DECEMBER 2004:
How To Do Glute Hamstroc Raises Properly
Featuring Fletcher Brooks

When To Do Glute Hamstroc Raises
Soviet athletes, particularly their track and weightlifting stars such as David Rigert, have always been known in athletic circles to have erector spinae development parallel to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s biceps development. One of their secrets to huge erector spinae development had to be the Glute Hamstroc Raise.

It was originally done in the Soviet Union with no more equipment than a set of of Swedish bars and pommel horse with a few mats thrown over it. In North America, we are fortunate to have more comfortable and easily adjustable Glute-Hamstroc raises benches. The best ones on the market are the ones made by Wynmor and Atlantis.

The design of the glute-ham bench allows an athlete to strengthen the erectors especially in the middle range of the movement which, in most sports, is where the body is exposed to high forces.Another plus for the glute-ham raise is that it is one of the most important exercises for preventing back and knee injuries, especially the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The spine is exposed to great compressive forces in many sports, I have found that athletes who are weak in thehamstrings, glutes and lower back not only are more likely to injure their lower back, but are especially prone to tearing the ACL. Because theglute-ham exercise increases muscle mass and strength in the back, glutes and hamstrings, those athletes who include this exercise in their program are better able to withstand the compressive loads on the spine and those that occur with sports such as football and Alpine skiing.

I would advise only after having a base of good morning work, at least six weeks of it. As in for example, 3 weeks of seated good mornings followed by 3 weeks of standing good mornings.

Glute-Ham Raise
The glute-ham raise is an excellent exercise for the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. Also, if the bench you perform it on has a footplate, the exercise will also work the calves (and thus be called a glute-ham-gastroc raise).

Starting/Finish Ready Position:
Lie facedown on a back extension bench and place your ankles under the ankle pads. Adjust your hips on the hip pad so that when you bend forward your back is perpendicular to the floor, but not rounded.


Start/Finish Ready Position

Action:
Keeping your head in alignment with your spine and retracting your chin, lift your torso until your back is parallel to the floor. Continue the movement at this point by bending the knees (and pushing the balls of your feet against the footplate, if available) until your torso is almost perpendicular to the floor. Reverse the technique to return to the start.


Action #1


Action #2

Breathing:
Hold your breath, raise your torso, then exhale halfway down or at the finish.


Tips:
When the exercise becomes easier, hold a weight plate across your chest to increase the resistance. When this becomes easy place a barbell across your upper back, holding the bar as you would when performing a squat. Do not, however, place weight plates on your head as this could result in injury.

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