Okay, I want to start off by saying I have never actually had it cramp up while I’m lifting. However, if I curl my left leg up and flex the hamstring, it will cramp at least occasionaly. It is only my left one, my right one has never done this.
Is there a way to stop my left hamstring from cramping, or is this not really an issue? It hasn’t cramped in any lifts yet, but I don’t want to be doing a ATG squat and have my hamstring cramp up.
that is how you get a cramp. so dont do that. i used to do that alot and make my hamstring painfuly cramp up just for fun and see how long i could tolerate it before i stretch it. it is supposed to relieve immediately by stretching.
i am prone to cramping now i assume because i am taking creatine.
i got the most painful cramp in the glute/hamstring area that would not go away for ten minutes. when i do squats i feel like a may cramp up again. i dont see anything that will help but i dont think that will stop people from making up some home remedies
My guess is that you’re in a similar situation to me. If I’m standing and flex my ham with knee flexion even slightly it feels like my ham string is going to explode (same thing with the other leg if I do it that way). A athletic trainer I saw about the problem said it was likely adverse neural tension. Apparently there is some tension somewhere in my neural chain and this causes constant tweaks on the nerves along that chain and so whenever you put the nerves in position to be harmed they protect themselves by clamping down the muscle to prevent tearing at the nerve.
Hurts like hell and feels like a torn hamstring (you can tell it isn’t because there isn’t any bruising or scar tissue left behind). This happens to me every time I try to do full out sprints with a fully extended stride…my hamstring dies and I’m hobbled for 1-4 weeks. The way the trainer tested me was by using the slump test.
Sit on a table with one leg extended and the other hanging off the side. Sit straight up and pull your neck forward and down with your hands, if it is positive you will feel intense burning/pain along the places where there is the most tension. For me that is behind the knee and t spine and slightly in the c spine. Anyway, I’m untrained and am just speaking from anecdote, google adverse neural tension and/or the slump test to get more information.
I do a fair bit of running and activity in general and find that supplementing magnesium helps A LOT with cramping.
Generally it goes like this.
I take magnesium daily 1-2 capsules and I get cramps VERY occasionally (once every couple of months) while I’m sleeping.
I get lazy and stop taking magnesium, within a week I get REALLY bad cramps one night that just won’t go away and take a few minutes to release.
I start taking magnesium religiously again 
It’s really noticeable when I stop taking it and when I go back on. So my suggestion is a bit of magnesium and see how you’re doing after a week.
Magnesium chelates are hte best, give magnesium oxide a miss even though it’s the cheapest.
I would check out hydration/electolye levels, as well as take a look at low back and anterior hip flexibilty. You may also want to check on strength of left glute vs right to see if there is a imbalance and work to correct it. Good luck with the leg.
Wow this just happened to me today. I was doing high rep ATG squats and in my third set hamstrings (mainly the left one) just burst into cramps. Came home foam rolled and am going to go for a swim tonight to and see how that goes. But definitely try foam rolling.
Here’s a t nation about foam rolling:
good luck
maybe check to see why is just happening on one side…maybe a slight ant telt of one hip putting the hammy at a disadvantage.
just speaking from experience
bananas and pickle juice. honest to pete, pickle juice is the bees knees.
Try get some more sodium. Might help.