Most gyms, even the standard big box gyms, now have a GHR but most people have no idea how to use it correctly. Most of the time you will see it being used for back extensions or sit ups, but many don’t realize it is also one of the best hamstring and glute developers as well.
The GHR trains the hamstrings at both the hip and the knee joint, something very few exercises can claim. In addition to this, your glutes will be activated at the top as you push them through to finish the movement.
While this movement is, in my opinion, one of the best posterior chain developers while being relatively easy on the CNS (easier to recover from than, say, a heavy set of RDL’s), most GHR’s are widely adjustable, and most trainees don’t know where to start.
In the following, we’ll look at how to start out using the GHR, adjustments to make it easier, and adjustments to make it harder.
Starting Out:
Adjusting the GHR:
When you first try the GHR, chances are you’re going to have a hard time doing them without some assistance. This is normal, it’s not an easy movement and that’s why it works so well.
To start out, make sure the vertical adjustment on the back part that holds the feet is all the way down as low as it can be adjusted. This will make it easier since your lower legs will now be horizontal or even possibly sloped up a little depending on the adjustment range of your GHR.
Next, we need to set the horizontal adjustment to where your knees are just barely behind the front pad. When you come all the way to the top of the movement your knees should be slipping off the edge of the pad (don’t worry, your quads won’t let you fall through). At this point, you are ready to try out your first reps.
Performing the Glute Ham Raise:
After you have the GHR adjusted as discussed above, you are ready to attempt your first reps. After you get set up, you’ll want to shift your hips back while keeping your back straight and in line with your femur. Make sure your feet are pointed straight down and not out to the side Lower yourself slowly while pushing the your big toe into the toe board until you body is parallel to the ground and the knees are fully extended. Make sure your torso is still in line with your femurs and your back is flat. From here, drive the big toe into the toe board and curl yourself back to the starting position squeezing the glutes at the top of the movement.
If you can’t complete the prescribed reps or even a single rep, don’t worry, we’ll look at how to make it easier in the next section.
Making the GHR Easier:
Can’t get back up on the GHR? No problem, there’s a few different methods to make it easier we’ll discuss below.
Partner Assisted:
The first way you can assist yourself is to simply use your gym partner. Lower yourself down and, at the bottom of the movement, have a training partner assist with the concentric part of the movement as much as necessary for the prescribed number of reps.
Band Assisted:
No training partner? You can use a resistance band to assist yourself.
Loop a band around one of the rollers on the feet end of the GHR and stretch it over your shoulder before starting the set. As you perform the negative the band will increase in tension and give you the needed assistance to return to the starting position. Obviously, the stronger the band, the more assistance will be provided.
Negative Method:
No bands or training partner? You can perform negative only reps using a tall box.
Set a box in front of the GHR and use it to push off of at the bottom of the movement. Use only enough force as necessary attempting to perform as much of the concentric as possible using the hamstrings and glutes.
Making the GHR Harder:
So you’ve been using the GHR as described above and it has become too easy for you. Below, we’ll look at a couple of ways you can make the movement harder.
Adjust the Footplate:
The first way you can make the movement harder is to adjust the footplate vertically or horizontally. First, begin moving the foot plate up vertically. This will cause the lower legs to have more of a downward angle towards the torso changing the force curve of the movement and making it harder. As an added bonus, this will also allow you to stimulate the glutes more at the top since your feet are higher than the hip joint.
Next, you can adjust the footplate horizontally to bring the knee joint further up the pad. You don’t want to move it too far forward but you can move it to where the knee no longer goes off the edge of the pad at the top of the movement. This changes the pivot point (where your knee hits the pad) further back while the load (your torso) is out in front thus making the movement more difficult.
Add External Resistance:
Another method of making the movement harder is to use external resistance. This could be a band tied off in front of the GHR and held behind the neck, a weight plate held at the chest level or behind the head, or a barbell set on the back as in a squat. Between these methods and the adjustments mentioned previously, there should be no shortage of options to make the movement as difficult as needed for even the most highly trained athlete.
Conclusion:
The GHR is one of the best accessory movements for the posterior chain when performed correctly and I will normally have it programmed in some kind of set/rep scheme once a week. As mentioned before, there are very few other movements that work the hamstring from the knee joint as well as the hip joint without putting any stress on the spine which is what makes this movement so powerful.
Give it a try and let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.