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2008/07/18, 01:26 PM
Okay so here is an issue I've been dealing w/: My quads are power hungry! I've tried w/ plenty of sweat and grunts to get some sort of mass in my hamstrings b/c my legs are practically FLAT in the back (and even soft ish). When I've researched and studied how is best to work my H/S I found a lot of good information, however if there is any chance for my quads to kick into gear they will take over! squats, lunges...etc... they are greedy!
when I first started working out it was definitely w/ the intention of building my quads as well... buuut I was hoping to be able to isolate my VMO and build it up a bit more, but it seems my quads only get huge at the very top which looks kinda gross when nothing else really matches it. B/c of how much I've done to change this I'm starting to conclude it's just my genes. It's been discouraging for me... to the point where it has definitely aided in me working out less and less....
Also, haha has anyone here tried that "new" leg defining machine, I can't think of the actual name at this point but it's been advertised as an infomercial a lot... It looks primarily like its working the Hip ADD/ABD's but definitely looks like it would work the other leg muscles really well inc glutes and core. At first I actually thought it looked really cheesy...I saw it at Sports Authority and kind of chuckled to myself, but then I actually tried it for like 30 secs and believe it or not I was a little sore the next day....and it takes a lot for me to get sore. Anyway, if anyone has tried this or has any input on it I would greatly appreciate it.
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2008/07/18, 01:57 PM
Hamstring isolation - lying leg curl - lift your knees up off the pad a little before starting, makes the hip flexors less able to recruit.
SLDL - really push your hips back and feel the hams/glutes stretch out, then fire up through the movement with your hams and glutes doing the work, quads shouldn't be able to take over on this.
Side Lying leg lifts - roll forward so your top hip is not stacked over bottom hip, support yourself with your hand on floor, lift up and back at an angle where you feel it in your glutes instead of in the hip flexor, which will recruit if you do reg stacked leg lifts, keep you toe pointed down towards the floor and aim your heel up to the ceiling behind you, at an angle. Touch tioes down behind bottom foot, not in front or on top. Hard to describe but you will know when you have it.
Lying swiss ball hamstring curls - lie on your back, ball under ankles/calves, pres heels down into ball and glute bridge up, roll ball in and feel hammies, roll back out. That is one. have fun.
And stop stretching your hamstrings - that is what the physical therapist told me - my quads were so powerful and my glutes/hammies were tooo flexible, causing imbalance and knee issues.
i also have stopped doing feet out front smith squats and gone back to regualr barbell squats - knees all better!
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Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they\'re yours.
Richard Bach
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2008/07/19, 02:29 PM
Thanks for the tips...
I think I figure out the position for those side lying leg lifts......
I've also heard of stretching my quads when working my hamstrings... do you think that would be beneficial? (I feel like when I do that at the gym people think I'm a weirdo haha)
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2008/07/19, 04:12 PM
You know, since stretching limits the contractile strength of the muscles, it just might help keep them from recruiting. I don't see any harm in it.
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Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they\'re yours.
Richard Bach
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