Here’s a clever way to sneak some hamstring exercise into an upper body workout or even a leg workout.
Hamstrings often get neglected because we can’t readily view them like we can our quads, pecs or biceps.
And it’s no secret that hamstring workouts produce an unpleasant burn that no other muscle group can rival.
Thus, many physique athletes and muscle builders neglect this muscle group, even on a subconscious level.
I figured out a solution to this. I’m not too crazy about doing hamstrings.
The DOMS interferes with my cardio workouts.
Here’s how I sneak in hamstring workouts during my gym sessions:
When it’s time to pick up a 45-pound plate for any exercise, such as loading a Hammerstrength machine, I keep my legs straight or nearly straight.
If you’re hoisting around a lot of big plates during a given workout, and you keep your legs straight every time, you will have succeeded at sneaking in some hamstring work.
Though this certainly does not replace a standard hamstring workout, it adds to it — and is particularly valuable if you’ve been neglecting this muscle group.
You can think of this approach as abbreviated straight-leg deadlifts scattered throughout a gym session.
Reach for the 45 pound plates that are on or near floor level, keep your legs straight, and quickly straighten out for a brief engagement of the hamstrings.
Peppered throughout a gym session, these will count as something for your hams.
Let’s face it: Isolated hamstring movements aren’t pretty. They hurt.
But the here-and-there nature of picking up 45 or 35 pound plates with straight legs will add up by the end of your gym workout.
Think of this as a periodic insertion of plate straight-leg deadlifts in your workout. In fact, do some of the picking-up with just one leg.
