because he is perfect by his nature. But God loves you, does not want to punish you. This is why God took the form of a man, Jesus Christ, and died as a sacrifice for your sins on a cross. He was punished for your sins, so that you could be made righteous in God’s sight. After three days, Jesus rose again, because it is impossible for him to have been held down by death.
This is great news! Repent, (that is, change your mind,) and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and be saved from the judgement of God. God will reward you for your faith with eternal life, and forgiveness for your deeds. I sin, and you sin, and we both will continue to sin, but Jesus Christ died for these sins, and God is willing to forgive them. Please, repent, and believe the Gospel.
I’ve had a history of hamstring strains and hamstring curls really irritate the crap out of my hamstring, right in the semitendinous region. I’m trying to find good sources on potential causes of this but I’m not having a lot of luck
Is this particular exercise for leg aesthetics? or will this also help with certain calisthenics skills?
using isolation leg “machines” gives you a more risk of injury in sport.
Pleaseeee glutes exercises!!! By the way, congrats you have nice glutes
What about ankle weights. When sprinting the foot touches the butt. I guess it is a different arc than a standing leg curl.
Hey,Brother. I see a few issues with your technique. The resistance curve, Spine pressure, it looks uncomfortable and painful on the knees. What’s wrong with Seated Leg Curls?
Got alternative ideas without this machine? Got a belt as support but unsure if I’m doing it right/safe.
you didnt mention cable dead lifts, i like doing these, really feel the stretch if you take em slow
Love all the details and studies, super helpful videos; much appreciated!
The glute ham raise at my gym has a pad where the knees are supposed to fall through so i can’t go as deep at all, any tips?:(
It doesn’t make sense to say that the leg curl can make you weaker at the opposite motion like sprinting because the leg doesn’t curl that way much in natural sports movements, and the leg might be dominant at wanting to curl when really you meant to do the opposite motion and jump. It’s like saying bicep curls will make your bench weaker and your arms might accidentally want to curl the weight towards you when you’re trying to push it
I always wondered. Do you take steroids? No problem if you do.
Thanks for the info mate. A question if I may though, regarding athletic performance is this excercise mostly a injury prevention thing or will this contribute to improving sprint speed or agility/change of direction when playing soccer or other sports? Thanks.
Feeling the muscle, Mind muscle connection. It changes the way you do your reps. You automatically start doing slow, controlled reps while feeling the muscle tension. Thanks again Moji..!! You are the best instructor ever. ������
HI. i just found your video here, and i am also a fitness instructor and athletic trainer, nutritionist. i am commenting to let you know your wrong! and to help make others people here aware, that 1 your wrong and why! and 2 to encourage people to use this exercise confidently and assuredly to strengthen their hamstrings and by doing so improving their hamstring strength, leg muscular balance/symmetry… ok first.. why your wrong! i heard everything you said here in this video, and all the scientific talk is nice, but totally un realistic and unnecessary! BECAUSE, obviously our muscles were put where they are for a reason. and obviously our bodies know how they are supposed to function naturally! and obviously, like the rest of the muscles in our bodies, we all need to keep them in use to some degree, in order to keep them fit and healthy, and strong, so our bodies function the best they can! this is all obvious.. what should also be obvious, is that all of our muscles are INDIVIDUAL muscles. ( yes they all connect at certain areas ) but your left hamstring is separate from your right hamstring! ( again, this should be obvious ) so then it should also be obvious that we all need to do exercises that ISOLATE AND USE THOSE INDIVIDUAL muscles!!! ( which is just NOT so obvious apparently to everyone ) BUT IT IS! and therefore thats what this hamstring curl ( is the correct name for this exercise btw ) is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL AND WILL NOT EVER HURT YOU! BUT ONLY HELP YOU BY STRENGTHENING THOSE MUSCLES!!! as far as ricking injury to the knees? that is just not true! the knee is not being unnaturally stressed in this exercise in any way! so you will not be injurying it. ( is it possible to injure your knees doing this exercise? yes! ofcourse it is! just like you can trip while walking! ) but in order for you to rick injury to your knees while doing ” hamstring curls “? you will have to be lifting weight that you just cannot and should not be attempting to life!!!! this is very important and true in all exercises!! the correct way to lift weights, is to life a weight that you can control! and perform perfect repetitions with! if you do this? you will be contracting the muscle