Knee-friendly work-outs for firming up hamstrings

[Yen]

I'm 53 and starting riding 2 years ago. I'm not overweight (137 lbs., almost 5'9"). I try to exercise most days of the week (cycling, walking, stair-climbing at work, pilates, stretching). and eat a healthy diet. I'm in excellent health and have plenty of energy.

Thanks to many years at a sedentary desk job, the back of my thighs (hamstrings) need a lot help. I also am prone to tendonitis in both knees, thus I would prefer NOT doing squats and lunges at this time.

I'd like something I can do at home with small weights, or on a treadmill, or exercise ball. We have a good treadmill with incline up to 12. I have small weights from 1-8 pounds, and 1-3# ankle weights. And lots of incentive. :)

Is there a tried-and-true exercise for the hamstrings that will help them look as good as my quads are starting to look? :)

[VeloVT]

I would recommend deadlifts, with the caveat that while they are completely knee-friendly, you have to be careful to protect your lower back by practicing good form and engaging your core. If you are not careful, you can hurt your back with this exercise.

The "romanian deadlift" variation targets the hamstrings slightly more than the bent-leg variation (which is a bit more like a squat), and is probably safer for your knees.

Here are some tutorials:
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises/stiff-leg-deadlift-aka-romanian-deadlift.html

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/training/rdl-vs-sldl.html

Here are good step-by-step slides showing proper form (albeit by someone with very flexible hamstrings):
http://www.nsca-lift.org/videos/Romanian%20Deadlift/defaultromanian.shtml

You probably need a lot more weight than 8-lb dumbbells to adequately challenge your hamstrings though.

I have just started lifting again for the first time in a long time and I was able to do 3 sets of 6 deadlifts with 90 lbs, although 40-60 would probably be enough to challenge you if you did more reps.

I start with the bar on the floor, because my upper body is not strong enough to sling around 90+ lbs while racking and unracking. I put the plates on the bar and remove them from the bar with the bar on the floor as well, so I can rack/unrack with an unweighted bar.

[KnottedYet]

... you can do any time!

Hip extension while walking
The hammies kick in as you walk, and you can give them a little more excitement by concentrating on feeling your straightened leg moving behind (under) you as you walk. Kind of like you are squeezing the buttock you are standing on, or like you are pushing yourself forward (as in skating or skiing). The hammie is a hip extensor and knee flexor, this trick works the hip extensor talent while pulling in the co-contraction with the quad that keeps your knee lively as you walk. If you feel a stretch in the groin of the leg you are standing on (the one that is ending up behind you in the stride), you are getting two things for the price of one.

Hamstring super-slows
The slower you go, the harder you work! Hold a kitchen counter or other large friendly object. Keep your knees even with each other. Take 10 seconds to curl a heel up toward your buns. (bend the knee) Take 10 seconds to lower it back down. Do 10 times. If your leg is ratcheting or jerking, you need to make the exercise easier by doing it faster (take 5 seconds instead) This trick works the hammie's talent for knee flexion. Watch out as your body may try to cheat by bringing the working knee forward of the standing knee! (that increases tension in the hamstring by lengthening it via the hip joint, and so makes the exercise easier)

[snapdragen]

Knott, would these be good for someone with chrondomalacia (sp?). I may as well start working on my knees/legs/lower body since the other half is so muffed up right now.

Oh...and welcome back.:)

[Jiffer]

Climb hills!!! :D (On your bike, of course.)

Unfortunately, I have a lot of cellulite, which seems will never completely go away, particularly on the back of the thighs. I feel those muscles burn when I ride and are fairly firm to the touch, but the skin around them doesn't do them any favors. My cellulite issue has improved since I started cycling, but I fear it's as good as it's going to get.

The good news is, my butt is DEFINITELY smaller. People think I've lost a ton of weight when I haven't. About 5 pounds is all.

But yeah, climb hills. :)

[KnottedYet]

Knott, would these be good for someone with chrondomalacia (sp?). I may as well start working on my knees/legs/lower body since the other half is so muffed up right now.


