Question to Coach

[Stavios]

What makes a muscle "weak"

for example, I have some troubles with my hamstrings. They are my worst bodypart, and they are so stiff and tight that it seems I am about to tear them everytime I train.

also, cause weak hamstrings and "strong" quads be the reason my knees hurt a bit 

I'd like to be able to train them as heavy as everything else but I am too scared

thanks !

[makaveli25]

Muscle imbalances.

[Hulkotron]

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

[makaveli25]

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

lol!

[wes]

Start doing stiff-legged deads on a bench or platform on your hamstring day........start light and add weight when you can...........high reps,12-20.

Thank me later bro! 

[Coach is Back!]

What makes a muscle "weak"

for example, I have some troubles with my hamstrings. They are my worst bodypart, and they are so stiff and tight that it seems I am about to tear them everytime I train.

also, cause weak hamstrings and "strong" quads be the reason my knees hurt a bit  

I'd like to be able to train them as heavy as everything else but I am too scared

thanks !

I'm going to catch a lot crap on this but I've said this before. Training on machines (leg curl) and doing isolation movements is a major cause of hamstring injuries because muscles in general rarely if at all work in isolation but being a bodybuilder, it's a necessary evil. The posterior chain is just as it sounds, it's a chain. If there is a weak link in that "chain" you're going to have problems, hamstrings, stronger than glutes (the biggest muscle in the body) the glutes stronger than the lumbar, etc. Most people are quad dominant and being quad dominant means your posterior chain maybe weak and in turn..yes, it can cause knee problems. The solution is using a foam roller, warming up THOROUGHLY with mobility drills and active stretch, next along with your regular bodybuilding lifts, mix in some functional moves, for example, if you're going to do leg extensions pair it up with a single leg squat (bulgarian split), if you're going to do leg curls, pair it up with G/H raise or a single leg RDL. The main thing is the posterior chain MUST be strong in order to keep injuries down. Too many bodybuilders do too many bi-lateral movements without thinking about muscular and joint health, you NEED uni-lateral movements in both upper and lower body...especially lower. Follow this and I promise you'll last longer than most.

[DK II]

stiff legged deadlifts and weighted hyperxtensions worked great for me, and this time i also go with Coach, these exercise will train your WHOLE backside, if you do hyperextensions for a longer time, you will see how everything regulates itself, lower back, glutes, hams.

[BB]

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Yes, he has caught teh dreaded hamstring AIDS!

Seriously, it also helps to keep in mind the quad to hamstring strength ratio for this also. The safe range is around 70% ham to quad. So your hams should be at least 70% as strong as your quads to minimize imbalance problems and ideally you should try and raise them to 80% +, that's usually the range that guys who have really great and functional hamstrings are in.

If I were you, I'd really just take some time off the whole standard BBing thing and just concentrate on hammering the posterior chain as mentioned, it shouldn't take all that long, a few months at most to see real changes.

[wes]

I love the glute/ham raise machine......damn thing helped out my screwed up back in a big big way.

I do them once a week,followed by hypers,and stiff-leggeds light on another day just for stretch.

[Hulkotron]

Hamstring curls are by and large a worthless exercise imho.

[cephissus]

Why do you NEED unilateral work?

[Coach is Back!]

Why do you NEED unilateral work?

To correct imbalances

[chaos]

Hamstring curls are by and large a worthless exercise imho.

Let's see your hamstrings stud.

I agree with the douches here, SLDL on a platform.

[Stavios]

thanks a lot Coach and everybody !

Great answers in this thread for once 

[chaos]

thanks a lot Coach and everybody !

Great answers in this thread for once 

Your hamstrings should be plenty stretched considering the amount of time you spend bent over.......

[Nirvana]

put a shit ton of synthol in there and maybe some weighted hyper extensions, they are the best

but most importantly synthol

[Stavios]

Your hamstrings should be plenty stretched considering the amount of time you spend bent over.......

fuck you 

[chaos]

fuck you 

That's OK, I worked my hamstrings earlier. 

[Captain Equipoise]

Stav, stop being a pussy and go all in like J Pierre Fux!

[BIG ACH]

I'm going to catch a lot crap on this but I've said this before. Training on machines (leg curl) and doing isolation movements is a major cause of hamstring injuries because muscles in general rarely if at all work in isolation but being a bodybuilder, it's a necessary evil. The posterior chain is just as it sounds, it's a chain. If there is a weak link in that "chain" you're going to have problems, hamstrings, stronger than glutes (the biggest muscle in the body) the glutes stronger than the lumbar, etc. Most people are quad dominant and being quad dominant means your posterior chain maybe weak and in turn..yes, it can cause knee problems. The solution is using a foam roller, warming up THOROUGHLY with mobility drills and active stretch, next along with your regular bodybuilding lifts, mix in some functional moves, for example, if you're going to do leg extensions pair it up with a single leg squat (bulgarian split), if you're going to do leg curls, pair it up with G/H raise or a single leg RDL. The main thing is the posterior chain MUST be strong in order to keep injuries down. Too many bodybuilders do too many bi-lateral movements without thinking about muscular and joint health, you NEED uni-lateral movements in both upper and lower body...especially lower. Follow this and I promise you'll last longer than most.

Do you believe this for both heavy AND light training on isolation movements? Or is injury susceptible either way?

[Coach is Back!]

It should be done for what ever training you do. For example, most people believe that if you have a weak or pain in the lower lumbar area it must be the erectors or SI area but rather its usual cause could be weak transverse abdominus or a weak inactivated psoas (a stabilizers) when you strengthen those two or even just the psoas the reduction of injury reduces and stability increases.

[DK II]

Your hamstrings should be plenty stretched considering the amount of time you spend bent over.......

LMFAO!!

[Swedish Viking]

It should be done for what ever training you do. For example, most people believe that if you have a weak or pain in the lower lumbar area it must be the erectors or SI area but rather its usual cause could be weak transverse abdominus or a weak inactivated psoas (a stabilizers) when you strengthen those two or even just the psoas the reduction of injury reduces and stability increases.

Word.

[dustin]

Liar Coach has what looks to be like some of the best athletic advices. My hams could use some work as well.

Last winter I walked around a frozen lake a pinched a nerve in my lower back because of my weak hams and freezing weather. I train them but not as well as I could.

Anymore advices?

[Jadeveon Clowney]

Liar Coach has what looks to be like some of the best athletic advices. My hams could use some work as well.

Last winter I walked around a frozen lake a pinched a nerve in my lower back because of my weak hams and freezing weather. I train them but not as well as I could.

Anymore advices?

must have been some walk.