Increase Hamstring Strength to Prevent Injury

The Why, the How, the Must-knows

Leg day is your favorite day. You’re a Burbank gym rat who takes your protein intake seriously. You get your shakes before every workout, and you do not one but two leg days a week. On top of that, you train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo. And your legs are your superpower. But you injured your ACL which halted your training goals and dreams. Here’s what you need to know about training hamstrings to prevent injuries:

The Why: Importance of training hamstrings

 If your quads are overdeveloped and your hamstrings are underdeveloped, you are more likely to get an ACL injury. And if you’re a woman, you’re more susceptible to this problem. Your hamstrings help you walk, run, extend your legs, and bend your knees. This muscle is a big shock absorber and prevents other areas of your body from absorbing shock from walking, running, or other activities.

When your hamstrings are strong, they’re able to absorb the force so your back, pelvis, knee joints, and hips don’t have to. When they’re not strong, you may have tight hamstrings, which can make it difficult to do repeated motions. Even bending over to pick up things off the floor can be more challenging. Think about how many times you do this every single day!

Training hamstrings can decrease pain in your lower back and help keep your posture and pelvis aligned as well. Your hamstrings hold lots of power in your overall functionality, mobility, and ability to train.

The How: Exercises to increase strength

Now that you know how important it is to train your hamstrings, you can incorporate some of these exercises into your leg days to increase your hamstring strength:

·      Hamstring curls

·      Full range of motion RDLs

·      Nordics (need to build up ability to do this—talk to your trainer)

It’s important to note that stretching your hamstrings to have flexible hamstrings is important so you don’t pull your muscles while doing the exercises above. To increase hamstring flexibility, you can do the following stretches:

·      Elephant walks

·      Hamstring stretch reps

·      Zercher Jefferson curls

If you need help doing the exercises and stretches above in proper form, or need guidance incorporating them in your leg day routine, work with a trainer who can help you.

The must-knows 

Your hamstrings hold so much of your body together. And if they go down, your knees or back can go down with them. Something many people forget is that one muscle is not an isolated part of the body. Your hamstrings play a role in the proper function of multiple areas of your body.

And the secret to hamstrings that hold it all together, is training your full posterior chain which includes your glutes, hamstrings, back, and calves. Training these areas will help to further prevent ACL and lower back injury.

If you’d like to learn more, schedule a complimentary 15-min consult or email narine@kneeabilitycoach.com to schedule a training session.