What do you do to work your hamstrings?

[MrEgo]

I notice that my hamstrings get worked quite well when I parallel squat, but I was wondering if that's enough, or should I be doing hamstring curls on top of that?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

If you're doing good squats and working deadlift in your routine, you don't need anything else. Also, I think you should realize this: hamstring curls aren't going to help your squat. Hamstring curls iare gonna help your hamstring curl and perhaps help with aesthetics. Doing a movement helps hone it in neuromuscularly via increased coordination. However, it doesn't transfer well from compound to isolation exercises. Why do you want to "work" your hamstrings more? Do they not feel sore? If that's the case, you should know that soreness is a poor indicator of improvement and actually slows progress.

 

[darkxshade]

If you're doing good squats and working deadlift in your routine, you don't need anything else.

I generally don't do squats and deadlifts on the same day. Should I be? I'm getting the impression that I should be doing both but I don't think that's what you mean.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I generally don't do squats and deadlifts on the same day. Should I be? I'm getting the impression that I should be doing both but I don't think that's what you mean.

I said in your routine, meaning that you do them at some point on your program (usually squats 2-3 times a week, and deadlift 1 time a week or 1.5 weeks). You probably shouldn't do DL and squat on the same day since they're both extremely taxing and could accelerate central nervous system fatigue.

 

[Lamont Burns]

I do squats and DLs on the same day every 3-4 days. 3x5 and 1x5, ramped. It's part of the SS protocol. It's a bitch.

 

[Deeko]

I generally don't do squats and deadlifts on the same day. Should I be? I'm getting the impression that I should be doing both but I don't think that's what you mean.

I wouldn't recommend it, although some beginner programs are set up this way (they have you squat pretty much every workout, deadlift day included).

Anyway, as far as "working your hamstrings" go, I guess it depends on what you want. If your goal is size/bodybuilding, hamstring curls are useful (Arnold recommends it as a core leg mass builder for BB). However, in terms of strength, they're a waste of time. Doing a hamstring curl isn't going to make you squat or deadlift more, if that's what you want.

 

[MrEgo]

I wasn't doing the hamstring curls to have a better squat, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't getting unproportional gains in my quads as opposed to my hammies.

I don't judge my workout based on how sore I am on the days following my workout, although my hamstrings and groin are occasionally sore due to the fact that I've only started squatting in the past month and a half. I'm now able to do 225 5x5 on the squat, and I was barely able to do a set of 5 of 185 when I started.

Is there much truth to the rumor that you don't want opposing muscle groups out of proportion to one-another? For example, strong quads / weak hammies.. strong pecs / weak rear shoulder.. or does it just mean you're going to look funny and that's it?

 

[brikis98]

I notice that my hamstrings get worked quite well when I parallel squat, but I was wondering if that's enough, or should I be doing hamstring curls on top of that?

What are your goals? Do you have a reason to be concerned about hamstrings? What does your routine look like?

 

[TallBill]

Step ups are fun!

 

[MrEgo]

My goal is to put on more muscle mass. I'm at 190lbs of semi-lean mass, and I'm trying to get to 200lbs of lean body mass. I'm doing GOMAD, and on top of that, I'm eating other whole foods throughout the day.

Basically I just wanted to see if doing hamstring curls would be unnecessary or even harmful for bulking up if I was already squatting and deadlifting twice a week.

 

[surfsatwerk]

My goal is to put on more muscle mass. I'm at 190lbs of semi-lean mass, and I'm trying to get to 200lbs of lean body mass. I'm doing GOMAD, and on top of that, I'm eating other whole foods throughout the day.

Basically I just wanted to see if doing hamstring curls would be unnecessary or even harmful for bulking up if I was already squatting and deadlifting twice a week.

I don't think the point of GOMAD is to put on "lean muscle". If you want to get bigger then you need to be at peace with gaining body fat as part of that additional weight.

 

[MrEgo]

I'm at peace with gaining fat for now and losing it as soon as I get to a satisfactory point. At this pace, it shouldn't be long, because I can already feel my love handles and lower abs getting harder to pinch

 

[brikis98]

My goal is to put on more muscle mass. I'm at 190lbs of semi-lean mass, and I'm trying to get to 200lbs of lean body mass. I'm doing GOMAD, and on top of that, I'm eating other whole foods throughout the day.

Basically I just wanted to see if doing hamstring curls would be unnecessary or even harmful for bulking up if I was already squatting and deadlifting twice a week.

If you are already squatting (below parallel!) and deadlifting twice a week, your hamstrings should be getting plenty of work. Running (especially sprinting) and olympic style lifts like the power clean also hit the hamstrings hard. Is there a reason you think they need more?

I personally am not a fan of hamstring curls: although they might lead to some hypertrophy, they do not produce much useful strength. If for some reason you decide your posterior chain does need work, there are much better exercises available, including glute ham rasies, good mornings, romanian deadlifts, and weighted step-ups. However, if any of these make you too sore or tired to hit your squats & deadlifts 100%, then your efforts are likely counterproductive.

