Muscularity--Long Post!

[Shaz]

Maribeth,

I always feel I don't work my hamstrings enough with video workouts (which use mostly squats and lunges), so your info on pre-exhaust sets makes me think that I should be doing a pre-exhaust exercise for hamstrings (eg hamstring curls on my Total Gym) before a leg work out. What do you think?

Sharon.

 

[Jenn1973]

Hi Maribeth....
I think I could really use pre-exhaust exrecises for glutes and hamstrings...could you recommend some different exercises for this....? I have a leg extension and leg curl machine at home too....
I know you mentioned table top work...could you suggest specific exercises....and should we aim to lift as heavy as possible to get a real burn with pre-exhaust??
Thanks Again.....
Jenn

 

[Maribeth]

To effectively pre-exhaust the glutes (all three), you will want to do hip extension and abduction prior to doing compound exercises. The hip extensions can be performed in several different ways--the key will be to keep the knee in a fixed position. Keeping the knee bent to 90 degrees or greater will limit the hamstrings' contribution via a mechanism known as insufficiency, but the shorter lever arm of a bent knee will mean that you will have to use more in terms of resistance in order to really challenge the muscle.

If you are working out at home, your choice of relative isolation/pre-exhaust hip extension exercises will most likely be table hip extensions or supine pelvic lifts. You can also use resistance tubing and perform the exercises in standing. You can do the hip abduction exercises in sidelying or in table position or use resistance tubing around your knees and do the exercises in seated position.

Use resistance like you would for any other strength exercise--heavy enough that the last rep in a set is the last one you could complete with good form. Really concentrate on initiating the motion from the gluteals rather than swinging the leg.

Let me know when you give it a try!
Maribeth

 

[Maribeth]

Hi, Sharon,
It doesn't surprise me that you don't feel that your hamstrings are getting enough work with just squats, lunges and leg presses. The reason is a little complex, but makes very good sense. In the squat, lunge and leg press, the muscles of the quadriceps are the only ones working to extend the knee. But, both the hamstrings and glutes work to extend the hip.

Since the quads are smaller and usually significantly weaker than the glutes, let alone than the glutes and hamstrings combined, your squatting/lunging/leg pressing ability will be limited to what the quads are able to handle. And, since the glutes are larger and stronger than the hamstrings, they will be the dominant hip extensor in these exercises. The hamstrings' contribution is also limited due to insufficiency as the degree of knee flexion in the exercise increases.

All this is a roundabout way of saying that you may very well want to do pre-exhaust exercises for the hamstrings prior to your compound exercises, especially if you don't feel that they are being challenged enough during squats and lunges. Another benefit of pre-exhausting the hamstrings is that the more fatigued they are, the less they will contribute to the hip extension component of the compound exercises, placing more work on the glutes.

Hope this makes sense. If not, let me know and I'll try to clarify!
Maribeth

 

[Shaz]

Thanks, that does make sense.
Sharon.

 

[Jenn1973]

Thanks Maribeth...
Once again you have helped me with your knowledge....