Hamstring help, DL for Hams?

[Crimson Ghost]

I'm in the process of trying to rebuild my physique.

My legs were always my strongest body part, except for hams. At my largest/ leanest my thighs were 30-31 inches and pretty lean. This was without much in the hamstring dept.

It was recently suggested to me that I do deadlifts for my hams workout. Anyone ever do this? I'm talking regular deads, not stiff legged DL.

I've tried high reps, low reps, drop sets, you name it.

Thanks!

 

[npcnj8]

Train hams first then move on to super deep squats, you hams will be fryed the next day.

 

[Dad]

You could...

Just a couple of things that I've found work well:

Do regular deads rather than sumo. Keep your feet shoulder width or less. Be sure you have good flexiblilty in your hips (glute minimus and medius), and gastrocs/soleus.

You could do hams on a separate day, such as hams/calves on, say, a Tuesday, then squats/leg press/hacks, etc. on, say Friday.

As to squats, closer stance seems, for me, to work hams better - same with leg press.

Hope this helps.

 

[Crimson Ghost]

Thanks...

I've always trained hams and quads on different days (until recently). I think that's a big difference there. But even when my legs were big I still had no hams (in comparison). I've never really squatted much either. When we first started out we would squat. After awhile we went to mainly Leg Press/ Hack Squat/ Extensions and my quads were awesome looking. When I squat my far upper thigh feels it, but my lower leg feels nothing. Close stance smith squats seemed to work better but nothing hits my legs better than Press/ Hack/ Ext.

I've NEVER deadlifted either (for back or hams). I have done straight legged DL's. My midsection is where I carry most of my fat and I have no clue as to what I look like when I'm leaned out (trying to get there right now). I'm scared heavy deads may give my waistline a boost when I don't need it

Thanks again!

 

[Yikes]

For me at least, Good Mornings with the bar a little lower across the traps, chest far out, ass pushed out, with a slight bend in the knees throughout the ROM have always made my hams super sore the day after .. much moe so than SLDL. I often do these with the balls of my feet elevated on a ten lb. plate .. causes a greater stretch earlier in the usual ROM .. at least for me.