 

[MrEgo]

Nah, no reason. As long as they don't get out of proportion of my quads, that's all I really want.

You emphasized "below parallel" on the squats - should I not put on more weight until I can 5x5 a "below parallel" weight?

 

[brikis98]

Nah, no reason. As long as they don't get out of proportion of my quads, that's all I really want.

If you do a proper strength training routine like Starting Strength or SL 5x5 and maintain good form, you shouldn't have to worry about anything growing out of proportion. These routines are designed around a good distribution of compound exercises with free weights that inherently make use of the body's musculature in a natural and balanced manner. For example, a properly performed squat uses the quads and hamstrings very evenly. If anything, isolation exercises (such as hamstring curls) are what lead to imbalances, as they let you hit specific muscle groups separately and, quite possibly, unevenly.

You emphasized "below parallel" on the squats - should I not put on more weight until I can 5x5 a "below parallel" weight?

You should not go up in weight on any exercise until you can do it with proper form. If you don't know the proper form for the exercises you are doing, take some time to learn it before you head back to the gym - Starting Strength is a fantastic resource for this. If you are going to spend months training with barbells, it is well worth spending $30 and a few hours reading the book to make sure you are doing it right.

The proper form for a squat is to go "below parallel", where "parallel" is defined as having the hip joint below the knee joint when seen from the side. This diagram and this diagram show the proper bottom position of a squat. Exactly how far below parallel you go depends on your goals, flexibility, and the type of squat you are doing. For example, olympic weightlifters will usually want to go as deep as possible ("ATG") as snatches and cleans benefit from very deep squats (you don't have to pull the weight as high). Not everyone needs to go that deep, but getting below parallel is the bare minimum. This depth ensures that the greatest number of muscles are engaged, which maximizes strength development. It also ensures that the muscles are used in a balanced manner: only when you get below parallel do the forces from your anterior chain (primarily the quads) get balanced with the forces from the posterior chain (primarily the hamstrings, glutes, adductors, etc). This lets your muscles develop evenly and keeps your knee safe. If you aren't getting below parallel on your squats, you are doing it WRONG and need to fix your form before you go up in weight.

 

[MrEgo]

My form is good on the squat, I just didn't know that going below parallel was the way to go. I'll try that from now on.

*Edit - I suppose I could have my brother take a video of my form so I can see it from the side. After looking at that diagram, I'm pretty sure I go that deep, or at least very close to it. It's hard to guage how far down I go when I'm looking at a frontal mirror.

 

[elitejp]

I just did a quick skim through so if its been mentioned please forgive, but the absolute best workout for hamstrings have to be the straight leg dead lift. give it a shot and your hams will definately be feeing it if you havent done sldl for a while.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

My form is good on the squat, I just didn't know that going below parallel was the way to go. I'll try that from now on.

*Edit - I suppose I could have my brother take a video of my form so I can see it from the side. After looking at that diagram, I'm pretty sure I go that deep, or at least very close to it. It's hard to guage how far down I go when I'm looking at a frontal mirror.

At parallel is fine. The increased flexion is not good for some people. I've had some knee probs in the past so it's only to parallel for me (in the back squat). However, if you can get lower with no pain, the increased ROM is good for function, especially when it comes to olympic lifts.

 

[MrEgo]

This has kind of turned into a squat thread, but I see a lot of guys wearing knee straps when they do squats. Does that take a lot of stress off of your knees or does it make your squats less challenging or what's the idea behind them?

*edited for grammar

 

[Deeko]

This has kind of turned into a squat thread, but I see a lot of guys wearing knee straps when they do squats. Does that take a lot of stress off of your knees or does it make your squats less challening or what's the idea behind them?

I wear a knee sleeve when I squat - big difference from a knee wrap. Knee wraps are primarily used by powerlifters that lift in gear (its not legal in raw powerlifting). Your knee is wrapped very tightly in the extended position, which means the wraps have to stretch to get into the down position. They are elastic and don't want to be in that stretched position, so they help spring you out of the hole.

Knee sleeves provide support to the knee and are fine for regular training, but unless you're competing, don't wear wraps.

 

[brikis98]

My form is good on the squat, I just didn't know that going below parallel was the way to go.

Those two halves of your sentence are incompatible. If you aren't squatting below parallel, your form is bad. Without a video, I don't know how far above parallel you are, but it is likely you'll find it necessary to make some significant form tweaks to get below (which is why it's unlikely your form is "good" now). It may only seem like a few inches between above parallel and below parallel (more if you are half or quarter squatting), but those few inches make a HUGE difference in how effective the exercise is, how safe it is for the knees and how much weight you can handle on it. Check your ego, drop the weight, and do it correctly.

*Edit - I suppose I could have my brother take a video of my form so I can see it from the side. After looking at that diagram, I'm pretty sure I go that deep, or at least very close to it. It's hard to guage how far down I go when I'm looking at a frontal mirror.

Yea, a video would be a good idea. Using mirrors is not, as they can be very deceptive and make it hard to develop the very useful skill of proprioception (awareness of your body's position in space).