I often see exercises like glute ham raises and Swiss Ball Hip Eextension Leg Curl promoted as a preferrable alternative to leg curls. I have two questions regarding these exercises:
1) Is there a common method they use to progress from for instance SHELC's to a natural GHR. I personally have only on a couple of occassions actually seen anyone perform a natural GHR, and would also wonder if they are a worthwhile exercise to pursue unless you are quite advanced?
2) These exercises are often promoted as they "work the hamstrings at both joints simultaneously". This seems counterintuitive, however as according to current anatomical theory , two-joint muscles can neither:
- Stretch to allow full ROM at both joints simultaneously (Passive Insuffiency)
or
- Contract to produce full ROM at both joints simultaneously (Active Insufficiency)
Physiotherapists, for instance, when manually testing the gluteus maximus in hip extension, will flex the knee to stop the hamstrings contributing to hip extension. The idea here being that since the hamstrings are shortened at the knee, they are lengthened at the hip and thus will not extend the hip.
With reference to a GHR type movement where hip extension remains throughout knee flexion, the hamstrings would not be able to contract to extend the hip AND flex the knee simultaneously. I was wondering if anyone could clarify how the hamstrings are able to work at both joints simultaneously in these types of movements?
With reference to a GHR type movement where hip extension remains throughout knee flexion
In a GHR the hip extension does not remain. You start with the legs straight (not locked out) and bent over a pad in hip flexion to roughly 70 - 90 degrees. (depending upon the girth of the mid-section)
So with a true GHR you are going to extend the hips and flex the knees to get to the finished position. (whether or not the hip extension and knee flexion happen at the same time is arguable. Most people do one then the other, some can manage o do both at the same time, it is a matter of motor learning)
Quote:
and would also wonder if they are a worthwhile exercise to pursue unless you are quite advanced?
GHR are always worthwhile. Possibly more for beginners than for advanced trainees.
G, if you first extend your hips, then flex the knees, doesn't that mean that hip extension remains through the knee flexion? I think that's what he meant.
The biarticulate hamstring muscles [1, 3, 4 ] enter passive insufficiency through the completion of knee extension when the hips are more flexed or through the completion of hip flexion when the knees are more extended. The biarticulate hamstring muscles [1, 3, 4 ] enter active insufficiency through the completion of knee flexion when the hips are more extended (short head of biceps femoris [2 ] becomes more active) or through the completion of hip extension when the knees are more flexed (gluteus maximus becomes more active).
I thought a GHR is when you are on your knees? That video looks like she is doing a sit up involving the hip flexors. I may be wrong, but that is what it looks like to me. I heard its not good to have something holding your feet and doing a sit up because it involves the hip flexors and we do a lot of flexion during the day anyway. That's what the video looks like to me; just a straight leg sit up. My hip flexors are already tight.
BTW, is there a modification to GHR if you don't have something that can hold your feet? I thought there was something at home I could do with my knees bent and my calves holding my legs there, but it did not work because my glutes/hamstrings did not feel like working. I have never done a GHR before and I wanted to try it.
And from the practical side of things, don't wank over it too much. Do something to hit them at the hips and at the knees.
Real GHRs are good for this, one of the best (if not the best) hamstring exercises. Manual GHRs, I'll be honest, I don't see much real-world advantage over just doing a regular leg curl; you're not getting any real involvement at the hip, and this amounts to a glorified eccentric-overload leg curl.
Otherwise, just do the usual suspects: various types of deadlifts/pulls and GMs, pull-thrus, back raises, and yes even leg curls (gotta train the leg flexion component one way or another).
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