This is a great hamstring
exercise for when you don't have access to a leg curl machine.
It combines not only the knee flexion function of the hamstrings
(aka bringing your heel to your butt) but how you perform
this particular exercise also incorporates the hip extension
function of the hamstrings, which is something the leg curl
exercise misses.
I first saw this exercise
at EliteFts.com
and thought WOW, that looks like a good one for the hams.
And believe me, it IS.
For this, you just need a
weight plate. I'm using a 45 lb plate in the demo. Set it
on the floor about 5 feet away from something solid you
can grab onto. I'm in the rack for this one but it doesn't
matter what you use.
Now lie down and grab onto
that solid object and your feet on top of the weight plate.
I hook my heels in the edge of the plate.
Now push the weight plate
forward, sliding it along the floor. It's best to do this
exercise on carpet, if you can. Rubber flooring will be
tougher to slide on.
Now PULL the weight plate
back and up towards your butt while at the same time pushing
your hips UP towards the ceiling.
I like to use an explosive
movement for this one because that's really what the hamstrings
are designed for. You'll see this in the video where I slide
the plate foward slowly then power it back up fast.
And believe me, the contraction
you get from this one is HUGE. You're combining the two
functions of the hams into one movement, which really makes
for an intense exercise.
This is a great one for home
trainers who don't have access to a lot of machines and
who need something beyond stiff-legged deadlifts for their
hamstrings.
