I wanted to share an exercise this month that is super beneficial to almost everybody and requires next to no equipment.
The Manually Resisted Hamstring Curl helps to build up the hamstring’s ability to perform lower leg flexion. Most, rightly, think that they are stimulating their hamstrings with hip extension work like deadlifts, RDLs, KB Swings, etc…
However, many gyms that do not lean into lots of machine-based training–like you may find at a CrossFit facility (or at my own gym)–do not adequately stimulate what should be a very rudimentary pattern in the leg curl.
In the video, we utilize a Westside Barbell Light Resistance Band, although an even larger band can help distribute pressure and make the exercise more comfortable for the athlete.
This is one of the few exercises where we’ll actually have coaches count the reps. By counting the reps out-loud, we can determine when the athlete has achieved a full range-of-motion. We will also vary the tension on the band between reps, making some reps more strenuous than others. By counting the reps, and allowing the athlete to begin the ‘negative’ portion of the lift, we can also add-in a lengthier contraction at the top.
In this video the athlete is a high-level breaststroker. Breaststrokers, in particular, need ample hamstring stimulation to protect the knees, as a well-developed breaststroke kick will accelerate the knees through a pretty whacky movement pattern that can lead to pain, if not addressed proactively.
If an athlete is not utilizing a hamstring curl machine on a regular basis, I tend to recommend some form of lower leg flexion and this variation can simultaneously be very strenuous, require minimal specialized equipment, and be easily progressed or regressed according to an individuals level of strength in the hamstring.
Just something to think about,
–John