Hey guys its JP and in this video we will continue to go over simple and practical ways
to strengthen some key muscles groups used in running. Training these muscles can be
beneficial to improve performance for runners. This time we will be going over ways to train
the hamstrings to make them stronger and prepare your body for any races you are preparing
for.
Now, I've already talked about the role of the hamstrings during running; however, despite
being unable to access equipment due to gyms being closed, it is still important to work
on the HAMSTRINGS as these muscles can be subject to a lot of forces during running.
This is especially notable for sprinters as these muscles can end up producing around
9x your bodyweight. Therefore, training these muscles may be important in handling this,
especially as you run faster!
Now, I understand that it can be tough to really challenge these muscles as most training
exercises for the hamstrings incorporate equipment you mostly only find at the gym, like heavy
weights and cable machines. However, there ARE ways to challenge them even at HOME! So,
I wanted to go over some great exercises you can easily implement.
The first exercise I will go over is the Elevated Hamstring Pike. This is a simple way to initially
load the hamstrings. I chose to show you guys this one as all you need is a stable surface
to put your feet on. As I mentioned in a previous video, this is also a great exercise to address
high hamstring tendon problems, better known as proximal hamstring tendinopathy. Now as
I mentioned before, all you really need is an elevated surface. The height of this does
matter though. Technically, the higher it is, the more the hamstrings have to work.
Then, once you get into position and place your feet on the stable surface like so...push
your feet into the surface and raise up. Try to get the hips level with the body as shown.
I typically have people hold this for 5-10 seconds intially. Then, you can lower down
and repeat it again. Remember, if this is too hard you can always perform this at a
lower surface. At home, this can typically be done by doing things like stacking a pile
of books. Now, once you master this one, you can move on to the next variation.
This is known as the Elevated Hamstring March. This adds a little more challenge to the hamstrings
compared to the pike. This is because the body will have to end up being supported by
one leg instead of two as seen in the pike. To do this one, you will basically start in
a pike position as performed in the previous exercise; however, this time, you will perform
alternating marches in this position. As you do this, the leg that stays on the surface
is being challenged. To further challenge the hamstrings in this activity, you can simply
increase the height of the surface by adding books or slowing down the marches. Just remember
to try to keep the pelvis up as you do this exercise.
Now, the previous 2 exercises challenge the hamstrings in a static manner, which is typically
one of the most tolerable ways to work on them; however, it may be important to incorporate
more dynamic movements because the muscles constantly move as you run. A fun way to load
the hamstrings dynamically is through the Alternating Bridge Curls. This can be surprisingly
difficult to do initially. Now to do it, you will need sliders under the heels like so.
Exercise sliders are used in this video, but I also want to make this practical for you
guys. Things that you can use at home to replace these are things like furniture sliders or
even a slim hardcover book. Once you are set up, you will push down through the heels and
get into a bridge position as shown. Then, slide one foot as far as your muscles can
tolerate. Remember as you do this try to keep the pelvis up and dont let it drop. Then,
once you reach out as far as tolerable, slide the foot back in and you can repeat it on
the other side. To make this harder, you can simply change the tempo by slowing down the
movement as the foot slides out and pulling back the foot quicker. If this ends up being
relatively easy for you, you can try a more advanced variation.
An example of this is the Single Leg Bridge Curl. It is a great end stage rehab exercise
for those dealing with proximal hamstring tendinopathy as well as a great way to really
challenge the hamstrings eccentrically. The difference from the last exercise to this
one is that you are performing it on only one leg. The cues for this one are similar
to the last exercise, but instead, you basically go into a single leg bridge position as shown,
then slide the one foot out, then bring it back in. Now, due to the difficulty of this
exercise, you may not be able to extend the foot out all the way just yet. A simple way
to make this easier is to only work through partial ranges of the movement that you'd
be capable of and slowly increase the range from there.
The last exercise I will go over to work on the hamstrings at home is the Single Leg Romanian
Deadlift. This is overall just a great exercise to really work the back and side of the hip
muscles on the stance leg.. Also, since you are now in a single leg stance in standing,
this requires more coordination demands from leg. The problem with this exercise is that
it is really easy to cheat the movement. To do this, try to keep the back straight throughout
the exercise. A common compensation is to lean forward from the trunk as this lessens
the amount of range the leg muscles need to work through. Then as you begin to lower,
initiate the movement from moving back from the hips and not from the knees. A common
positional cue for this is to keep the shin perpendicular to the ground. Also, remember
that as you reach this position, a common compensation is to lean toward the stance
leg as this lessens the strength demands from the hip....so try to keep the pelvis level.
Then, once the hand reaches to around mid shin, you will drive the foot straight down
through the ground and rise up. Then, you can repeat the exercise. This can already
be challenging to do without any weight, but if you want to make it harder, you can simply
slow down the descent and speed up the ascent or...if you dont have weights at home, you
can simply carry weighted objects like a bag filled with items.
And those are some practical exercises that you can perform at home to strengthen the
hamstrings and hopefully improve your running performance. I hope you guys found this video
useful. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! And as always, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!