Hamstring Raises Exercise

The hamstring raise is an effective method for targeting a variety of muscle groups in the lower body. You can perform hamstring raises with no weight, a barbell or a pair of dumbbells. Strong hamstrings are essential for maximum running speed, but are often neglected in the weight room. Try performing hamstring raises with no weight at first, and work your way up to dumbbells and then a barbell. Be sure to warm up and stretch, paying special attention to the ankles and gastrocnemius, before beginning this exercise.

Technique

Perform hamstring raises on a hamstring raise machine. Adjust the ankle supports so that your thighs rest across the padded thigh support. Kneel in the machine so that your heels are on the platform and you are in an upright position. Place either the bar or the dumbbells behind your neck and maintain an erect spine. Lower your body forward until your knees are straight and you are parallel to the ground. Return to the starting position by flexing your knees.

Muscle Groups

As its name suggests, hamstring raises primarily target the hamstring muscles, or the four long muscles that run the length of the rear of the thigh. The gastrocnemius, gracilis, sartorius and popliteus muscles act as syngergists during both the concentric and eccentric phases of the movement, assisting the hamstrings through the lift. The gluteus magnus, adductor magnus and erector spinae serve as stabilizers, providing postural support to the spine and hips. The rectus abdominis, obliques, rectus femoris and tibialis anterior act as antagonist stabilizers, or muscles that promote postural support to the joints directly opposing the lift.

Type of Movement

The hamstring raise is a single-joint exercise performed in the sagital plane, or the imaginary line that divides the body into left and right halves. Hamstring raises are open-kinetic chain movements because the end segment of the exercise is not fixed. Often times open-kinetic chain exercises are discouraged during the early stages of injury rehabilitation because these movements leave the joint vulnerable to excessive twisting and torquing.

Training Goals

You can use hamstring raises to develop muscle endurance, strength or hypertrophy in all the corresponding muscle groups related to the exercise. To promote muscular endurance, perform sets of 12 to 15 repetitions using light weight. To improve strength, you will need heavy weight as you perform multiple sets of three to six repetitions. Hypertrophy, or an increase in muscle size, will occur when you perform multiple sets of six to 12 repetitions using just moderate weight.