MINDFUL MOVEMENT

Thoughts on Beginner Hamstring Strength Progression, Part II

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Hamstrings help you extend your hips and consist of three main muscles (the semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and bicep femoris). The semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and long head bicep femoris cross the hip and knee joint. When these muscles are injured or weak, it can be hard to do athletic sports, walk with ease, or even sit down without feeling pain. Finding the appropriate progression of exercises can be difficult to figure out when starting out; working with a physical therapist, movement therapist, or strength trainer, depending on what you are working can be very helpful during these struggles.

Well, I have written below some beginner hamstring exercises using bodyweight below that you might want to explore. Allow form and pain to be your guide. Meaning, don’t lose your form for doing more repetitions and don’t do any exercise that causes you pain. And as with any exercise program, including this one, please talk with your doctor before starting something new. I have also written recommended sets and repetitions for getting stronger hamstrings. Click here to get that information.

Now you may think that light weight (if that is your body weight) may not get you any gains; current research is showing that this idea could be a myth. Light weight, with enough mechanical tension and reps (basically close to failure), could create as much gains as with heavy weight (load close to your 1 max rep). In a recent study, done by Brad J Schoenfeld et al, low load resistance training still demonstrated improvements in muscle hypertrophy in well trained men. This research and more goes to show that we still have so much to still learn in the science of strength training.

For beginners and people who are deconditioned, consistency in exercises is probably going to matter the most, so focus on just doing the exercises and not the details or the roots of the forest. If you have any questions and want extra help, I offer 1:1 sessions and can be reached at angeles@angelesrios.com .

Hamstring Curls

Hamstring+Curl.jpg

Dynamic Muscle Contraction

Slow and controlled (legs moving through honey)

2-6 timing in movement, example: flex knee for 2, 1 and extend knee for 2, 1.  

Legs

Single (unilateral, right or left leg)

Double (bilateral, both right or left leg)

Bridges

Bridges.jpg

Muscle contraction style:

Isometrics

5-10 seconds holds 

10-20 percent effort, focusing on engaging hamstrings, not back

Dynamic

Slow and controlled

2-6 count movement, example: 3,2,1 & 3,2,1 down

Knee flexion

0 degree (knee is straight)

90 degree (ex. knee is flexed 1/2 way, corner of square)

120 degree (feet are pretty close to butt)

Legs

Double (bilateral, both right and left leg)

Single (unilateral, right or left leg)

Hip extensions

Hip+Extension.jpg



Body Position

Hips in prone position (body/face facing floor)

For the isometric version, a supine position may initially be a better place to start if your breathwork/core needs to catch up in strength

Pillows can be used under hips to support lower back

Upper body can be on floor or elevated with bent arms and forearms on floor

Co-contraction (kime/engaged core during isometric and dynamic movement)

Knees stay straight

Keep ankles dorsiflexed (keeps calves from overworking)

Muscle Contraction Style:

Isometrics

Lay in body in supine (on your back) or in prone position

squeeze butt and reach through heels

Dynamic

Squeeze butt and press pubic bone on floor or pillows

Exhale and deep co-contraction as you lift legs from hips and floor

Inhale to lower legs down

Legs

Single Leg lift (left or right leg)

Double Leg lift  (both left and right leg; more challenging)

Link to Part I

Link to The Why, Who, What, When to Beginner Hamstring Strength Exercises


References

Thorborg, K., Opar, D., & Shield, A. (Eds.). (2020). Prevention and Rehabilitation of Hamstring Injuries. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-31638-9

Hirose, Norikazu1; Tsuruike, Masaaki2 Differences in the Electromyographic Activity of the Hamstring, Gluteus Maximus, and Erector Spinae Muscles in a Variety of Kinetic Changes, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: December 2018 - Volume 32 - Issue 12 - p 3357-3363 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002747

Schoenfeld BJ, Peterson MD, Ogborn D, Contreras B, Sonmez GT. Effects of Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Well-Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res. 2015;29(10):2954-2963. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000000958

The Why, Who, What, & When to Beginner Hamstring Strength Exercises

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I am attempting to use more graphics to help explain how I process, learn, and teach as a dominant visual and kinesthetic learner. I hope this graphic helps you get started on doing hamstring strength exercises, which I tried to be as clear and concise without getting lost in the woods. Lastly, this is not an exhaustive explanation. If you would like more help, I offer private sessions online and outdoors in Santa Cruz.

