What are the best exercises for the hamstrings that you feel carry over to your squat and deadlift?
GM’s for me are mostly a hip and lower back exercise. I’ve had luck with db sldl, but not the bb version (again, hips and low back). 1 leg sldl don’t seem to do much for anything. I’m having luck with reverse bb lunges starting from elevation (front leg on 2 45’s, rear leg on ground; the weight I have to use is embarrassing). Band leg curls have never done much for me. No access to a ghr, or reverse hyper.
I like GMs and db single leg rdls. Key point is to keep my legs straight: particularly with the single leg rdls if I have much knee bend at all my glutes will take over the work. Also, I find it helpful to elevate my toes on a plank when doing the GMs.
If sldl’s dont work for you, try doing this. First, use a lighter weight than you normally would. Start with like 135. When you lower, make sure to push your butt back as far as you can. When you feel a really good stretch in your hamstrings you’ll know you’re doing it right. If you go to heavy, alot of times your back and hips will try to take over. However, if you start off light and work you’re way up, you’ll be able to hit them much better.
Also, you can try natural GHR. Basically just get into a lat pull down station backwards. stick your feet under the knee pads, and put your knees where your butt would normally go. These are pretty damn hard, so you’ll probably have to help by pushing with your hands. Try to use a really slow eccentric. If you dont have access to a lat pull down machine. put a heavy ass barbell in a power rack. Put it inside against two of the posts. Turn around and put your heels under the barbell and do the GHR’s that way.
Bret Contreas wrote an article about the best hamstring exercises. His findings were that the regular deadlift had the highest EMG readings of any exercise, including GHRs. I found this very surprising as I don’t noticably feel them in my hams at all. However it also makes some sense, as usually the so called ‘best’ hamstring exercises allow you to use very little weight, where as a deadlift loads the body to the maximum.
So to answer you’re question I would assume that deadlifts, romanian deadlifts and rack pulls would be the best ham exercises.
In no particular order: Sled drags, RDL’s, Deadlifts, Dimel Deads, 45 degree GHR w/bands, Concentric only goodmornings. Find a way to work some of those in and your hamstrings wont be weak anymore. High rep band leg curls and gm’s are good to start out with if your hammy’s are really lagging… did I just say hammy’s?