Get Your Simple Exercises - The Cheapest Way on How to Get Strong and Healthy Hamstrings
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| Leg strength and mobility as well as fewer injuries through training of the hamstring muscles © healthyfood-musclestrength |
How to Get Strong and Healthy Hamstrings: In training, depending on the sport and performance goal, all injury mechanisms should be addressed. It should also be functionally trained so that strength is built up specifically for the sport-specific requirements and function. An individual combination of hip and knee-dominant exercises as well as exercises that stress the muscles concentrically and eccentrically as well as isometrically is ideal. Increased eccentric loading of the hamstrings has a positive effect on the muscle fiber length, which protects against hamstring injuries.
A balanced training program that challenges the muscles in a variety of ways should contain the following components:
- Mobilization and activation of the hip muscles
- Core stabilization: Anti rotation (anti-twist), anti Extension (anti-stretch), anti-torsion (anti diffraction)
- Concentric, eccentric and isometric strength training
- Bilateral and unilateral exercises for the lower extremities
- Hip and knee dominant as well as integrative exercises: Isolation and complex exercises
- Explosive force development: reactive plyometric content
- Mechanics of jumping, landing and cushioning: leg axis stability
- Accelerate, brake and accelerate again: sprint mechanics
- Sport-specific requirements in the context of changes of direction
Eccentric force versus concentric force
Basically, the muscle strength adapts to the specific requirements in training and everyday life: "use it or lose it". With more eccentric training, the eccentric strength can be increased compared to the concentric strength and vice versa. Eccentric training also has positive effects on tendon stiffness and other performance-determining factors. Hip extension exercises are particularly beneficial for the functional strength of the entire hamstring. If you strengthen the hip extensor muscles in the buttocks and hips, which work together, the hamstrings are relieved.
The right choice of exercises
When choosing exercises, you should therefore choose both exercises that place more stress on the medial parts of the hamstrings that are located towards the middle of the body, for example kettlebell swing or deadlift, and exercises that place greater demands on the lateral parts (leg-curl variants , Hip extension, lungs).
The total volume of the medial portions of the hamstrings is greater than that of the lateral. Because of this, the lateral parts are subject to a higher risk of injury, which is also reflected in an increased frequency of injury. In contrast, the medial parts of the hamstrings are activated more strongly under high loads, such as maximum sprints.
As a result, various exercises should be involved in training in order to develop the medial and lateral parts as best as possible and thus prepare for high-intensity loads, such as sprints. For this reason it is also necessary to train the hamstrings with different stress stimuli and execution speeds.
Reactive plyometric exercises
However, the exercises completed in strength training to increase the eccentric strength of the hamstrings are mainly performed more slowly than the corresponding movements in the actual sport for which the training is being carried out. It is therefore recommended to also integrate reactive plyometric exercises in different planes of movement, in the sagittal and frontal planes, as well as sprints at maximum speed in the training program.
Compared to classic strength training, plyometric training leads to different adaptations: plyometric exercises lengthen the tendons, whereas strength training leads to an increase in tendon strength. Both factors protect against hamstring injuries. This also speaks in favor of a variable training concept characterized by different requirements. The lower the eccentric force of the hamstrings, the more prone to injury they are.
Functional strength training for the rear muscle chain
Hamstrings are also often overloaded with hip extension when the gluteal muscles have to work concentrically but are too weak. Functional strength training for the rear muscle chain, which addresses both aspects, effectively prevents injuries. In addition, bilateral exercises, as soon as they can be performed stably, should be supplemented by unilateral exercises in order to train even more specifically towards the performance goal. In this context, exercises in the closed and open kinematic chain can be incorporated variably.
An athlete at a high level of performance will no longer achieve any increase in performance through guided exercises such as the leg press or leg bend in a sitting position. In summary, it can be said once again that a holistic approach to reducing hamstring injuries is recommended - consisting of hip and knee-dominant exercises in strength training as well as acceleration and sprint training at maximum speed. The sprints should include changes of direction and braking maneuvers and the muscles around the hip and ankle should be mobilized. You can also train in a methodical series. A series of exercises is trained here.
Simple Exercises - Example exercises for strong and healthy hamstrings
Depending on the performance level and quality of execution by the athlete, a regression is achieved through easier exercises or progression through more difficult exercises. In the exercise part below in the article, a selection of functional exercises is presented with which training of the hamstring muscles can be designed in a variable manner. The complete exercise program can be found here in the book by our authors:
STRONG AND HEALTHY HAMSTRINGS
More leg strength and mobility as well as fewer injuries through training of the hamstring muscles
The rear thigh muscles, also known as the hamstring muscles, are very susceptible to injury, especially during exercise. Current statistics, especially from soccer and American football, show that despite active prevention in training and game preparation, the high injury rate of so-called hamstrings in competition has remained constant over the past ten years and even increased due to higher training requirements.
The functional effectiveness of this muscle group is often underestimated, but the high susceptibility to injury can be prevented through differentiated training.
In this guide, the authors take a holistic view of the hamstring muscles, explain the biomechanics clearly and present risk and protective factors based on the latest scientific findings.
Effective prevention strategies, training methods such as functional strength and mobility training, numerous reactive plyometric exercises that are described and illustrated in detail, as well as suggestions for program design can be put into practice immediately.
We can only warmly recommend this book to you! It currently offers the most comprehensive guide to the hamstring muscle group in German-speaking countries.