In my next blog, I will dive into more depth on how to do them. For now, I just got excited to post my first graphic I used from Canva! As always, check in with your doctor before starting any new exercise program.

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It Starts With Your Hips

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In previous work, I discussed how current anthropological research has associated the development of shorter and wider hips in humans with our ability to move more with more ease in a biped position. Such findings provides more support on how integral hips play in human movement and posture. Because of their importance in movement, I tend to focus a lot on factors that can help this part of the body move with more ease during training sessions.

That being said, I would love to share with you some basic exercises I did to maintain and balance my range of motion in my hips and SI joints (the area where your spine and hips meet) as I rehabilitated from a neck injury this year.  In the video below,  I included some exercises that helped me not lose my ability to squat and walk with more ease; activities that became difficult to do when I injured my neck. 

If you have Ankylosing Spondylitis (an autoimmune condition) like me, these exercises may help you relieve some tension and perceived aches around the SI joints associated with neural and muscular imbalances, along with inflammation.  There are definitely more exercises to help with this condition, but I wanted to cover some of the basic ones for beginners and people returning back to movement after a flare, like mine. 

When I shot this video - several months ago -  I wasn’t able to move very much.  If you know anyone suffering from this similar condition, please forward them this video.  Please help me help as many people as possible.  

Lastly, you don’t have to have AS to benefit from practicing these exercises.  You can think of these exercises as a form of mindful movement; incorporating the benefits of body awareness, breath work, meditation, focus, relaxation, and core strength.  

I highly recommend you view the complete video before performing these exercises. And please let me know what you think about them. Lastly, please double check with your doctor and/or physical therapist to make sure these exercises are appropriate for you.  

Now let’s get started!

Source: https://youtu.be/Vvko71-XSZg

My Trial With A Vibration Plate!

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A couple of months ago, I sprained my neck due to choking on some fish bones. SCARY, I know! Since then, I have noticed a decrease in pain and an increase in ROM in my neck rotation whenever I engage in activities that help clear my lymphatic system (ex. manual lymphatic drainage and lymphatic breathing). After reading and hearing from colleagues that the vibration plate may help support the pumping of my lymphatic system, I was curious to explore if it could help me heal faster.

As part of my experiment, I decided to do 4 sets of squats in 30-second intervals at 30 Hz (the speed of vibration).  I used my iPhone to video record my neck rotation before and after each set. In the end, I produced 12 videos in total. You might be thinking that I could have used a more precise method of measuring my neck rotation, but this is what I had access at the time of my experiment. In the future, I may use a goniometer.  

After looking at my neck rotation on video, I measured a bit of improvement in my ROM from my first to my last session (I did a total of three sessions). Whether this progress was due to using the vibration plate or not, I cannot tell you. What I do know is that after every session from performing squats on the vibration plate, I felt more energy and less pain than the days that I did squats without the vibration plate. The increase in energy and decrease in sensation of pain would last, on average, for two hours. Then I would notice feeling more tired than normal at night on the days that I would use the vibration plate.

From my experience, I would probably use the vibration plate again for changing up my exercise routine and for possible benefits in lymphatic stimulation.

 

For more information on the lymphatic system, click here. 

To watch a video with Dave Asprey on why he uses a vibration plate, click here.  

To watch a great demonstration on how to perform a self-manual lymphatic drainage for congestion, click here to view the video.