Hamstring development

D

DaisyAnn

Cathlete
Hey everyone,
I was wondering if any of you have any suggestions. (you gals rock) I want to develop my hamstrings. I have been doing squats and lunges. Is there anything else that will help my legs along? I have never had that really nice hamstring muscle and it drives me insane! I have been working on running, and haven't started heavy with weights yet. I don't want to work my legs to much because I think they have a tendancy to be bulky anyway. (just not my hamstrings) I want to have nice lean legs, ha! ;-)

Anyway, I have been doing cathe's step videos' for a couple months and total muscle sculpting. (low max, kick max and low impact step)

Will adding weights to squats help? Maybe I just don't have hamstrings!:7
 
Deadlifts are great for hamstring development. If you have access...laying or seated leg curls work wonder too.

Cathe does deadlifts in several of her her workouts...most noteably, GymStyle Legs and also Leaner Legs.


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I never used weights before January and I feel it in my hamstrings every time I do Deadlifts. LOVE IT is that sick or what?

beth6395
 
I second deadlifts. Also, Cathe has some workouts with hamstring work done with the stability ball - rollouts and those one legged leg lift thingies (that's a technical term :) ). I'm going completely from memory, but I think they're GS Legs, PLB, and Legs & Glutes.

HTH
 
Hi -

For hamstring work, I really like PLB and also PS Strong Legs. They both have quite intense floor work sections that really isolate those muscles.

I always feel those hammies pop after doing either one of those workouts on my leg training day!


Take care, Lynn M.
 
I third (or is it fourth, now?) the suggestion for deadlifts.
You can preexhaust the muscle a bit, and "turn it on" before doing the deadlifts, by doing some hamstring-targeted floor work before a set of deadlifts (do supersets of floorwork and deadlifts, one right after the other, with a break between each superset).

Start with: lying hamstring presses
(with heels on a stability ball--toughest version--or on a chair, press up through heels until your shoulders, hips and knees are in a straight line. You can focus more on hamstrings if you do the stability ball version, and once you are up into position, roll the ball out and in while keeping your hips up. Do these until you can't stand the burn anymore).

Then, without rushing, but without taking an actual 'break', stand up, go over to your previously set-up barbell and do a set of straight leg (actually a little bend in them, do NOT lock out the knees) deadlifts, focusing on pulling your body back up using the hamstrings (which should be 'awake'by now!)

Take a break: walk around a bit, do some dynamic stretches for the hamstrings, or short-hold stretches (not long stretches at this time0 for the hamstrings (like heel digs). Then after you feel ready again, repeat the superset.

Do a total of 3-4 supersets like this. Then end with a nice long stretch for the hamstrings.
 
Good suggestion's so far! I did a new workout yesterday and there was a particular move that I really liked...and found it to be hard to do!

First you need a body bar. Mine is 15 pounds so that is what I used. Stand with feet together, body bar in right hand with one end on floor, other end straight up. Now take your left foot and place it behind your right with toes on floor, heel up, and rest the end of the bar on your left heel. Now, lift left foot, balancing on right, keeping abs pulled in, and push left leg straight back for 8 reps. Your leg won't go very far, don't think you're doing a back kick or anything like that. Now, still with bar on left foot/heel, bend left knee and do another set of kickbacks. Repeat both moves.

This sounds easy, and watching the move looked easy...but DOING the move...whoa...I was wobbling all over trying to keep my balance and push that 15 pound bar behind me! Great exercise for legs and core.
 
I second the lying ham curls. You can really target the hams specifically with this exercise. You can do it with ankle weights or dumbells. I would suggest ankle weights b/c that way you can do one leg at a time.

Lie on a bench with your hips hitting the end of the bench. Use the ankle weights or place a dumbell between your feet. Curl your feet up to your butt (similar to a bicep curl).

I know 40something was looking at doing ham curls with a cable machine & ankle strap--IMO that is the best ham exercise there is, but most people don't have the equipment for it.
 
Oh yeah, and it stinks that our local gym doesn't have the necessary equipment either.

Thanks for the bench exercise, Lauramax. I have not done it that way...legs off of the bench...that will make it harder and require core work to boot.

I did finally buy a home gym that is a cable machine. Don't have it yet but soon...soon. Glad to see I'm not the only one concerned with hamstring work.
 
Great! I am going to try some of these today.... Is it okay to work on this 4/5 days a week until I see development? or should I stick to 2/3? Thanks again. :)
 
> Is it okay
>to work on this 4/5 days a week until I see development?

Not if you want size. Size comes with working the muscle hard and allowing for enough recovery for growth. Working a muscle every day is a technique that is used in some methods to impede growth.

Also, if you work a muscle 4/5 days a week, you will be more likely to 'hold back' on your workouts, because you know you'll be working that muscle again soon. And/or you will not have recovered enough strength to go all out.

I'd stick to 2 (at most 3) non-consecutive days a week. YMMV, but in general, you should be able to increase weight at least a bit with almost every workout. If you can't, then you may not have given the muscle enough recovery time. If you have to lift less (and it's not because you took a long break), it's more than likely that the muscle hasn't had time to recover.
 
Okay, thanks so much... I think I tend to "rush" it sometimes....It is great to have such great people giving great advice. :)

I ask my husband questions, which is a mistake... and never quite get the "good" answers! :D
 
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