reading about the glut-ham raise, i have a question. i dont have access to the machine, but TC states that it can be done under a couch or with your partner holding down your ankles. Are you supposed to lower yourself down and then raise yourself back up? I cant even lower myself down for one rep. I get about 1/3 of the way down and then crash the rest of the way. TC said to use your arms but i dont understand how since when i vertical since i dont have monkey arms they dont touch the ground. any thoughts?
Actually the “natural” way is the best - but (BIG BUT) you’ve got to cruel to yourself and realize you likely will be sore for 5 or so days. Anchor your heels, toes into ground, hands at chest, lock hips forward - DO NOT BEND, punish yourself lower (get medevil here) as you collapse maintain hips forward, as you hit the ground pushup fast with just enough impetus that you are up enough to use your hamstrings. This is tough - try 4 sets x 25 to start.
In faith,
Coach Davies
How am i supposed to do 4 sets of 25 if i cant even do 1 rep?
since you can’t do one rep on your own (most people can’t) you push yourself off the ground to keep your momentum going…doing them this way you oughta at least be able to get 10.
As I said this is a brutal method - try the method and see what you can withstand. Trust me, I recognize this is very, very hard. I perform this myself and need to get mentally prepared for it every time. Tell me what you are able to accomplish and we can put together a plan. After, why dont you try some seated Good Mornings as well.
In faith,
Coach Davies
Here’s the answer to $64,000 dollar Question! At my gym we have a
make-shift setup for a “Glute-ham machine.” For some strange reason
I’m the only one who recognizes it as such…Now, for the part about
lowering yourself: you need to get a prop!..I use an old hockey stick
shaft.(From my numerous collection of broken sticks.)…But any similar
item will do fine…You then use the prop to help lower or catch yourself
until you get used to the movement . I do this for forced reps.
Now go out and get huge! (Joey Z.)
well, heres the deal - i did these on a bed with someone holding my ankles down and as i lower myself come crashing down into the bed. i bounce and push myself up but it just doesnt seem like im doing these right. i can just see myself doing these on the ground and come crashing into the ground (ouch) is there a way i can somehow build up to these? like quarter reps or something? and when you can lower yourself down all the way, are you supposed to raise yourself back up? i want to do these as i felt tremendous tension on my hamstrings, but cant. i would assume that bodyweight has something to do with the resistance as well. also coach davies what are seated good mornings? thanks
I had the exact same question, Erik
Eric - thats the brutal part, you’ve got to keep a constant tension and I mean fight it. It is best to do it on the floor, put some sort of padding under you knees and dig your toes into the floor. Your spotter should apply significant pressure at the heels. When you are on the ground, thrust you self up just enough till you can pull up with the hams. It is a hard one and it will take time to get used to. But as Joey said, whether you are an athlete or a body-builder you will get huge.
In faith,Coach Davies
To perform a Seated good morning, sit on a bench with a bar on your back and lower your torso as far own as you can go, then raise back up. For the Glute Ham raises, try kneeling on a sandbag. Also when you are at the bottom, push yourself up, like a plyo push up, and catch the weight with the hamstrings to finish the movement. Also, you can have a partner put a strap around your torso and pull you up to take some of the weight off your hamstrings.
erik, I have the same problem dude. I can only do a few. So I am just gunna keep trying until I can do sets
Did some today as Coach Davies suggested, what a great way to increase the reflexes - the reflex action of shooting my arms out 1/2 way down so I didn’t smash my face into the floor! Did 3x5 well sort of kind of reps, and then some b/weight glute ham raises as s/set, can only get better.
Is there anyway I could get glute-ham raises to work using a swiss ball? If not, and I go to the sandbags, do you keep your feet on an even plain with your knees or are they anchored to the floor while your knees are elevated ont the bag?
Tae
We don’t use a swiss ball because the exercise is hard enough. We anchor out feet on whatever works. A partner can hold them or lock them on the bottom of a fixed bench or machine.
Should Glute-Ham riases be done as described (feet anchored, knees on sandbag) or is it okay to do them where you hang off the end of a bench (or top of a truck cab as Coach Davies does them) and just raise your legs up? Are these called something else? Or are both known as Glute-Ham raises but done different ways?
Nate, the other movement that you are describing is the Reverse Hyperextension. It works similar muscles and is just as important to include in your routine as the Glut-Ham raises are.
Nate
One is a Glute Ham Raise and the one off the truck is a Reverse Hyper.
if you workout in a gym or have one at home, why not just do them of a high bench (you may have to put some plates under the bench to get it high enough) w/someone holding your feet and do them infront of a pulldown machine, you can use the wt. from the pully to help kinda like one of the assisted chin/dip machines. just a thought, as always peace, hetyey225
did the pictures in this weeks article help? Let me know. In faith, Coach Davies
Great pictures coach D. Whose are studly looking athletes. I don’t know what Shuggart is talking about in his disclaimer.