Hamstring mass

[tatteredxangelx]

As y'all know, I have lagging hams and monster quads. Has anyone had any sucess for building hamstring mass with any exercises other than deads and variations of it ... Reverse hypers work for strength, and curls work for a pump, but I just can't get the mass I need to match my quads (yes, I emphasis stretching, before during and after)

 

[Shelby]

why do you say curls are just good for a pump?
how high rep are you doing them?

 

[MAINEVENT]

As y'all know, I have lagging hams and monster quads. Has anyone had any sucess for building hamstring mass with any exercises other than deads and variations of it ... Reverse hypers work for strength, and curls work for a pump, but I just can't get the mass I need to match my quads (yes, I emphasis stretching, before during and after)

Stiff legged deads really helped bring up my hamstrings.

 

[UGAthlete]

Stiff legged deads really helped bring up my hamstrings.

Ok, I've always gone down all the way and up almost all the way (slight forward lean like the top of a squat). I've seen some say that you only go down a but, others say as low as you can.. which way is correct?

 

[MAINEVENT]

Ok, I've always gone down all the way and up almost all the way (slight forward lean like the top of a squat). I've seen some say that you only go down a but, others say as low as you can.. which way is correct?

IMO i do it through a range in i feel it mostly in my hamstrings which ends up being mid shin level to mid thigh level. Anything more and i feel it in my low back and glutes too much.

 

[NYC Diesel]

yea stiff legs for sure, just start out light and feel for the stretch like mainevent said

 

[scrapper13]

i may get criticized for this advice but have you ever thought about incorporating some athletic endurance activities into your routine such as biking with resistance, body weight calisthenics sort of things?? my background is more wrestling than power lifting however when i was in college my legs were tree trunks from this type of workout.

 

[VTliftVT]

I really like doing feet high leg presses for hams. If you have a big enough base you can put your feet shoulder width apart and have the balls of your toes OFF of the base. You are pushing directly with your heels through to your hams. You can use a pretty hefty amount of weight and you can control the range of motion that fits you best.

 

[buselmo]

heavy ass leg curls... one leg at a time. found them to be better than stiffs

 

[natabolic]

reverse hack squats.
nothing hits my hams like them.

 

[ericinbc]

try training your hamstrings first before you hit your quads and they will come to life real quick for you. it also gives you a great warm up for your knees preping them for your quad training.

 

[Dangkolo]

super-set the two......some kind of curl and bent-deads.......

 

[Kaladryn]

Romanian Deadlifts are the best imo. If you bend your knees more than 20% the glutes become the primary mover, so keep the knees bent, but less than 20%. Keep the back arched and completely out of the movement. Keep the bar in front of you, don't drag it along your legs. Maintain tension in the hamstrings at the top of the movement.

 

[Little Bear]

Romanian Deads FTW, but pretty much doing them just how Main said

 

[btech]

. . . try these, it's an oldie but a goodie.

Glute Ham Raise ftw

-deadlift
-low bar squat
-good morning

 

[Big Dave Smith]

Ham presses of any kind for me don't do shit.

If you can do the entire stack on leg curls for 12+ reps, each rep having a 4 second negative... you probably have large hamstrings.

If you can PROPERLY stiff leg deadlift 5 plates for 6-8 reps... you probably have large hamstrings.

There are no "tricks". Just like if you find a guy who incline benches 405 for 8-10 reps with a controlled negative, he'll have a big chest and triceps.

 

[knucklehed]

Ham presses of any kind for me don't do shit.

If you can do the entire stack on leg curls for 12+ reps, each rep having a 4 second negative... you probably have large hamstrings.

If you can PROPERLY stiff leg deadlift 5 plates for 6-8 reps... you probably have large hamstrings.

There are no "tricks". Just like if you find a guy who incline benches 405 for 8-10 reps with a controlled negative, he'll have a big chest and triceps.

hard to argue with this post

 

[sabbaman]

I find deads and lying hamcurls with 8 - 10 second negative phase. Slow steady negative movement will definetly hit the hams hard.

 

[aeliop]

Balance

As y'all know, I have lagging hams and monster quads. Has anyone had any sucess for building hamstring mass with any exercises other than deads and variations of it ... Reverse hypers work for strength, and curls work for a pump, but I just can't get the mass I need to match my quads (yes, I emphasis stretching, before during and after)

If you have monster quads but inferior hamstrings you have an imbalance. The imbalance is the problem not the lacking hamstrings. Back off your quads maybe stop training them all together until the rest of your legs catch up and that includes your calves as well. Imagine a race where your quads are averaging 5 minute miles and your hamstrings are doing 7 minute miles. At the midway point the quads have built a substantial lead over the hams. The hams all of sudden really pick things up and they are now doing 5 minute miles, unfortunately the quads kept their present pace of 5 minute miles. True the hamstrings didn't fall any further beyond but they also didn't gain any ground either and the end result was that despite the valiant effort by the hamstrings, the quads still finished way ahead. The moral of the story? What ever you are doing for quad development is working, it is actually working so well it is dominating the rest of your legs causing an imbalance. Find your balance, bring the quad back to the pack, and then work them equally.

 

[Jeremy24]

I train hams with back lately. Leg curls to start pyramid. Then stiff leg deads 4x 6-8. Then i do a laying leg curl with a dumbell held by my feet.