Cross over to the HAMSTRING BRIDGE....

What’s one of the best exercises you can do in the gym or at home with a $20 piece of equipment?  

 Hamstring bridges on the Stability Ball. Yes, they’re pretty basic, I know, but most people just don’t realize how important they are. Here’s why you should incorporate this simple but super effective exercise.

First, let’s break down the mechanics of the bridge. What primarily is happening here? Hip flexion and hip extension with simultaneous contraction of the hamstrings. Now, what do you need to walk? Hip flexion and extension. To sit and stand? Hip flexion and extension. To run and jump? You get the idea. Hamstring bridges are one of what I like to call my “foundational exercises,” ones that I emphasize early in the client’s program to train the body how to move and function properly. Because if you can’t flex and extend your hips, you shouldn’t be squatting, deadlifting or doing any explosive type movement. Someone who can’t flex or hinge their hips (pushing them back) is not going to be able to properly load their glutes. And as you squat, if those glutes aren’t absorbing force, your back and knees will. You know you don’t want that.

 

Secondly, we’re quad dominant people; we rely too much on the quadriceps, which comes at the expense of the neglected posterior chain. This creates an undesirable imbalance, which increases the likelihood of injury. Function and injury prevention aside, I hear lots of you ladies talk about picking up a droopy backside. Bridges are going to work that posterior chain and will do so in a very safe manner - without loading the spine, as is done with a deadlift. Don’t get me wrong; deadlifts are great. They’re one of the best exercises anyone can do. However, if form and function are lacking, it’s easy to get hurt doing them. Bridges, I feel, are a great primer for deadlifts. I often cue my clients during a set of deadlifts to visualize going through a hamstring bridge. The movement pattern is very similar. Think of moving through the hips and glutes. Push ‘em back. Pull ‘em through. Push ‘em back. Pull ‘em through. The hips should be your pivot point, your driving force in almost all that you do.

Another reason I like hamstring bridges? Unlike a hamstring curl on a machine, they’re an integrated movement. Sure, hamstring curls will build the muscle, but they do so in a purely isolated fashion. Your hips remain stationary, totally out of the movement. Also, hamstring curls are an open-chain exercise, meaning your feet are not planted. It also means that the exercise isn’t really transferrable to athletic movement. Almost never will there be a time in everyday activity or sport where your hamstring or any muscle works in isolation. With a bridge on the ball, your feet are up on an unstable surface and the stabilizers in your lower legs and calves will be engaged. Occasionally I’ll have my clients do hamstring curls or other isolated moves to strengthen a muscle or to bring out some definition. Hey, we all want to look better. But looks without function, in my opinion, is just a façade. We call it “All Show, No Go.” You might look the part, but when it gets down to getting after it, you come up short!

A few footnotes here. Putting the feet up on a Stability Ball places more emphasis on the hamstrings rather than the glutes. It also allows for more range of motion through the hips. You can do the same exercise on the floor, but there you should be recruiting more from your glutes. Also, slow down the movement. By going too fast, you’re likely to substitute momentum and lumbar extension in place of hip extension. For a greater challenge and more intense contraction, perform the bridge on one leg on a Medicine Ball (ideally one with a rubbery, sticky surface). Similarly, progress to one leg when doing them on the floor, Stability Ball or Bosu. For variety (and to eliminate the chance of using momentum), also do them statically, holding for a minute or more at the top of the bridge as you isometrically contract your hams and glutes.

So you want more bang for your buck? Want to improve your overall function and move with greater ease? Tighten up your backside? Strengthen your posterior chain and ultimately squat and deadlift more weight?  Bridges alone won’t get your hamstrings popping out of your skinny jeans, but they’ll lay the groundwork for the heavy lifting that’s necessary to do that. And, for those of you that claim you don’t have time to get to the gym, you can do these right at home.

 

That’s much more than I intended for this simple exercise. But again, it’s that important. It’s a favorite and a staple of mine. I often hear that my style of training is so different and unique. I sometimes chuckle at that because I’m not sure exactly what it is that I do. But if anything is different about my style, I’d would say it’s that I employ a lot of “common sense” exercises, training the body as it’s supposed to move, which really is the definition of functional training. So if you’re not doing hamstring bridges, it’s time you cross that bridge. It’s only common sense.

 

Do 2-3 sets of 15 to 20 reps. Be sure to squeeze the hamstrings and glutes and pause at the top of movement, and then resist with the hamstrings as you come down. For progressions, make them part of a superset, pairing them with air squats, lunges, plyometric jumps or other exercises; advance to single leg.

Robert Haddocks, CPT, CSCS is a personal trainer at Lifetime Fitness in Woodstock. Questions and comments are welcome at robhadd@hotmail.com or 404-317-4666.