Deadlifts

[eleonela]

Hello Cathe!

I've been doing your great 6 pack for couple of week now. I fell I greatly increased my strength. I have a question about deadlifts in your leaner legs tape. I'm supposed to feel those in my hamstrings. However, I don't fell them at all. It feels like I'm not doing anything at all. Is there another exercise I can substitute, so I can work my hamstrings. After leaner tape, I only feel my butt and my quads. I need something more challenging for hamstrings.

Thank you in advance

 

[wendy2]

ditto

I hate to say it, but I feel the same way. I used to feel them in my hamstrings, but now I only feel them in my mid back! I have gone over the form pointers, and know this is a tough one to perfect, but it is frustrating to not be able to perfect it. I sometimes feel like I'm hitting the hamstrings if I slow the count down a lot, but if I try to really PULL up at the end, I mostly just feel that in my glutes. Arghhh!!!
The hamstring presses during which you lay on the floor with knees bent and feet on the step, and then push up by pressing through the heels, really seems to work my hamstrings more--but I wonder if by perfecting the deadlifts I would get better results and strength gains.
Wendy

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Eleonela!

Deadlifts are tough to master. If you let your shoulders round just the slightest bit, it takes so much tension off of the hamstrings. I'll give you just a few more reminders to reconsider and then I'll also list another exercise for hamstrings.

For deadlifts, as your shoulders remain back while you are descending, go down with the bar close to the legs until you feel a good stretch and lengthening in the hamstrings. Once you feel that, contract your glute and hamstrings and squeeze the contraction all the way to the standing position(keeping that bar close to the body and the shoulders back). If you have done all of that and still do not feel this in your hamstrings, you can pull out PS Legs/abs video and do the hamstring exercise on there.

If you do not own this tape, that exercise simply has you lying down on your back with the step on the floor in front of you. Scoot up toward the step with your buttocks close to the step. Place one foot up on the step and send the other leg up in the air. Now press your heel down into the step, contracting your hamstring and glute at the same time. Do presses like this at a controlled and steady pace for about 60 to 90 seconds per leg. NOTE: The movement looks similar to a pelvic tilt except for one leg being in the air. Be sure not to over thrust by arching your back way off of the floor. Hope this helps!

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Wendy!

The combination of both would be ideal

!

 

[eleonela]

Thank you

Thank you Cathe for your tips. I'll try to implement them when I Leaner Legs next time