HAMMERING HAMSTRINGS

[jdb3]

Hammering Hamstrings.
By: jdb3 (ISSA and ACE certified, trainer of competitiors and athletes, steroid abuser)

Ever seen a great bodybuilder with massive quadriceps only to have a little stringy hamstring? It’s common, I would say nearly 80% of the people I train are quadriceps dominate in terms of push and strength, this imbalance is very common. In this article we will discuss how to give the hamstring the proper attention and develop them.
To understand how to properly attack the hamstring we must first understand it. The hamstring consists of three muscles.
1) Biceps Femoris: consist of two heads. This muscle is important in bodybuilding because it is responsible for the outer sweep. The long head is used for extending the hip and knee joint. The short head only crosses the knee joint and is only involved in flexing the knee. Both are used when rotating the knee.
2)Semitendinosus and Semimembrosa: The inner sweep. Responsible for creating massive thick thighs on stage. They both cross the hip and knee joint and are involved in extending the hip, they also turn the knee in medial rotation (from the side).

IMPORTANT MUSCLES THAT ASSIST HAMSTRINGS:

Glutes, Erector Spinae (hip area)
Sartorius, Gastrocnemius, Gracilis (with knee extention)

KEEPING A BALANCE BETWEEN HAMSTRING AND QUADRACIP FOR BETTER DEVELOPMENT AND KNEE INTEGRITY.
According to most physiotherapist, the perfect balance is a 66% percent hams-to-quad ratio.
A good way to test your balance of ham-to-quad is by assessing your front squat max and behind the back squat max. Ideally your front squat should be around 85% of your behind the back squat.
When I assess this with people that do not care for or avoid one rep max, we will find the needed weight for a true 10 spot rep set for both forms of squats. (The 10^th rep is extremely challenging and an 11^th could not be performed). From there add 25% to each exercises total weight and that would roughly give you your one rep max for each exercise.
(10 rep squat max 285lbs, 11th rep could not be completed) > 285 x .25 = 71.25 > 285 + 71.25=356.25) Roughly: 355lbs would be your one rep max


Example:
Front Squat Max (315)
Behind the Back Squat (370) You can do around 85% of the weight in the front. Perfect balance.

THIS TEST IS NOT NEEDED BUT CAN SHOW YOU IF YOUR HAMSTRINGS ARE IN NEED OF DEVELOPMENT

Hamstrings do not respond much to high reps. There is a myth that hamstrings are best trained at high reps.

Not true by a long shot. Ever seen the hamstrings on Olympic sprinter? How about on one of those champion bobsled guys? The hamstring consistently within different people is made up of TypeII(b) muscle fibers. TypeII(b) fibers are the fast twitch fibers and have the highest potential for growth. Lucky for us! TypeII(b) fibers respond to explosive, heavy weight. Heavier weights create a higher level of muscle tension which in turn leads to a higher growth response. Numerous studies on maximal strength and number of repetitions shown that hamstrings are mainly comprised of fast twitch fibers.

Low intensity will not create enough tension for these fast twitch fibers to grow.

This will be the mode of attack! Low repetitions (5-8)

Now the strategic planning phase:

Select exercises for both functions of the hamstring.
Leg curls only do a small part in the recruitment of the hamstring (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, sartorious, and gracilis.
Semi-stiff deadlifts and good mornings involve different muscle recruitment (adductor magnus, adducter brevis, biceps femoris and semitendinosus)
Therefore you should have exercises that include both hip extension (deadlift movements, good morning) and knee flexor functions(leg curl)

ALL EXERCISES MUST HAVE THE ECCENTRIC MOVEMENT AS THE FOCAL POINT. 5-8 REPITITIONS

Perhaps even lower rep counts for movements that you are more fluid and comfortable with.

Of all the pulls I have seen, the hamstring seems to be suspect, as well as cramping or “knotting up” while training. Make sure the hamstring is properly stretched before engaging working sets and has contracted a few semi-heavy reps before proceed into heavy loads.

Design your regimen around using both types of movement.


SQAUT DEEP! This brings the most hamstring recruitment, no partial reps on the squat rack. This is very important and is sometimes the reason for the quad/ham imbalance. GO DEEP!

USE FORCED POSITIVES WITH FAILURE ON NEGATIVES FOR FORCED PAINFUL GROWTH
An example of this method. After the hamstrings have been exhausted during the main part of the workout, I will use the leg curl or standing leg curl. You would need a partner. Adjust the weight so that you can only successfully achieve (with CONTROLLED ECCENTRIC MOVEMENT;SLOW) 3-5 reps. This reps must be CONTROLLED and TIGHT on the eccentric part of the movement. When you can achieve no more positives your partner assist the positive and you take the negative. This will become extremely painful and your balls may detach.
REMEMBER: You must take the negative in a slow CONTROLLED manner. When the movement starts to become choppy and the weight can no longer be held on the eccentric through the entire movement the set would be over.

*not for beginners. If the hamstring is not properly conditioned for this type of training an injury could occur.

After that set, the weight is reduced 10-15% then a very short rest period (30 sec max), and the set is continued, again until failure at the eccentric part of the movement.

*If no partner and alone, you could do 3-5 reps on positive, reduce 10-15%, small rest period no more than 30 sec) and continue with a slower negative through end of set. REMEMBER ECCENTRIC MUST BE STRICT

THE ECCENTRIC MUST BE UNDER CONTROL EVERY REP FOR IT TO COUNT

After a full workout of doing 5-8 repetitions per set of both types of movements, this training to failure set performed at the end of the workout can be devastating and force those hamstrings into nice thick gains.

HERES WHAT TO DO FOR BIGGER HAMSTRINGS:
Use both movement directions
Use HEAVY weight for hamstrings (5-8 repetitions)…remember typeII fast twitched dominate.
Think explosion on contraction and control on eccentric.
Use some form of forced repetitions

Before you know it, you will only be able to wear gym pants…you want be able to find jeans for those thick ass sweeps!

[jdb3]

maybe calves to cows next

[PAiN]

Awesome read bro!

Glad to see BOP exclusives.

[jdb3]

still correcting typos....lol

[Greenegorilla2]

Nice read bro.

[gator-mclusky]

Great read Jb. The Hams are close to being the most neglected muscle group IMO. Peeps dont realize the impact good Hams have on bringing out the look of truly full development. It just can't be over looked.
I love the emphisis on the forced positives and the SQUAT DEEP!!!!!! Squat deep and really bring em out.

Great read and I'm glad you posted this as it's time for me to freshen up my Ham work an I'll toss in the asss to the floor squats and forced positive emphisis on some sets.

[Vod321]

Many malalignment issues and bio-mechanical deviation due to hamstring underdevelopment