1Lower Body
Glute-Ham
Raise
WHAT IT IS
An exercise that manages
to work the posterior chain
in ways most exercises
don’t. Because of this,
the glute-ham raise helps
correct muscle imbalances
and improve power,
stabilization and posture.
HOW TO DO IT
•Kneel on an exercise mat. •Have a training partner hold
your heels firmly.
•Keep your body as straight
as possible from knees to head
and slowly shift your weight
forward, resisting gravity with
your hamstrings and glutes.
WHY IT’S WORTHWHILE
The hamstrings do two things: flex (bend)
the knee and help extend (straighten) the hip.
Unlike the ever-popular leg curl machine,
which requires movement only at the knee
joint, the glute-ham raise trains both ham-
string functions at once and activates the
core as well. “I despise the machine leg
curl because it’s a completely unfunctional
exercise — it resembles nothing you do in
life or in sports,” says strength coach Tony
Gentilcore, NSCA-CPT, CSCS, cofounder
of Cressey Performance in Hudson, Mass.
“Glute-ham raises are humbling but worth
the effort.”