Durn tootin'! The hammies and calves (specifically the gastrocs) interlace behind the knee and are major supporters of the knee joint. Strengthening the hammies and the gastrocs (get the gastrocs by rising up and down on your toes or riding a bike) will help support the knee and help keep the groove of the leg bones lined up with the keel of the patella.

Another biggie to help with chondromalacia is kicking up the muscles around the hip (buttocks) so they stabilize the femur better. That goes along with the "hip extension while walking" sneaky hamstring trick. Three for the price of one!

Be sure to hold your lower belly flat and firm to stabilize your pelvis and low back while you do the walking trick, so you don't accidentally extend your lumbar spine instead of your hips.

[OakLeaf]

Wow... welcome back Knott. It's really good to see you. And not just for the free PT advice. :)

[Trek420]

I'm 53, my job puts the "sed" in sedentary ;) On my cube wall are pages of exercises I can do at my desk (some prescribed by Knott).

If it's slow or I'm working on a simple order or frankly if my caller is boring me to tears I'm staying calm working down that list. :p My podmates think it's odd that I'll do push ups off the ergonomic desk but I don't care. The effects they have of a long term sedentary lifestyle vs the benefits and gains I've seen towards my own joint issues make it worth it.

I'll add the hamstring super slows, those are tough.

[Yen]

Thank you for these great suggestions.

About the hamstring super-slows........ I tried them with a 3-lb. ankle weight around each ankle. Does that defeat the purpose of this slow exercise, or make it even more effective? Is the object simply to work the hamstrings by flexing the knee (keeping it level with the other knee) as slow as possible for 10 seconds?

[KnottedYet]

Thank you for these great suggestions.

About the hamstring super-slows........ I tried them with a 3-lb. ankle weight around each ankle. Does that defeat the purpose of this slow exercise, or make it even more effective? Is the object simply to work the hamstrings by flexing the knee (keeping it level with the other knee) as slow as possible for 10 seconds?

The goal is full recruitment of the muscle, which generally is really effective at very slow speeds. Adding a weight just makes the muscle work harder, doesn't defeat the purpose at all!

I'm impressed you can do a super slow with a weight! I can't even do 10 seconds, I'm a 5 seconds up/5 seconds down weenie.

[Reesha]

One thing that I'll do while riding a bike, Yen, particularly on flats and straightaways (or on a trainer/spin bike) is to focus all of my pedal rotation on "pulling back" when you've reached the bottom of your stroke. This really only works if you've got clips, but boy do I feel the burn!

[tulip]

Climbing stairs will do wonders. Take the stairs whenever you can, and work them into a daily power walk. Skip the ankle weights--they can do more damage than good.

[arielmoon]

Oh this is fantastic! I have similar issues with both hammies and knees. My PT believes both problems are caused by my stiff quads.

[Reesha]

Climbing stairs will do wonders. Take the stairs whenever you can, and work them into a daily power walk. Skip the ankle weights--they can do more damage than good.

+1!!! I often go the Gateway Arch grounds where they have a series of 64 steps. I climb them 20-30 times, sometimes skipping steps on the odd climbs.

[grey]

Don't forget to stretch!
I have been learning the hard way for the past 6 weeks what happens when you have a desk job, then have a form of exercise that also curls you up, and then you sleep curled up. I too have tight hamstrings, but that wasn't my big problem - I had shortened my psoas muscle from never really bending backward to stretch it back out. Also - years of bending over projects have straightened my spine - the lumbar curve was being slowly wiped out.

As a result, combining those things with me thinking I can do anything, I started digging a hole one day 6 weeks ago - it was the straw that broke the back, I went into spasm, and it has been a long, slow haul out of it. I'm learning NOW - we who ride all the time had better be combining our activity with something that includes stetching - such as yoga, or pilates.

[aicabsolut]

Oh this is fantastic! I have similar issues with both hammies and knees. My PT believes both problems are caused by my stiff quads.

I tend get some knee problems from too tight hamstrings (overworking the quads to fight against them) :p.

+1 for climbing long, extended climbs on your bike. I did something close to a 10mi climb on Friday, and my hamstrings and calves got a major workout! I was extra sore because over some gravel patch before that climb my saddle moved back (and also pointed up, but I caught the angle issue but not the fore/aft issue before doing the climbing).