Warm up:
Roll out the hamstrings
Stressed muscles: Through the targeted rolling of the entire rear thigh muscles, all parts of the hamstrings are processed with the roller.
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| Roll out the rear thigh muscles © healthyfood-musclestrength |
1. Place the roll under the hamstrings of the right leg just above the knee joint while placing your left leg at an angle next to the roll. Put your hands on the floor below your shoulders. From this position, raise your buttocks slightly.
2. Unroll the back of the thigh from above the knee joint to the gluteal muscles, for this roll back and forth. Make sure that you work on the inner, middle and side parts of the muscles. To do this, rotate your leg to the left and right. Then switch legs.
Hints
It is important to perceive the stressed muscles directly and to decrease or increase the pressure depending on the intensity of the pain. More pressure can be created by adding weight, for example by lifting your bent leg off the floor.
The aim is not to remain static on a trigger point, but to work on it in a targeted manner through stroking movements over the entire muscle pull. The processing time is therefore very individual and can be between 30 seconds and 2 minutes per muscle or muscle group. The effect of the myofascial release can be increased through targeted inhalation and exhalation when working on the tissue.
Exercise to activate the core and hip muscles:
Plank hip flexion
Stressed muscles: Here, the hip flexors of the psoas group are mainly stressed. In addition, the torso and pelvic stabilizers are also activated: Since the support is reduced by lifting one leg off the floor, the Plank Hip Flexion places increased demands on the torso-stabilizing muscles.
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| Plank Hip Flexion © healthyfood-musclestrength |
1. Get in a push-up position with your hands just below your shoulders. Make sure you have a stable trunk and a neutral lumbar spine and pelvic position so that you neither stretch your buttocks upwards nor sag in your core. Your body forms a line from head to toe.
2. Tense the hip-flexing muscles and thereby actively bring a knee joint to your chest. Hold this position for 10 to 20 seconds and repeat the exercise 3 to 4 times for each leg.
Functional strength training for the hamstrings
RFE Split Squat
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| RFE Split Squat © healthyfood-musclestrength |
1. In the starting position you start standing upright in a step position, the step width is about two foot lengths. The heel of the front foot is placed under the knee joint, the rear foot or the back of the foot on a step that is set to a height of about 30 to 40 centimeters or on a bench. Tilt your torso slightly forward so that your body is in a line from your shoulders to the knee joint of your back leg. In this way you avoid hyperextension in the lumbar spine. Cross your arms behind your head.
2. Now lower yourself straight down until your back knee almost touches the floor. Hold the position briefly and then push yourself back up with force from your front heel into the starting position or until your hips are fully extended. Exhale in the stretching movement. Now switch legs. Do 8 to 10 repetitions on each side.
Hints
You may know the Rear Foot Elevated (RFE) Split Squat by a different name, often it is also called the Elevated Split Squat or Bulgarian Split Squat. A special feature of this squat variant is that the back foot is on an elevation, which makes the exercise difficult.
Reactive plyometric exercises
Box jump
Stressed muscles: In the box jump, the entire extensor and flexor chain of the legs is used in the take-off and landing phases.
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| Box jumps © healthyfood-musclestrength |
1. Take a stand slightly more than hip-width apart. Your feet and knees are rotated slightly outward for greater leg axis stability. To accelerate the jump, lower your center of gravity slightly by bending your hip and knee joints. Use your arms to support the swing with a back-up or counter-movement movement.
To do this, stretch them backwards in the starting position. Make sure your trunk is as tight as possible.
2. Now jump onto the box from this position by pushing yourself up out of your legs and swinging your arms forward and up at the same time. While jumping, keep your eyes on the box and focus on landing safely.
3. Land both feet on the box. The end or landing position on the box corresponds to the starting position. Take one step off the box after each jump. Perform 6 to 8 jumps.
Hints
The focus of the box jump is on the two-legged landing on a moderately high box about 40 to 50 centimeters high, not on the jump height. The aim is to accelerate the jump from a stable, two-legged athletic starting position with a counter-movement movement of the arms and the body's center of gravity. The most common mistake is the knock knees movement in the knee joint when jumping and landing, i.e. whenever the muscle chain is stressed.
Exercises with sprint and direction change requirements
Lean Fall Acceleration Sprint
Stressed muscles: In the acceleration sprints, the entire extensor and flexor chain of the legs is used with maximum trunk and pelvic stabilization in order to guarantee the knee lift and push-off phase.
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| Lean Fall Acceleration Sprint © healthyfood-musclestrength |
1. In the starting position, stand about hip-width apart in an upright posture. Keep your arms straight next to your body.
2. In the next step, let yourself be tilted forward as far as possible. Keep your body in line while doing this.
3. Shortly before you can no longer hold the forward lean on your own, lift one leg in an active knee lift and push yourself up and out of the standing leg. The arms support the acceleration in arm-leg cross coordination. Take a quick, powerful step forward and then accelerate to a maximum of 100 percent.
The focus is on hip extension during the extension and pushing phase of the leg off the floor. Trunk and leg axis stability are basic requirements for the execution of movements.
The acceleration run should be done over 10 to 20 meters, then change
the leg that takes the step first. Do 2 to 3 sprints on each side.
Note
When performing the exercise, pay particular attention to the knee lift and push-off phase, supported by the counter-movement of the arms.
