I hate them both!!! They are the only two exercises I do on machines, and I’d like to get rid of them. Any suggestions? I’ll post my full workout if needed, but I don’t want to type it if I don’t need to! Thanks!
Michelle, as a great replacement for ham curls (with a similar but more complete movement), try the natural glute-ham raises that Coach Davies wrote about in his most recent article.
Michelle, ditch the curls. do glute-hams raises, stiff legged deads, good mornings and reverse hypers. regarding extensions – lunge and do step ups instead
My hamstring development was non-existent until I eliminated leg curls from my routine entirely and replaced them with all sorts of deadlift variations: regular deads, stiff-legged deads, semi-stiff legged deads, snatch grip deads, dumbell stiff-legged deads, and so on. Reverse hypers and glute-ham raises (if you have access to the proper equipment) and back extensions (frequently referred to as “hyperextensions”) are also fantastic. Bottom line, if you stop focusing on the knee flexion function of your hammies and start focusing on the back extension function, you can switch things up and induce all kinds of new growth.
As far as leg extensions go, if you squat, front squat, dumbell squat, do lunges with your back foot elevated, and do step-ups, there’s no need for them in your routine at all.
Zev: Agree, but one POSSIBLE place for extentions; as part of a Squat Superset (Squats then Extensions) during a “SuperCompensation” (IronMan term) or “Growth Stimulation” phase when you reach a plateau. Any thoughts?
Leg extensions, with any kind of serious weight, will cause knee problems in most. Squat/Front Squat/SLDL is all you need for complete thigh/glute/hip development. Go heavy.
Greg
Michelle, if you hate them, why do you do them? They are practically worthless. You don’t have to do them. Like the others said, replace the ham curls with glute-ham raises and reverse hypers. Try to work the hamstrings as an extensor, not a flexor. So also include deadlifts, good mornings, stiff-legged deadlifts, etc. As for extensions, why do them? Stick to back squats, front squats, lunges, Olympic movements and bodyweight exercises. Crazy girl!
Home skillet: you’re completely right - I’d never say that extensions (or any exercise for that matter) should NEVER be done. All I meant in my post was that they NEEDN’T be done if one one has an otherwise well-rounded quad routine that includes exercises that hit the VM adequately.
Nate, babe, that’s the reason I posted! I don’t want to do them anymore, but I needed to know what to replace them with!!!
I currently do deads and squats, today I learned the correct way to do good mornings, so I’m going to add that next week. Am I correct in thinking the only difference between stiff leg deads and good mornings is how far down you go with the weight? Right now I do the ‘squat dead lift’ (I don’t know how else to describe it)
Thanks guys, I really appreciate all the help and advice!
Silly girl! Now you know! And knowing is half the battle…GI JOE! Anyway, stiff-legged deadlifts and good mornings are different in the fact that the barbell is held in a different place. With the stiff-legged deadlift, you hold the bar in front of you (like a deadlift) and just keep a slight bend in the knees. When going down, you actually want to go with your hips first. Remember, ass out! Always start with the hips, push them back (sticking your ass out) and then lower the weight keeping the bar close to you.
As for good mornings, you have the bar across your shoulders (like a squat) and bend forward. You can either do it with a straight back and bend so you're pretty much perpendicular. Or you can do the rounded back version where you try to put your head through your legs. Get it? Got it? Good! You go girl!
Now go hit those glute-ham raises and reverse hypers too! My hammies are so freakin’ sore right now from reverse hypers on Monday and sprints on Tuesday! Ouchie!
Michelle,
Stiff leg Deadlifts have you holding the bar at arms length while during Good Mornings the bar is on your traps like it is during a squat.
I got all the women at my gym hooked on glute/hams and reverse hyper. In fact without fail everytime I get a girl her favorite exercise is the g/ham. For the extension try replacing it with one legged squats or sissy squats.
Deep squats and glute-ham raises are the best movements I have used to replace curls/extensions.
Kelly, your telling me that all these girls can do full glute ham reps the first time they try it? I have to be doing something wrong. Its hard enough to lower yourself and thus fat impossible to raise back up. are you using cables as assistance?
what on earth is a sissy squat???
I believe sissy squats are done by keeping the upper body and the hip flexor straight. Then you bend backwards, flexing only the knees. You will look a little like someone in a limbo contest. For extra load, you can put a weight plate on your chest. It’s a great quad isolation exercise.
Darnit! I can’t BELIEVE I forgot the name of the Carribean dance where you bend back and go under a stick held by a person at both ends. (“The Limba Stick???”) Once you go under, the stick is lowered until you can’t bend back any furthur…anyway…that’s what a “Sissy Squat” resembles. You either hold a weight (usually a single plate) either on your chest OR a barbell at roughly clavicular level like you’re going to do a Front Squat (I would HIGHLY reccommend using a Smith Machine if you do it this way OR have some GREAT spotters). You then simutaneously bend at the knees, lean back slightly and lower yourself as far as you can placing an UNBELIVABLE stretch on the quads. (Note: Some people find that doing them with a Smith Machine gives them more balance. And if using a single plate held to the chest, holding on to something with the free hand). SISSY’S AIN’T FOR SISSY’S! They are TOUGH, but give the quads an amazing “pre-stretch” in the vanacular of Ironman’s “Points of Flexion” training. Again, they aren’t for the “faint of heart!”
um…call me a sissy, but i’m not gonna do those!!! I’ll fall on my head!!! grin you guys are SO much trouble, now i have to find a spotter! so leg day should be squats, good mornings and glute/ham raises? what do you think, or am i gonna kill myself? i do a three day split right now.
Heavens no Erik!
I have a special bench similar to a regular hyperextension bench but it’s called a “glute-ham bench” and is designed for doing glute ham raises. It’s adjustable so the further back and down you set the footholds the easier the movement is. If you do them the natural way you’ll find that the bigger the support you use for your knees the easier the movement…use a big punching bag to make it easy or a couple of rolled up towels to make it more difficult.
Michelle, if you’re new to sissy squats, start with bodyweight only and do them next to some upright piece of machinery so that you can hold on with one hand and keep your balance. When you decide to add weight, hold a plate on your chest and STILL keep your balance with your free hand. Not to contradict the Lion, but in a quarter century of lifting weights I’ve never seen ANYONE try sissys with a free bar. You can, however, do them on a Smith Machine, as recommended above, and here’s a nice variation to try (if you’re not shy):
I call these Gironda Squats, 'cause I learned them at Vince's gym. Start with a very light weight on a Smith machine, with the bar on your clavicles (in sissy squat position). Go down as you would in a sissy squat, but at a certain point (you'll know when you get there), break your pelvis/torso line (i.e., fold in at the waist) so that you end up in a bottom-of-a-front-squat position. At this point you should be hams-to-calves, with your torso more or less directly under the bar. Without relaxing the quads, start to come back up as you would in a front squat, but as soon as you're physically able swing your hips forward and complete the upper two-thirds of the movement as a sissy squat. Repeat.
Once you get the hang of the movement, you can do “21s” with it, by doing 5 reps (okay, so actually these will be “15s”) of the upper, sissy squat part, then with no rest 5 reps of the lower thrust-your-hips-out part (this is where it pays not to be shy 
), then 5 complete reps. Believe me, your quads will be screaming after that.