Ive just joined an awesome new gym and they have a GHR machine. I tried them for the first time tonight, i couldnt even do 1 full Range of motion rep, I done some short range of motion reps for a few sets and negatives, my hamstrings are sore already after a few hours since training. Im guessing im going to have trouble walking tomorrow.
Does anyone have any idea’s how to progress with them?
Jim Wendler states in his 5/3/1 book on page 42 " If you suck at these, do them everyday until you don’t. Start each workout with 2-3 sets of 5 reps. Do this, and pretty soon you won’t suck".
Thank you for the reply. I was thinking of doing them high frequency once the soreness dies down, ive never known a muscle to get sore so soon off 1 exercise.
Yeah man, GHR are freaking brutal. First time I got on a GHR was after some chick who was holding a 25# plate on her chest while doing them. She was banging them fuckers out. So my dumb ass hops up there and couldn’t even do 1 either. I felt like a lil bitch to say the least. At first use the handles to give yourself a little push up to get you going.
Over time you will start getting them without. I like these so much I bought the Brian Schwab Home GHR from EFS. Fucking thing still kicks my ass. 2 maybe 3 sets of 8 and stick a fork in my ass. Well worth the investment.
If you can’t do any, you can kind of cheat by using a broomstick or other device to push yourself up out of the bottom of the movement. You may also be able to adjust the foot place closer to the pad which makes them easier too.
Ahh, my favourite hamstring exercise.
Do them every workout as has been stated. To make it easier you might also try lowering the footrest or putting it a bit further back. Bands would also be useful.
The following may also be useful for you:
When I first started them I’d do 1/4 or 1/2 reps from the top position and alternate sets with regular back raises.
Basically start upright, lean forward until around 45º or so, then return to the start position.
Eventually I got low enough to start making the transition and could do full reps.
I’ve found some quite a bit more challenging than others. The GHR’s with the knee pad seem to be quite a bit harder since the pad wont let you bring your knees down a little lower. while your bringing yourself back up. My GHR had that pad up so high that I had the same issues even one rep felt like it was ripping me apart. I ended up taking mine off and although it is still tough it is now possible to rep it out a bit. You have get similar assistance by moving the foot plate back a bit.
For those that have GHRs in their programs, have you noticed much change in terms of appearance/hypertrophy and also any carry over to performance in other lifts/or athletic movements??
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Maybe I’m the exception, but all ghr’s seem to do is hurt my knees. SDL’s or RDL’s work way better and seem to have better carryover to other things.
[quote]theBird wrote:
For those that have GHRs in their programs, have you noticed much change in terms of appearance/hypertrophy and also any carry over to performance in other lifts/or athletic movements??
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The two months after I started doing ghetto GHRs (using the lat pulldown machine) I made by FAR my best gains in the deadlift. I had also incorporated speed pulls around the same time which I think helped as well, but I have no doubt the GHR was an awesome assistance movement for my deadlift.
Edit: Appearance/hypertrophy – not so much, from what I can recall, but I don’t pay a lot of attention there. But a definite boon for strength.
Thanks for the replies and advice guys. I tried them again tonight, i moved the foot plate a bit closer and placed my knees a tad lower on the pad and it seemed to make them slightly eaiser as i managed a bigger rom tonight, im going to keep plugging away as often as i can untill i can do full reps. My hamstrings are sore today but not as much i thought they would be. Im just pleased to join a gym that has a GHR as all of the gyms in my area apart from this one do not have one.
You can use a light band to help yourself up. Put the band behind you and wrap it around your chest so that it’s around your armpit and neck but going across your chest (note, not ON your neck, but rather right next to it on your shoulder).
This will assist you in the eccentric portion. After you get stronger, you can put the band below you and wrap it around your upper traps and this will make the entire movement significantly harder.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Maybe I’m the exception, but all ghr’s seem to do is hurt my knees. SDL’s or RDL’s work way better and seem to have better carryover to other things. [/quote]
then you dont have it set up right or you are using one with a bad design. there are a lot ones with bad designs.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Maybe I’m the exception, but all ghr’s seem to do is hurt my knees. SDL’s or RDL’s work way better and seem to have better carryover to other things. [/quote]
Where exactly are your kneecaps? They shouldn’t be touching the pad at all.
My personal experience with GHR’s I sucked camel dick at them. I did something kinda stupid and to help build GHR strength I would do Good mornings SLDL’s back extensions along with my normal sumo deadlifts. Really high volume but after about a month I was good for 10-12 reps. Now I do them with a 10 pound plate. I also way around 270. They are definatly something you need to get strong on and keep doing though. Hammer your ham strings and glutes in anyway possible and you’ll get there.
I prefer plain old back raises/hyperextensions with lots of added weight for the hamstrings.
I found GHRs to be far too easy after a while and adding weight to them just makes them very awkward rather than more difficult/stimulating.
I think one of those Bret Contreras articles showed that Hyperextensions had one of the highest hamstring recruitment of all exercises, even higher than GHRs.
GHRs are still a great exercise though, just make sure you’re doing them correctly with the pad closer to the hip rather than the knee. Placing the pad near the knee causes too much of the stress to be felt in the backs of the knees & takes the focus off the muscle bellies.
Ive done GHRs 3 times now and im getting lower each time, im just doing 5 sets of 3-5 reps as low as i can go and get back up. Thanks again to those who replied, theres some great advice and tips in this thead. My hamstrings seem a bit thicker even after a few times of doing them but ive started doing prowler pushes as well though so maybe that may have something to do with it.
[quote]B A S T A R D wrote:
I prefer plain old back raises/hyperextensions with lots of added weight for the hamstrings.
I found GHRs to be far too easy after a while and adding weight to them just makes them very awkward rather than more difficult/stimulating.
I think one of those Bret Contreras articles showed that Hyperextensions had one of the highest hamstring recruitment of all exercises, even higher than GHRs.
GHRs are still a great exercise though, just make sure you’re doing them correctly with the pad closer to the hip rather than the knee. Placing the pad near the knee causes too much of the stress to be felt in the backs of the knees & takes the focus off the muscle bellies.[/quote]
yeah, I just got a GHR machine yesterday and was able to rep it out. I think design of the machine and adjustment must have a lot to do with this. People with trouble on these are probably doing something closer to a natural GHR which I’m sure is brutal. I’ll try doing weighted hyperextensions on the machine too.
[quote]BIG-GEORDIE wrote:
Thanks for the replies and advice guys. I tried them again tonight, i moved the foot plate a bit closer and placed my knees a tad lower on the pad and it seemed to make them slightly eaiser as i managed a bigger rom tonight, im going to keep plugging away as often as i can untill i can do full reps. My hamstrings are sore today but not as much i thought they would be. Im just pleased to join a gym that has a GHR as all of the gyms in my area apart from this one do not have one. [/quote]
Good to see another Geordie on the boards, where are you training bud?