Hamstrings. Commonly believed to be back of the leg muscles

[KOTJ]

Out of pure speculation, I declare hamstring exercises and beautifully crafted hamstrings are underrated for strength and injury nonsense with the lower back.

Feed me your anecdotal experiences with adding direct hamstring work.

I'll be adding in a lot whenever my machine arrives.

No longer doing low bar, and havent done conventional in a while.

Bro science with me.

[Renascent]

What sort of machine are you getting?

[mbasic]

What sort of machine are you getting?

knowing kotj, we may not want to know the answer to this question

[Renascent]

What sort of machine are you getting?

knowing kotj, we may not want to know the answer to this question

Even still, this thread has the potential to be very enlightening.

A nice, well-developed set of hamstrings are ... well, y'know, nice to admire and all.

[mbasic]

What sort of machine are you getting?

knowing kotj, we may not want to know the answer to this question

Even still, this thread has the potential to be very enlightening.

A nice, well-developed set of hamstrings are ... well, y'know, nice to admire and all.

Yeah, I eagerly wait to hear the jew-king's hypothesis on this .... the mechanism.

One would think everyone here should have enough of a well developed set of hamstrings to fend off some weird snowflake back pain.

.... so now I have to even further develop my hamstrings in an overly specific and targeted way to build a special shield for my lumbar. For my lumbar withstand the plebeian american sedentary (outside of the gym) way of life?

Unless the side effects of doing hamstring work (RDLs, GHRs, hypers, GM's etc) ....is ya know .... working your erectors. But then capt obvs that's not the hamstrings protecting the back ....

[Renascent]

What sort of machine are you getting?

knowing kotj, we may not want to know the answer to this question

Even still, this thread has the potential to be very enlightening.

A nice, well-developed set of hamstrings are ... well, y'know, nice to admire and all.

Yeah, I eagerly wait to hear the jew-king's hypothesis on this .... the mechanism.

One would think everyone here should have enough of a well developed set of hamstrings to fend off some weird snowflake back pain.

.... so now I have to even further develop my hamstrings in an overly specific and targeted way to build a special shield for my lumbar. For my lumbar withstand the plebeian american sedentary (outside of the gym) way of life?

Unless the side effects of doing hamstring work (RDLs, GHRs, hypers, GM's etc) ....is ya know .... working your erectors. But then capt obvs that's not the hamstrings protecting the back ....

Well...

I wasn't going to go down this rabbit hole again until it's obvious that @KOTJ was being serious (a recent log update shows "frogsplashes" were on the menu this past weekend), but I was under the assumption that the lower-back protection hypothesis relates to much of what is -- and has been -- said about a lack of glute strength/flexibility.

Lots of modern living, i.e., sitting, stretches them out, not dissimilar to the back of the shoulders from a lack of concentric movement. Strong glutes supposedly allow for posterior pelvic tilt (when needed?) with appropriate neural tone, to stack the lower vertebrae more efficiently, and the hamstrings assist with this.

Personally, I started doing dedicated hamstring work once my deadlift entered four-plate territory as assistance work and to prevent possible hamstring overload injuries.

I can see how someone might be inclined to train them to mitigate lower back bullshit, but I think ideally one would train the glutes more directly, and as a greater priority, in such a situation.

[KOTJ]

I just want to kill my legs and leg curl pumps are fun.

Bro science reasoning for lower back: the hamstrings are in the back of the legs. The back is also behind the front of the legs, and behind the front of the abs. By strengthening the lowest back muscles (hamstrings), the fullest back aka the absolute back will increase HP by at least 137.

Have a promaxima raptor leg extension/curl on order.

[Hardartery]

Out of pure speculation, I declare hamstring exercises and beautifully crafted hamstrings are underrated for strength and injury nonsense with the lower back.

Feed me your anecdotal experiences with adding direct hamstring work.

I'll be adding in a lot whenever my machine arrives.

No longer doing low bar, and havent done conventional in a while.

Bro science with me.

I don't see what difference it makes to do low bar versus high bar, squat depth is the decider for hamstring iand glute nvolvement on squats not bar position. I don't understand what all the recent shitting on Low Bar is lately, but it's stupid. Just like not doing Conventional, stupid. Doing both is better, and it's fine to treat one as accessory and the other is primary but it's dumb to completely preclude one of them. And a machine isn't going to fix anything other than maybe motivation if you have training ADD.
Overly tight anything in the posterior chain can impact the back negatively, but a weakness is just a ceiling on progress and not a cause of back pain. Most people would get more out of a few activation movements before lifting than they ever will from a new machine or a new exercise. Not to say that there's anything wrong with focussing on hammy develpment if that's someeone's issue, but it's not a magic pill to bulletproof anything.

[KOTJ]

@Hardartery exercise selection based on individual experience. no idea about whats popular to shit on recently and currently. juicy, hot, hard hams are important.

