Glute/Ham machine - technique ?

You are probably hyperextending your backs by "arching up" rather than using the glutes/hams to bring yourselves up.

Many people cannot do a proper GHR (even on a machine) in the beginning b/c their hams/glutes are too weak. If this is the case, use SSSSSSSSLLLLLLOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW eccentrics or simply go halfway and hold it for as long as you can. Do this until you can do a set of GHRs.

As for the technique, the BACK STAYS TIGHT AND DOES NOT ROUND (CONVEX) OR ARCH TOO MUCH (CONCAVE). On the decent, with a TIGHT back, go down until your upper body is close to parallel with the ground. On the ascent, with a TIGHT back, come up BY PUSHING THE FEET INTO THE TOE PLATE AND YOUR HEEL INTO THE FOOT PAD... as you come up, let the KNEES SINK BEHIND THE PAD so that the glutes and hams are getting the majority of the work. There is actually very little back activity involved in this movement. I can almost guarantee that you and your guys are arching your way up.

If you are looking at websites for technique, let me say that many websites demonstrate the GHR in the WRONG way. I know that the new york barbell website has some goofy dude doing everything to the GHR machine except an actual GHR!

If you feel it more in your back than in your hams/glutes then you are doing it wrong. Even with a crappy machine, if done properly you should be able to blast the posterior chain.

Hope this helps.

Jimbo

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Originally posted by: govertical
Coach Hale -

What is your opinion of a manual glute-ham raise (a buddy holds the ankles and the lifter does a heavy, slow eccentric to the floor) for kids who cannot perform on the GHR bench? Is this an effective hamstring strengthening movement or is it basically like doing leg curls?

Speaking of contractions, what is your opinion of eliminating the eccentric portion of some movements like deadlift? Do football players need to stress the eccentric as well as the concentric contractions?

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Vert
we do those.
I think it stresses them much more.

Usually, a good way to tell is to ask the kids. "Was that hard?"
If it was, then it is working stuff they need.

Yes, doing the manual GHR is better than nothing, but you are also correct that it is basically a horrendous version of a leg curl. If you have the bench, I would just have them use the bench with slow eccentrics as I mentioned above. But there is nothing wrong with doing them manual, as that is what I did for years. Just make sure you have a pad or something under the knees b/c it kills the kneecaps.

The difference b/w the machine and manual is the thigh pad. As the knees go behind the pad on the machine, the hams AND GLUTES are working harder (the hip extensors). On the manual, the knee cannot drop since it is on the floor, therefore the hams at the knee flexor are getting most of the work (as in a leg curl). The hip extensors are the motors of the human body, therefore that is why I recommend the bench over manual.

Just my thoughts.

Jimbo

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Originally posted by: Jimbo Hale


We got the "late night club" going tonite. ha!

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I've got a 1 and a half-year old up about every half hour with an ear infection. I'll be here for a while!

My question about contractions largely stemmed from looking at some of the Westside guy's training logs. I noticed that when they do heavy deadlift, it is almost always singles (no eccentric). I guess that makes sense because the Westside guys are already big so that don't need more mass and training single reps is important because that is what they will do in a meet.

Coach Dertz,

I trully hope your child gets better soon. My 4 year-old just got over being sick...its a scary thing.


RE the westside guys. Yes true they have plenty of mass, also they probably have anywhere from 600-800 lbs on the bar! If you have an 800 lb deadlifter on your team I would say NO ECCENTRIC!

Seriously, when working up to singles, getting the weight up is the most important thing (or at least straining with it for a few seconds). On a single, there won't be much TUT anyway, so the eccentric will not do much in terms of building mass.

Anybody here got any donuts?? Im kinda hungry.

Jimbo

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Anybody here got any donuts?? Im kinda hungry.

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Do any of you guys have Krispy Kreme donuts in your neck of the woods?

Best donuts EVER!

do you find their core strength higher than the other kids?

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Originally posted by: tog
do you find their core strength higher than the other kids?

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Depends what you mean by "core" strength. I would say that my farm kids are very proficient about taking weight-room strength and applying it to real-world situations.

My brother-in-law is a good example. I outweigh him by about 100 pounds and I am much "stronger" than him in the weightroom, but he would probably kick my ass if we wrestled.

Furthermore, when I help him out on the farm, he is very adept at the use of leverage to overcome some force (changing tractor tires, pulling fence posts, carrying feed, moving cattle).

I'm not. I didn't grow up on a farm, so I don't know anything about those things.

Functional strength is almost as much about experience as it is about actual, physical strength. Farm kids have the ability to size a physical task up and work out the best way to overcome it. City kids, like me, don't have that experience.

tog,

I can see where a kid with farm strength would be good in the deadlift. The importance of trunk strength/stability is so important in DL/Sq or on the field actions like blocking, etc.

Bailing Hay has to be one of the best things to do for the trunk. Not to mention they will deadlift the bale to begin with. Most athletes neglect the obliques. These are probably the most important area of the abdominals to be strong in. With all that rotation that farm boys do, its no wonder that they are so stout and strong. Ive also noticed that kids who ride dirtbikes have GREAT GRIP STRENGTH.

Jimbo

P.S.
BDW (the originator of this thread) is gonna check it tomorrow and be like "what tha....!?!?!?!?" ha!

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Originally posted by: bdw
what tha....!?!?!?!?

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I like the way you think