Wednesday, March 16, 2022

all things hamstrings

Hamstrings are my favorite muscle to train. A good portion of this is I feel my age when Im not giving them the love they deserve. That being said there is no magic bullet for hamstring training that gives me everything I'm looking for. Different moves for different reasons. I'll incorporate everything on this list in any given week.

Best for hypertrophy
Nordic hamstring curls

My wife has made repeated comments at the size of my legs and ass at a time when I hadn't been squatting in over 3 years. I credit nordics for the lions share of that booty.


Best for bulletproofing
Monkey feet leg curls

Fit any leg curl in here. At a time when my back was completely fucked, the method I used to ease some of the pain was daily band leg curls. 

Best for feeling athletic
Power cleans, single leg supported rdl

Power cleans are my classic favorite. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention them, but they aren't something that are in my rotation (replaced with kettlebell cleans which are not remotely the same). Single leg rdls tap into a deep stretch for very little cost up front. Supporting yourself with one hand (power rack, pole, whatever) allows you to lean into the stretch without balance being the limiting factor. This can be easily loaded by holding a dumbbell in your free hand.

Bonus: bodyweight leg curls
An old Ben Bruno move. This is a great alternative to nordics, and can be loaded much quicker. Extra bonus is they are incredibly safe to perform, and single leg eccentric work can be emphasized almost immediately.

No comments:

Post a Comment