[Yen]

Don't forget to stretch!
I have been learning the hard way for the past 6 weeks what happens when you have a desk job, then have a form of exercise that also curls you up, and then you sleep curled up. I too have tight hamstrings, but that wasn't my big problem - I had shortened my psoas muscle from never really bending backward to stretch it back out. Also - years of bending over projects have straightened my spine - the lumbar curve was being slowly wiped out.

As a result, combining those things with me thinking I can do anything, I started digging a hole one day 6 weeks ago - it was the straw that broke the back, I went into spasm, and it has been a long, slow haul out of it. I'm learning NOW - we who ride all the time had better be combining our activity with something that includes stetching - such as yoga, or pilates.

Excellent advice -- thank you! I hope your back heals and you feel better very soon.

It's very painful to stretch my hip flexors and hamstrings. .... I like to say they're "like beef jerky". I'm beginning to stretch as often as possible but I often wonder if I can stretch them at all, or just prevent further shortening. However, I know that it's never too late to start a routine, just like it wasn't too late to start riding at age 51 and I feel and look better now than I did 20 years ago. It's never too late!

[msincredible]

I agree with the deadlift suggestion, another one is leg curls using the dumbbells. I don't like doing leg curls on a machine, they never fit right and that will hurt your knees, but with small dumbbells they are fine.

Lie on a bench (or floor), face down, with your knees hanging over the edge. Have someone place a small dumbbell between your feet (you will need shoes). Curl up and down, make sure you don't hyperextend your legs.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff20/michaelwong75/homevariationLegCurl.jpg

For stretches, check out the Anderson book:

http://www.amazon.com/Stretching-20th-Anniversary-Revised-Anderson/dp/0936070226/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247035257&sr=1-1

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/bf/49/d6d381b0c8a0f99ceb789110.L.jpg

[OakLeaf]

Stretching should never be painful. Go to the point of a gentle pull and STOP! Increase the range of motion as the muscle lengthens; never force it.

But. If stretching is so difficult, it's likely you have a lot of trigger points built up. You can stretch until the cows come home (as my LMT told me) and never loosen the muscle until you work out the trigger points. Get yourself a Thera-Cane or another deep massage tool and a copy of the trigger point book (http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Therapy-Workbook-Self-Treatment/dp/1572243759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247048818&sr=8-1).

[grey]

Also don't forget that some days you are simply more limber than others. Some days you will be less flexible than you were the day before - bodies are like that.

[VeloVT]

Stretching should never be painful. Go to the point of a gentle pull and STOP! Increase the range of motion as the muscle lengthens; never force it.

But. If stretching is so difficult, it's likely you have a lot of trigger points built up. You can stretch until the cows come home (as my LMT told me) and never loosen the muscle until you work out the trigger points. Get yourself a Thera-Cane or another deep massage tool and a copy of the trigger point book (http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Therapy-Workbook-Self-Treatment/dp/1572243759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247048818&sr=8-1).


Along the same lines... I have been having some hip issues over the past few weeks due to getting back into running after a long layoff -- I've started using my foam roller all around -- IT band, quads, hams, glutes -- and while it has me yowling while I'm doing it :eek:, it really seems to help.

[Yen]

Thank you for the additional suggestions.

It's easy to get caught up in counting miles and hours on the bike, yet neglect to stretch and cross-train our body on a regular basis. It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how far, long or hard I ride (within my abilities), I feel soreness in the outer thighs and hamstrings after a good long brisk walk. Now I'm practicing the push-off technique mentioned above.

Fortunately, I have lots of walking opportunities built-in to my work day. I walk a total of about 40 minutes just going to the vanpool, to my office, several trips up and down the stairs (4 flights) throughout the day, and another walk back home from the vanpool in the afternoon. If I have no other time to exercise that day, I can count on that 40+ minutes of walking. And I ALWAYS take the stairs (unless I'm with someone who can't or won't).

I have a styrofoam roll I use for tight back muscles. It never occurred to me to use it on other body parts -- I bet that will feel good!

[tulip]

I realized how much work walking is when I got a dog...I was sore for the first two weeks (two hour-long walks a day).