The Glute-Ham Raise is a superior exercise for the posterior!
If you are in search of awe-inspiring hamstrings, then this article speaks to you.
The average person neglects the importance of strong hamstrings and tendons...don't be average.
Have you ever…
- wanted to prevent an ACL knee injury?
- plateau’d in your fitness program?
- gotten bored of the obsolete hamstring-curl machine?
- had tight hamstrings?
Don't be this guy.
Are you…
- An athlete?
- A professional who relies upon a strong physique?
- A normal person who desires AMAZING hamstrings and glutes?
If you answered yes to any one of the questions above, then perhaps you are up to the challenge of one of the BEST lower body exercises known to man.
Benefits of the Glute-Ham Raise
- Simultaneously lengthen and strengthen hamstrings.
- Strengthen hamstrings at both the knee joint and the hip joint.
- The strength will carry over to other primary exercises (like squats or deadlifts)
- INJURY PREVENTION: Glute-Ham Raise can prevent ACL tears, especially in female soccer players.
- INJURY PREVENTION: Glute-Ham Raise strengthens the lower back and fixes imbalances in the lower body.
- You will have the best looking hamstrings out of all your friends, isn’t it almost beach time?
I appreciate the hamstring.
How to Perform the Glute-Ham Raise
If you go to a commercial gym, you will probably have to improvise. While athletic training facilities often have a specialty Glute-Ham Machine, most commercial gyms lack the proper equipment.
The good news is that you can utilize a Lat-Pulldown Machine to perform the Glute-Ham Raise exercise.
Cues:
- Lock your ankles in tight as possible to the pads of the Lat-Pulldown Machine
- Keep your body tight by contracting your abdominals
- Lower your body as straight as possible and focus on keeping tension in your hamstrings
- At the bottom of the movement, use a platform to push yourself back up
- At the top of the exercise, squeeze your glutes tight and then repeat
THIS IS AN ADVANCED EXERCISE, prior training experience is suggested.
If you can’t do a single full repetition, then just do the downward (or negative) part of the exercise. Warning, you may gain significant strength and muscle tone in the area in the back of your knee. It looks and feels great.
Demonstration Video: Glute-Ham Raise on a Lat-Pulldown Machine
and… slightly more advanced here.
Are you ready to take it to the next level?
The Glute-Ham Raise is an almost unbeatable exercise for the hamstrings and posterior chain. Some of the strongest Olympic athletes in the world have performed several dozen repetitions…and it paid off!
For football, soccer, and rugby, this is an exercise you should be doing for both raw power and knee injury-prevention.
And for the rest of us Fitness Enthusiasts, you will gain strength, injury-prevention, and a beautiful pair of legs. Just sayin’…