Glute Ham Raises

BrianD3

I have a GHR machine for a few months and am still trying to get the best out of it and myself, previous thread is here

Recently I read an article on GHRs by Bret Contreras which I thought was interesting, it's here

In this he calls the GHR an amazing hamstring exercise but a lousy glute exercise. Also he states that glute activation is higher with weighted GHRs with a widely spaced pad/footplate compared to bodyweight GHRs with the pad/footplate close.

I have been using my GHR using bodywight or up to 15kg held across my chest with the pad/footplate as close as possible. This makes it very hard which is I want but I've also found my hamstrings painful while performing the exerise. This pain reduces after a couple of sets. I haven't been getting any DOMS or pain in my hams or glutes afterwards. I haven't been feeling anything in my glutes really.

Now I have widened the pad/footplate spacing and am holding small weights (up to 5 kg) at arms length in front of me to increase the resistance. I think this just as hard as what I was doing previously but I'm not experiencing the hamstring pain and I think I can feel the glutes working more.

Scuba Ste

I've only ever considered it a ham exercise myself. The hardest part is knee flexion so I'd imagine that limits any real ability to work the glutes.

What I read into your post is that knee flexion is easier the further back the knees are which makes it possible to focus on hip extension more and actually works the glutes more.

Why not just do something else for the glutes if that's your goal?

Hanley

Yeah maybe I just don't get it, but there's no real hip extension in a GHR so i struggle to se where the glutes come in other than as a stabilizer. I'd always consider it more of a hamstring/knee flexion dominant movement

cc87

A Ham Raise just doesnt sound as exciting as a Glute/Ham Raise

OMCCABE

GHR's are an interesting one. I've heard people claim it is only a glute ham if hip flexion occurs in order to allow hip extension on the way up. I've also heard the standard to horizontal performance described as Tudor raises and Nordics.

IMO if you want to develop the glutes then standard hip extension exercises are what you need and use the GHR rig for hamstrings (its the best knee flexion exercise in my opinion). I will say however that if the glutes are a weak point it will show up on the GHR performance and I've seen some big deadlifters struggle with the isometric contraction of the glutes from parallel to vertical.

Hope this helps

Oisin

Hanley

OMCCABE wrote: »

GHR's are an interesting one. I've heard people claim it is only a glute ham if hip flexion occurs in order to allow hip extension on the way up. I've also heard the standard to horizontal performance described as Tudor raises and Nordics.

IMO if you want to develop the glutes then standard hip extension exercises are what you need and use the GHR rig for hamstrings (its the best knee flexion exercise in my opinion). I will say however that if the glutes are a weak point it will show up on the GHR performance and I've seen some big deadlifters struggle with the isometric contraction of the glutes from parallel to vertical.

Hope this helps

Oisin

Well said dude!!

BrianD3

Great responses, thanks

Moving away from the GHR (or should that be HR), has anyone got an opinion on the barbell hip thrust for glutes that is mentioned in the Contreras article?

Hanley

BrianD3 wrote: »

Great responses, thanks

Moving away from the GHR (or should that be HR), has anyone got an opinion on the barbell hip thrust for glutes that is mentioned in the Contreras article?

Good in theory assuming you've excellent glute activation. Otherwise it potentially turns into hammies/lower back work.

cc87

BrianD3 wrote: »

Great responses, thanks

Moving away from the GHR (or should that be HR), has anyone got an opinion on the barbell hip thrust for glutes that is mentioned in the Contreras article?

Like Hanley said, if your activation is good they are good. If it isnt you might be better off trying a few unweighted hip thrusts. Start with 2 feet on the ground, then try with one foot on the ground and then the cook hip lift i think most people call it.

If you can manage a few sets and reps of the cook hip lift then weighted hip thrust shouldnt be a problem.

Scuba Ste

cc87 wrote: »

the cook hip lift i think most people call it.

How much ROM is expected with these? Any time I've tried them I find the movement is minimal and feel like they're pointless.

cc87

Scuba Ste wrote: »

How much ROM is expected with these? Any time I've tried them I find the movement is minimal and feel like they're pointless.

I would expect a similar ROM to the other versions myself.

Try moving your foot thats on the ground closer to your body.

Brian?

Scuba Ste wrote: »

How much ROM is expected with these? Any time I've tried them I find the movement is minimal and feel like they're pointless.

Have you tried clams, monster walks etc.?:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiqvDV8pzRk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2GD2jYd5CM

Scuba Ste

cc87 wrote: »

I would expect a similar ROM to the other versions myself.

Try moving your foot thats on the ground closer to your body.

I get nowhere the same ROM as the other version.

Brian? wrote: »

Have you tried clams, monster walks etc.?:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiqvDV8pzRk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2GD2jYd5CM

Yeah I do a lot of that stuff anyway, it's just the cook lift that never seems any good.

Hanley

Scuba Ste wrote: »

I get nowhere the same ROM as the other version.


Yeah I do a lot of that stuff anyway, it's just the cook lift that never seems any good.

I'm with you here.

The whole point is to f*ck with your ability to extend your lower back/hips tho? It's a very similar position to the thomas test which is used to asses rec. fem. / psoas length, so if either of those are tight, you're gonna struggle.

Brian?

Scuba Ste wrote: »

Yeah I do a lot of that stuff anyway, it's just the cook lift that never seems any good.

I dunno to be honest man, I don't think they do much myself but they are part of my knee rehab routine so my physio feels there is some point. I don't know if there's any point to them if outside a rehab scenario.

cc87

Brian? wrote: »

I dunno to be honest man, I don't think they do much myself but they are part of my knee rehab routine so my physio feels there is some point. I don't know if there's any point to them if outside a rehab scenario.

Last year I was doing a lot of specific glute stuff and I wasnt able to do the cook hip lifts in the beginning but after about a month I think I was able to start doing them.

Sticking a ball in the crease of the hip of the raised leg makes them slightly easier to perform as it gives you something to focus on, in terms of keeping that side flexed properly.

Nowadays though, I do them sometimes as part of my warm-up but theres a list of glute stuff there to pick from.