[KOTJ]

now who wants to share their favorite hamstring work that isnt a squat or deadlift/pull?

[Renascent]

leg curl pumps are fun.

I agree. And my calves agree. Wish I'd reincorporated these much sooner (the seated version, anyway).

Nordic Curls supposedly (?) build resilience in the shortened position. At any rate, they bring about that good kind of soreness, in my experience.

Bro science reasoning for lower back: the hamstrings are in the back of the legs. The back is also behind the front of the legs, and behind the front of the abs. By strengthening the lowest back muscles (hamstrings), the fullest back aka the absolute back will increase HP by at least 137.

Hamstrings are probably my favorite muscle group to work in isolation, but speaking as someone who admittedly overuses them often in lieu of glutes, probably should get at them cheeks too, if lower back stuff protection is the impetus.

• Bridges and thrusts
• Motorboating
• Kickbacks, and what have you.

[Renascent]

now who wants to share their favorite hamstring work that isnt a squat or deadlift/pull?

I've a strong preference for most of the knee-flexion-based hamstring work, but if you're gonna also do hip-extension-based stuff, I'm fond of Good Mornings when I can't be assed with more pulling. The stretch feels awesome.

I'm still learning to stop the eccentric once I can't push my hips back any further. I end up shifting the load to the lower back (QL and obliques?) if I get too preoccupied with "depth."

[KOTJ]

now who wants to share their favorite hamstring work that isnt a squat or deadlift/pull?

I've a strong preference for most of the knee-flexion-based hamstring work, but if you're gonna also do hip-extension-based stuff, I'm fond of Good Mornings when I can't be assed with more pulling. The stretch feels awesome.

I'm still learning to stop the eccentric once I can't push my hips back any further. I end up shifting the load to the lower back (QL and obliques?) if I get too preoccupied with "depth."

I was thinking about trying good mornings. Pulls are just sumo and sumo dimels (not assplosif) and sometimes trap bar RDLs but I haven't ruled that out from back flare ups contributions.

Do you have a bar preference for GMs? I can convince myself I need an SSB...

[Renascent]

now who wants to share their favorite hamstring work that isnt a squat or deadlift/pull?

I've a strong preference for most of the knee-flexion-based hamstring work, but if you're gonna also do hip-extension-based stuff, I'm fond of Good Mornings when I can't be assed with more pulling. The stretch feels awesome.

I'm still learning to stop the eccentric once I can't push my hips back any further. I end up shifting the load to the lower back (QL and obliques?) if I get too preoccupied with "depth."

I was thinking about trying good mornings. Pulls are just sumo and sumo dimels (not assplosif) and sometimes trap bar RDLs but I haven't ruled that out from back flare ups contributions.

Do you have a bar preference for GMs? I can convince myself I need an SSB...

I just use a plain ol' straight bar (Ohio Bar) in a high-bar position.

[alek]

Do you have a bar preference for GMs? I can convince myself I need an SSB...

I've done GMs with only the SSB, and it's real nice.

[mbasic]

now who wants to share their favorite hamstring work that isnt a squat or deadlift/pull?

Now that's something I can get on board with.

Leg curl machines, often maligned .... but I think there is quite a bit of benefit to them.

I do them. My kids does them.

And "not-functional machine movement pattern" is bullshit

Everyone is already doing the typical RDLs, DLs, Squats, Lunges, etc.

[KOTJ]

Do you have a bar preference for GMs? I can convince myself I need an SSB...

I've done GMs with only the SSB, and it's real nice.

What SSB are you using? Don't say Elitefts

[Hardartery]

now who wants to share their favorite hamstring work that isnt a squat or deadlift/pull?

ATM, deficit RDL. I actually feel something the next day with these. Nordic Leg Curls seem decent too. I have no plans to ever do a GM with a normal bar again, ever. SSB is the only way to go with these. Once you get past 225 lbs it's just too much of a PITA to not chew up the neck, the bar just doesn't like to sit right once you get past parrallel torso.

[alek]

Do you have a bar preference for GMs? I can convince myself I need an SSB...

I've done GMs with only the SSB, and it's real nice.

What SSB are you using? Don't say Elitefts

Only the best for the local YMCA using 20+ year old strength equipment--Titan Fitness SSB.

It actually does work well, and it weighs 60 or 61 pounds I think; so the plate math isn't too bad.

[dw]

now who wants to share their favorite hamstring work that isnt a squat or deadlift/pull?

Now that's something I can get on board with.

Leg curl machines, often maligned .... but I think there is quite a bit of benefit to them.

I do them. My kids does them.

And "not-functional machine movement pattern" is bullshit

Everyone is already doing the typical RDLs, DLs, Squats, Lunges, etc.

Oh leg curls are great for hypertrophy. Rather a bodybuilder staple I think.