Glute-Ham Raise
How to do glute-ham raises properly, with perfect form and technique! Run faster, jump higher, and build muscle with the best glute and hamstring exercise for strong legs and hips!
Purpose:
- Build Leg (Hamstring) Strength
- Build Hip Hinge Strength
- Increase Hamstring Hypertrophy
Prime Movers:
- Hamstring Complex (Legs)
- Glutes (Hips)
The glute-ham raise is one of the most effective exercises for building brutally strong hamstrings that can support a HUGE squat and deadlift.
They are also an absolute must for athletes of all ages, regardless of size, that wants to be able to run faster, jump higher and overpower the competition. Athletes should be able to do at least 10 bodyweight reps on their own and then start to add weight by holding a weight plate to their chest in order to compete at a high level.
If you cannot perform these properly I recommend you start with negatives until you build the strength to do reps on your own.
You can start by kneeling on a pad and having a friend sit on your ankles and descend slowly under control before doing a push-up to press yourself back up.
When you get strong enough to do these without assistance, all of your main lifts will likely have shot up significantly by now and you can start holding a weight plate across your chest.
If you do not have a Gute-Ham Raise at your gym, or a friend to help out, you can just do some heavy leg curls instead, but it just won’t give you the same results.
How To Do Glute-Ham Raises (Hamstring Focus)
- Get positioned in a Glute-Ham Raise Machine so that your knees rest at the back base of the main pad and your heels are hooked in place.
- Starting with a vertical torso, arms to your sides and hips extended. Flex your glutes hard to prevent excessive hip flexion and brace your core.
- Begin the movement by slowly controlling your bodyweight down as you allow your knees to extend to a lockout.
- At the bottom position, quickly flex your knees and press them down to curl your entire body back to the starting position, while attempting to keep your hips extended.
- Be sure to control your body weight and do not bounce out of the bottom position.
How To Do Glute-Ham Raises (Glute Focus)
- Get positioned in a Glute-Ham Raise Machine so that your knees rest at the back base of the main pad and your heels are hooked in place.
- Starting with a vertical torso, arms to your sides and hips extended. Flex your glutes hard to prevent excessive hip flexion and brace your core.
- Begin the movement by slowly controlling your bodyweight down as you allow your knees to extend to a lockout.
- Continue the motion downward by relaxing your glutes and flexing at the hip so that your body hangs down towards the ground.
- From the bottom position, quickly flex your glutes and press down into the pad as you extend your hips to raise your torso the same as a back raise.
- To continue the movement upward, flex your knees and press them down to curl your entire body back to the starting position while attempting to keep your hips extended.
- This is a two-part movement that needs to have quick transitions to move most efficiently.
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