Knee-friendly work-outs for firming up hamstrings

[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.

[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.



For stretches, check out the Anderson book:

http://www.amazon.com/Stretching-20t...7035257&sr=1-1

[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.

[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.

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 , it really seems to help.