Hello
This blog post had a very organic origin. In the last few weeks I have seen/heard of too many people ‘pulling their hamstrings’ then I can recollect. In my little world, it seems to have reached epidemic proportions (not quite really, but thanks for indulging me). So let’s intervene. Now this is a big topic to tackle. For the purpose of keeping it short, we will only discuss exercises here. Before we start though I would like to make a disclaimer for my non-physio readers, please consult your physio if you have already injured your hamstrings. These exercises may not be the best approach to your rehab goals depending upon what stage of recovery you are at. For the rest of you proactive people who have no pain and want to train for injury prevention or just try some new exercises and are tired of the same old hamstring curls etc, give these a shot.
For the most part, hamstring injuries are seen more in a ‘generally’ active, athletic population. Research seems to indicate that most of the hamstring strains occur not when the muscle is contracting (concentric) but when it is lengthening under tension (eccentric). An example during running would be when the heel of the forward leg is about to hit the ground. During this motion, the hamstring muscle is lengthening under tension.
Now logic dictates that we train this muscle similarly (eccentrically). Over the years, more and more research seems to indicate that eccentric exercises are a good option for injury prevention and hamstring strain rehabilitation (other muscle strains too). Plus, your athlete patients will love the challenge as it breaks the monotony and are difficult to perform. So start slow and gradually progress. If it hurts, do listen to your body and stop.
So here goes-
- Hamstring walkouts –
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2. Bilateral hamstring sliders-
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3. Single hamstring sliders-
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4. Eccentric hamstring on physio ball-
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5. Eccentric hamstrings on TRX
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5. Nordic Hamstring Curls- This one is modified/ scaled down to make it easier. Its a difficult movement to perform so I begin performing this by not going down on the floor completely. Start small as you develop control and strength and then work through the full range of motion.
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Worth a try? Now work those hammies.
Pursue excellence-
Abhijit Minhas
(BPT,MS,CMP,FMT)
References-
- Woods, C., Hawkins, R.D., Maltby, S., Hulse, M., Thomas, A. & Hodson, A. (2004) The Football Association Medical Research Programme: an audit of injuries in professional football – analysis of hamstring injuries. British Journal of Sports Medicine. Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 36-41.
- Chumanov ES, Heiderscheit BC, Thelen DG. Hamstring musculotendon dynamics during stance and swing phases of high speed running. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2011;43:525