Q&A: Glute Hams vs. Leg Curls

Leg Curl machine

Mike,

Thanks for sharing this story - very insightful.

\"You know the feeling - the first time you do a glute-ham is like none-other, and you quickly realize that the leg curl machine is pretty much useless.\"

But at risk of incurring your wrath (since you've likely been asked this a thousand times before), do you see leg curls as having a place for any goal at all? For this question, assume that the person is already doing things like GHR's, slideboard leg curls, Swiss Ball SHELC, etc. (not to mention hitting deadlifts hard, using reverse hypers, and all of the other productive stuff lifters should be using at one time or another) and is considering these as something to add on for brief periods of time rather than as a way to avoid doing the "hard stuff".

Not that a top coach using any given exercise is proof of its value, but Charles Poliquin has leg curl machines in his facility, and I am assuming he doesn't have them there simply for the sake of increasing his expenses or having something worthless sitting around the facility.  Furthermore, you're one of those coaches who rarely singles anything out as totally worthless, merely as a tool that may have broad or limited application depending upon the context.  As such, I figured you'd be one of the go-to guys for answering this question.

Thanks!

I get a lot of questions about the differences between leg curls and glute-ham raises, so let's discuss this a little bit further.

One of the key benefits of glute-ham raises is the fact that you can get a co-contraction of the gluteals and abdominals while performing the exercise.  This is similar to a stabilization pattern that we'd like to see in many of our athletes.

In contrast, what we often see are athletes that hang on their hamstrings, hip flexors and lower back muscles to get said stability.

If our goal was to create clients and athletes that utilize proper stabilization patterns, then we need to train those patterns in each and every exercise that we choose. Leg curls are typically performed in a hips flexed position, which only further magnifies these poor stabilization patterns.

A properly executed glute-ham raise engages the core and gluteals (maintaining hip extension), while then utilizing the hamstrings to promote the movement.

To answer your question, there are times when I might consider using the leg curl in a specific client's program. For example, if a client was a bodybuilder, figure athlete, or any sort of physique athlete, their goal may be solely to develop hypertrophy in the hamstrings. In this case, a leg curl may be beneficial.

Remember, if your goal is solely to maximize muscle hypertrophy, machine-based training could be of value. It may not be my first option, but it would definitely achieve their goal of building bigger hamstrings.  When in doubt, remember this simple equation:

More Stability = Greater Primer Mover Activation

In most cases, I would always choose glute-ham raises over leg curls. However, I like to see both sides of the equation and could make an argument for leg curls with clients who have physique-specific goals.

Stay strong

Mike

Comments (3)

Help Pierre Help Haiti

Pierre Garcon

Call me crazy, but there are still times at 31 years old were I feel I can change the world.

And today just happens to be one of those days.

Several months ago, we ran a promotion here at Robertson Training Systems to encourage readers to purchase the LiftStrong CD-ROM.  This amazing product is over 800 pages of content, but more importantly, every single dime of the reveneus to to supporting cancer research.

In a little under a week, we raised $1,000 for cancer awareness.  I'm damn proud of that, but I think we can do even better.

Why I couldn't sleep last night...

While surfing the Internet last night, I came across an article written about Pierre Garçon, one of my favorite Indianapolis Colts football players. Garçon has many friends and family from the small country of Haiti. As many of you know, the country was recently devastated by a massive earthquake, leaving much of the country in a shambles. And Garçon was left to wonder if his friends and family were alive, with no way of contacting them.

While we often only hear about professional athletes when they're in the news for all the wrong reasons, it's great to see a young man such as Garçon use his platform to build awareness for Haiti and to help his country out in its time of need.

So today, I'm going to do my best to put my money where my mouth is.

The Offer

I often get inquiries about people who would like to do online training with me. However, they simply don't have the funds to do it for one reason or another. While I would love to train every single person imaginable, it's just not feasible for me any more. I'm running two businesses, have a beautiful wife and I enjoy spending time with, as well as many friends to boot.

I only have so many hours in the day, and therefore must put certain restrictions on my time. This is why you'll notice that my online training rate has gone up consistently over the years.

However, through Monday at midnight, I'm cutting my online training program fees in half! 

Taking it a step further, I'm going to take each and every dollar I receive from new online clients and donate that money to Pierre Garçon's Haiti relief fund.

