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DEADn
10-16-13, 3:50 pm
I recently came across a gold mine for lifting equipment. Power rack. #500 in weight, cable machine, rubber mats and bars for $300.

After I put it all together and took down my half rack I came across a problem that Hit me like a hammer. Doing ham extensions and leg extensions. my bench hooks into my half rack and that gives it stability in order to work my hams. Now I find that I have to place weights around the legs in order to keep it remotely stable. Putting 50lbs on it caused the bench to flip up.

A bench came with the rack but it doesn't have extensions nor does it incline. It is just flat.
I like to do ham extensions 2 ways. With my feet flat and also with my feet pointed. They work the muscles differently. I am thinking that my only option is to find a heavy duty bench that will all me to be able to do ham extensions.

I need some input on this because I don't always think outside the box and I want to build up the back of my legs. I am doing strength training as my foundation and I usually end it with higher reps and maybe a widow maker.

Swolepez
10-16-13, 7:26 pm
I recently came across a gold mine for lifting equipment. Power rack. #500 in weight, cable machine, rubber mats and bars for $300.

After I put it all together and took down my half rack I came across a problem that Hit me like a hammer. Doing ham extensions and leg extensions. my bench hooks into my half rack and that gives it stability in order to work my hams. Now I find that I have to place weights around the legs in order to keep it remotely stable. Putting 50lbs on it caused the bench to flip up.

A bench came with the rack but it doesn't have extensions nor does it incline. It is just flat.
I like to do ham extensions 2 ways. With my feet flat and also with my feet pointed. They work the muscles differently. I am thinking that my only option is to find a heavy duty bench that will all me to be able to do ham extensions.

I need some input on this because I don't always think outside the box and I want to build up the back of my legs. I am doing strength training as my foundation and I usually end it with higher reps and maybe a widow maker.


If you don't want to spend more money just perform Stiff Leg Deadlifts and Good Mornings to target the hamstrings.

DEADn
10-17-13, 8:17 am
If you don't want to spend more money just perform Stiff Leg Deadlifts and Good Mornings to target the hamstrings.

I don't think they work the back of the legs as effectively. I am looking at 2 roads here. Either put my half rack back in place or in a different spot or find a bench that I can do these exercises on as well as declined sit ups. It would be a space saver to find a bench that can do this.

Big Wides
10-17-13, 8:32 am
For 5 years I didn't use leg curls as part of my training and used compound movements to build up my hamstrings. With the equipment you have some exercises that can be done are:

Deadlifts
Squats
Straight Leg Deadlifts
Single Leg SLDL (use DBs)
Good Mornings
Lunges
Romanian Deadlifts

This is just my view on the world but hamstring curls done on a machine have caused me more troubles than they have benefited me

DEADn
10-17-13, 9:07 am
For 5 years I didn't use leg curls as part of my training and used compound movements to build up my hamstrings. With the equipment you have some exercises that can be done are:

Deadlifts
Squats
Straight Leg Deadlifts
Single Leg SLDL (use DBs)
Good Mornings
Lunges
Romanian Deadlifts

This is just my view on the world but hamstring curls done on a machine have caused me more troubles than they have benefited me

How have hamstring curls causes you more trouble then benefit?
I trained with an old school powerlifter, recently, and he had me doing the hamstring curls along with a standing calve curl and seat calf raises. He said he didn't like the idea of good mornings but I never asked him why.

Big Wides
10-17-13, 9:49 am
How have hamstring curls causes you more trouble then benefit?
I trained with an old school powerlifter, recently, and he had me doing the hamstring curls along with a standing calve curl and seat calf raises. He said he didn't like the idea of good mornings but I never asked him why.

For me it caused strength issues with my hamstrings, with me I have found the more compound movements I do the stronger I get. Everyone is different, as for the Good Mornings, they can cause low back issues if done incorrectly

DEADn
10-17-13, 10:53 am
For me it caused strength issues with my hamstrings, with me I have found the more compound movements I do the stronger I get. Everyone is different, as for the Good Mornings, they can cause low back issues if done incorrectly

Last time I did good mornings I tweaked something in my groin area and I haven't done them since then. I kind of shy away from them as a result and thus the reason why hamstring extensions.

Cellardweller
10-17-13, 3:57 pm
Go back and give GMs another shot. I've learned to love them and do them with different stances. They've been a game changer for me for deads and squats. My hams are much fuller now too. I get more of a mind muscle thing going with GMs than SLDLs.

DEADn
10-17-13, 4:04 pm
Go back and give GMs another shot. I've learned to love them and do them with different stances. They've been a game changer for me for deads and squats. My hams are much fuller now too. I get more of a mind muscle thing going with GMs than SLDLs.

I know there are variations of good mornings. The last time I did them I did them with a closed stance with a slight bend in the knees. I have seen them with an open stance and sticking the butt out as you go down. How do you do them?

Cellardweller
10-17-13, 4:41 pm
I like to use either an athletic stance ( about shoulder width ) or wide stance, both with a slight bend at the knees. I keep my back arched and bend down at the waist and yep, I stick my butt out. Coming up you have to focus on your hamstrings to straighten up or you end up over loading your lower back.

BOSS
10-21-13, 5:05 pm
If your goal is to build strong, flexible and well developed hamstrings you should do stiff leg deads with your back arched, butt pushed back and feet shoulder width apart. It's like an RDL but you should lower the weight to the floor or even stand on a box for a greater ROM. These are far superior to any curling motion. Do yourself a favor and learn how to do them