Training the glutes is held in high regard by physios,
strength coaches and the Instagram crowd alike for its role in injury
prevention, sporting performance and cosmetic reasons. Hip thrusts, squats and glute-ham
raises are big movements commonly performed in order to progressively
strengthen the glutes. One problem – the glute ham raise does not target the
glutes.
I know, right now you’re thinking “but…it’s a glute ham raise?” But this isn’t the only misnomer of an exercise. Hyperextensions should not place the spine into hyperextension, back extensions frequently target the hamstrings and glutes more than the spinal erectors depending on the position of the body/pad, and there are all kinds of exercises with countries in them that no-one can verify if they actually came from said country (French presses, Nordic ham curls, Russian twists, Cuban press etc).
The glutes will contract isometrically to support and
stabilise the torso, similar to how rectus abdominus will contract to support
the torso when squatting or deadlifting. But not many people confuse squats and
deadlifts as a specific core exercise (the “just lift heavy for core strength”
debate aside).
Ebben (2009) showed that the glute-ham raise elicited 98% mean hamstring activation normalized to maximal voluntary contraction (or MVC). Similarly, Zebris, et al. (2013) found 82% and 91% peak semitendinosus and biceps femoris activity when performing Russian curls. Excellent hamstring exercises.
If we consider the biomechanics of the movement, you’ll note
that the hips are lifting the torso, arms and head; whereas the knees are
moving the thighs and hips in addition to the torso, arms and head. To
calculate the extension torque for each joint, we would need to calculate the
lever length (the length of the head, arms and torso for the hips, and
additionally the hips and thighs for the knees) multiplied by the load
(similarly, more body parts means higher load). A significantly higher load is
being placed upon the hamstrings, meaning they will fatigue long before the
glutes.
None of this is to say the glute ham raise is a bad
exercise. It’s excellent for injury prevention due to the high eccentric
loading and control required, transfers well to sprinting due to the
simultaneous hip extension and knee flexion (given sprinting is a near
universal requirement in sport, this is a particularly big deal for athletic
training) and can be performed in a manner conducive to maintaining constant
tension and being explosive, which is ideal for hypertrophy.
It’s all a matter of using the right tool. A screwdriver
does not make for a good hammer. Use the GHD to hammer your hamstrings.
Shout out to Bret Contreras for his take on the subject.
References below:
https://www.t-nation.com/training/gutting-the-glute-ham-raise
- Ebben WP. Hamstring activation during lower body
resistance training exercises. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2009. 4(1):84-96. - Zebis MK, Skotte J, Andersen CH, Mortensen P,
Petersen MH, Viskær TC, Jensen TL, Bencke J, Andersen LL. Kettlebell swing
targets semitendinosus and supine leg curl targets biceps femoris: an EMG study
with rehabilitation implications. Br J Sports Med. 2013. 47(18):1192-1198