Quite simply, if I can do anything to make a difference, I'm going to.

Now I'm really putting myself out there on this one. I have no clue if anyone is even going to take me up on this offer. But if you've ever considered working with me in an online fashion before, you're never going to see a deal like this one again.

Along those same lines, you'll have the additional understanding that your money is going to help support a great cause. I'm not keeping any of this money for myself, so it's just one small way I can hopefully make a difference.

I really feel like this is a win-win-win proposition for everyone involved.

The people of Haiti get money they can use to help rebuild their country.

You get to work me for literally half the price you would normally pay.

And I get the satisfaction of knowing I did something good that helped people out in their time of need.

Remember, this deal is only going to last through midnight on Monday. As well, I'm limiting it to the first FIVE people who contact me.  Like I said up front I'd love to work with everyone, but there are only so many hours in the day and I'm already spread thin!

Finally, I know that times are tough economically for many of us. With that being said, however, you can still make a difference even if you don't want to work with me. If this is something you're passionate about take just a minute or two out of your day and do one (or all!) of the following:

• Forward this link to your friends.
• Re-tweet it on Twitter.
• Post a link to my page on Facebook.

Anything we can do to spread the word and help inform people about what's going on can help make a difference.

As always, thank you so much for all your support over the years. I appreciate everything you've done for me, and hopefully our collective efforts will help make a difference to the people who have suffered so much in Haiti.

All the best

Mike

P.S. - If you're interested, shoot me an e-mail at mike@robertsontrainingsystems.com with the words "Haiti Relief Fund Training Program" as the subject.  Serious inquiries only. Thanks!

Comments (4)

Do Not Miss the Message

Dan John

I was doing my Podcast interview with Dan John yesterday, and we talked about one of his famous lines:

"If it's important, do it everyday."

While I've heard him say it (or write it) numerous times before, this was one of those light-bulb moments. 

Ponder this....

Dan is a firm believer that you should be front squatting or Goblet squatting every day.  He believes the squatting motion is something we need to consistently work on.

I know for many of my clients who are in chronic pain, or who have severe postural issues, I tell them to do their foam rolling, dynamic stretching, and activation exercises every single day.

I remember a few years ago when I attended a Z-Health seminar that founder Eric Cobb talked about performing some Z every day, too.

To the end-user, the question becomes "Who is right?  Whom should I listen to?"

This is the inherent problem, though! 

What ends up happening is you get so caught up in the medium, that you totally miss the message!

Instead of just picking one, they end up doing nothing.

I don't care if it's Goblet squats.

I don't care if it's foam rolling, dynamic stretching, and some activation exercises.

I don't care if it's Z-Health.

What we're all saying is that you should get up and move around every single day!

Doesn't that make it easier?

It's not about right and wrong.  We all agree that movement is important, but how we get from A-->B differs slightly.  All you have to do then is figure out whose system fits you best from a philosophical perspective.  (And for what it's worth, I've been implementing pieces and parts of all of the above into my daily routine.)

But please, don't miss the message because of the medium.  Getting up and moving every single day is one of those simple things that can improve your body, your mind and your spirit.

Now, please take a moment to stand up and move around a bit!

Stay strong

MR

Comments (1)

In the Trenches Fitness Podcast Testimonial

iTunes Podcasts

I received this testimonial a few days ago, and I figured it would be something worth posting.

I'm a personal trainer and a bit of a fitness podcast fanatic and I think your "In the trenches" podcast is outstanding!

I like that you keep it focused and to the point, some podcasts have too much meandering in them, and while entertaining, I don't have time to listen through an excessive amount of it. I don't mind a little bit of it, just don't want 15 minutes of stuff before the show actually gets to the matters at hand. :)

So thanks for giving great content by asking great questions and keeping  things "on point!" while still giving the show a conversational feel, that's a hard balance to achieve and you've accomplished it!

Take care,

Scott

If you haven't checked out In the Trenches Fitness yet, what are you waiting for?  I actually listen to Podcasts on my commute to work, during cardio, or even while relaxing before bed.

With upcoming interviews featuring Lou Schuler, Dan John, Mike Rousell, Sean Skahan and a host of others, "In the Trenches Fitness" will only get better with time.  Be sure to check it out!

All the best

Mike

P.S. - You can now subscribe to our feeds on both iTunes AND Podcast Alley.

Comments (1)