that your working, fully and cmpletely, thereby giving it full utilization and stimulation, which will give you correct and complete improvement! ( which is what we want! ) whenever we attempt to live weight we cannot control and perform perfectly for reps,? we are risking immediate injury, not fully contracting the muscle we are trying to exercise, not stimulating the complete and full muscle and not getting the improvement we wanted, AND i can guaruntee definite future injury to the surrounding joints, tendons, ligaments, and the muscle too! so you want to avoid that! ( many people would be surprised at how many people do not know the correct way to work out ) contrary to popular thinking, there are not ” many ways ” to train the ” right way”!!! the basics are called the basics for a reason! and ultimately i like to prove myself correct to the nay sayers, but demonstrating the correct way verses the way they were thinking was the correct way! there is no ” opinion ” to my training methods! just facts! when you do it your way? and then you do it the way i instruct? YOU WILL FEEL THE DIFFERENCE IMMEDIATELY!!! thats how you know when someones advice is right or not! when your doing a bicep curl, you shuld not be feeling any strain in any other part of your body, except the bicep your working!!! and so on and so forth for the rest of your muscles! also i want to add, that i have been doing this for 22yrs! and i have learned, ( the hard way ) that it is best for all of us to use only dumbells for strength training and body building, because of the fact that all of our muscles are individual! and it makes so much sense to strengthen each muscle individually then! when you do barbell biceps for example, your stronger arm will over compensate for your weaker arm and your also using your legs, back and core for help with the a barbell standing curl.. but a seated dumbell curl? your totally isolating the individual bicep, and just using your back for posture and your core slightly.. but your core will be used to some degree anyway with everything you do! it supports you sitting up! and your also strengthening your weaker side by using dumbells, as it ” obviously” forces your weaker side to do all the work when your using it!: ) so there you have it folks! there are a VAST amount of ideas, views and beliefs on how to work out correctly! but i have learned the ABSOLUTE TRUTH LIES IN THE OBVIOUS! in other words, look, think, and feel! we are not in competition with anyone when body building or getting ourselves in shape! we are only working for ourselves! some of us are stronger, so we need a little more heavier weight. some of us are weaker, and need lighter weight at first. but as we progress and get stronger? and the existing weight becomes tooo easy? then we know its our body telling us to add a little more weight for some stimulation.. and remember!! THIS IS A LIFESTYLE………
Bruh…thanks!!!!! Great explanation. Recently when I was going through rehab for some knee issues my PT told me to lay off those leg curls. Perhaps they created the issues over time because it was one of my favorite ham exercises. And no wonder I feel so balanced and relieved after doing the Single Leg DLs.
Dude you are 5’5 your thigh is 5 inches long. You are basically a mini me. When a man comes on this video who is 6’5 with massive thighs I’ll be impressed. It took you 3 months to get in shape. You are so short it doesn’t take much.
Nordic hamstring is my fav exercise for the hammies (without dropping, pulling yourself back up using your hamstrings) not shown on this video though:(
DIY HELP! I have a home gym and was wondering if any of you guys can recommend an effective build to allow me to add this to my repertoire
Why it’s not good for beginners? I just started to weight lifting(bodybuilding, fitness, not really sure) and I thought that for me as a beginner it would be better than deadlifts.
blake, happy new year. please make a video about chronic SI Joint issues and how to solve them.
Can you tell me what should i do if i have “Slipping Rib Syndrome”? Tks.
They feel so light. I have a ghr. How about using plates and or barbells variations?
Awesome tip, thanks Ron. My question to you, what is your favourite trap building exercise? I would like to add one to my program. Not trying to change this lemon pie recipe too much though�� I will also look at your videos for traps.
ive been waiting for a video on GHR. just started trying it but kept feeling like i was doing something wrong, i think i was just way too close too the knee pad. this video clears so much up thank you
Does the 20-set limit on recoverability apply equally to women?
Nothing wrong with leg curls. I see way too many people doing it wrong because they don’t know how to set up the machine. Also like leg extensions, there is never any reason to go heavy. Keep it in the 12+ rep range.
The gym I go to bought a GHR machine. I was using as described in this video. A trainer told me I was using it incorrectly and I should use it like the Hyperextension machine sitting next to it. I later saw the same trainer doing glute ham raises facing backwards on the lat pull down machine. Hmmmm.