The Glute-Ham Developer
Contents
1. A BFS PUBLICATION Time is a critical factor in a young athlete s life Two hours of daily practice busy competition sched ules and weight training workouts are now the rule rather than the exception Then there is school perhaps a part time job and of course lots of time spent getting to school and to those practices games and jobs and did we mention a social life With students having such a full plate of activities coaches have to make the most of their athletes time in the weightroom by selecting only the most effective exercises exercises that will not only improve performance but also help avoid common injuries The glute ham developer enables athletes to perform many effective exercises that work the important muscles of the abdominals lower back and hamstrings These exercises are described in Part III of this manu al PARES fs fn troducing the Glute Ham Raise Former national caliber weightlifter Don Reed says that when his training colleague Tommy Suggs attended the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City Suggs saw that the Russian coaches had a unique way of assessing the competition When a Russian coach would greet a lifter from another country he would always put his free hand on the lifter s back and quickly touch the athlete s spinal erectors and traps checking muscle density and tone Indeed Reed says that the most impressive aspect of an elite Russian lifter was the muscular development of the lower back Reed noted2. 3 sets of 10 repetitions For strength and endurance do 2 sets of 15 repetitions For endurance do set of 30 50 repetitions Sit Ups Curl Ups This exercise 1s executed in the same manner as a regular sit up on the floor or slant board However the starting position is lower and your upper body is below the horizontal To assume this position you must arch hyperextend your back slightly Position your pelvis so that it rests on the inside edge of the seat In this position you have support for your lower back as you lean to the rear Once in position with your feet secured between the rollers or under the lower roller and hands crossed on your chest rise up until your trunk is approximately 45 percent or more to the horizontal For strength do 2 3 sets of 10 repetitions use weights if necessary For strength and endurance do 2 sets of 20 repetitions For endurance do 1 set of 50 repetitions Sit Ups with a Full Twist When you re ready to experience full range abdominal train ing here s a great exercise that works both the obliques side abdom n inal muscles and the rectus abdominus Situate your pelvic girdle on gy the seat of the glute ham developer With your feet secured under the rear roller lower your trunk until it is below the horizontal your back is slightly hyperextended Place a light bar or stick across your shoulders and hold the ends with outstretched arms This will ensure a full twist Fro
3. his lifetime had an opportunity to train with the late Serge Reding back in 1971 This Belgian behe moth was the first man to snatch 400 pounds and was considered the greatest rival of the most famous MN weightlifter of all time Vasily Alexeyev Siff saw Reding squat all the way down without wraps 880 pounds for 5 reps and also perform repeated jumps a foot off the ground while holding 286 pounds in his hands When Serge Reding stayed with our family he shared an enormous amount of material with me recalls Siff He stressed that core exercises such as the squat and power clean were of little value if even one minor muscle group is weak and lets you down in competition Weightlifting Champions Urik Vardanian mid dle and Sultan Rockmanov 1 800 628 9737 www biggerfasterstronger com 2 From Pommel Horse to Car Seat Although the glute ham raise had been used by European athletes since the turn of the century American athletes were first introduced to it in 1971 through Strength and Health maga zine The magazine showed pictures of Russian weightlifters performing the lift on a pommel horse in front of wooden stall bars American weightlifter Bud Charniga saw the article and decided to include the new exer cise in his exercise arsenal What I did was take a padded car seat and nail it to a carpen ter s bench I then placed it in front of my power rack and hooked my ankles underneath my barbell so that I wou
4. sets of 5 repetitions For strength and endurance do 2 3 sets of 8 10 repetitions For endurance do 1 set of 20 25 repetitions Reverse Knee Curls The reverse knee curl exercise is the same as the latter part of the glute ham gastroc raise It is used when you want to work the lower hamstrings more than the upper To do this exercise execute only the last movement of the glute ham gastroc raise Begin with 1 800 628 9737 www biggerfasterstronger com 10 your body in the straight position horizontal to the floor and execute knee joint flexion Return to the straight body position and repeat For strength do 5 6 sets of 5 repetitions For strength and endurance do 2 3 sets of 10 repetitions For endurance do 1 set of 20 35 repetitions inversions The GHD 1s also used as an inversion apparatus The foot support position is adjusted vertically slightly higher than the seat and horizontally so you rest on your upper front thighs and relieve the tension on your hamstrings Hang over from your hips and relax completely This positioning allows you to hang upside down very easily for effective stretching of your spine Some inversion devices in which you hang from the feet have been criticized because of the excessive pulling on the ankle and knee joints especially when the prime objective of upside down hanging is to stretch and relax the spine Because inverted hanging on the GHD is from the hips it does not strain these joi
5. abdominal muscles so it is quite unneces sary to proclaim that the hip flexor muscles be taken out of all trunk exercises by banning sit ups with feet held or with almost straight knees Another problem with abdominal training 1s that many exercises are often performed on a flat sur face The primary abdominal muscle located on the front of the torso the rectus abdominus extends from the sternum to the top of the pelvis When properly developed this muscle gives you that six pack appearance As you lie on your back during sit ups this muscle can flex your trunk forward approximately 30 degrees the angle at which your shoulder blades just begin to lift off the floor At this point any additional movement comes primarily from the muscles that flex your hips Most ab roller devices do a good job of working the first 30 degrees of motion of the rectus abdominus and many of these devices enable you to increase the resistance with weights But the anatomy of the rectus abdominus is such that the torso Abdominal exer cises performed on a flat surface do not work the F full range of 5 motion of the abdominals Courtesy PPC Richuel Massey a record break ing powerlifter and running back from Texas possesses impres sive abdominals Courtesy BFS 1 800 628 9737 www biggerfasterstronger com 4 needs to bend backwards approximately 15 degrees to develop maximum tension in the abdominal muscles al
6. al sets of back exten always per sion exercises In 1983 at a bodyweight of 220 formed light pounds Clark cleaned and jerked 470 pounds an exercises for the American record that has yet to be equaled lower back While in Russia Charniga noticed that not much before he lifted had changed in regard Bruce Klemens to how the exercise photo J was performed since that first Strength and Health article with the exception that some gyms had positioned straps to secure the feet They simply didn t have access to materials or the budget to have someone make a sophisticated glute ham developer for them When Charniga returned to the US and told others of his findings and his own success with the exercise resourceful equip ment manufacturers began experimenting with designs for a glute ham devel oper The BFS glute ham developer with its adjustable foot plate and rounded pelvic support represents the latest in the evolution of this apparatus Glute Ham Developer Stock Version 1 800 628 9737 www biggerfasterstronger com 3 PAIT Ik Hoas ty Vass Poe eee A defined hard midsection sends out a powerful signal about the shape you re in For example in ten nis much of the power in the serve and ground strokes come from the abdominal muscles In fact there are estimates that rotational movements of the hips and shoulders can produce up to 50 percent of the total force generated in a baseball or tennis swing But before you grind o
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8. expensive Further Chek says the glute ham raise places minimal compressive forces on the spine forces that can exacerbate lower back pain a 5 The Glute Ham lt Raise strengthens the lower back and both the gt T knee and hip J extension func tions of the ham strings The BFS Program and the Glute Ham Raise The limited range of the back extension exercise does not allow it to adequate ly work the hip extension function of the hamstrings Core lifts such as the power clean and the squat are basics in a BFS workout proper perform L maine ance of these movements is described in BFS books and courses and is also demonstrated hands on at BFS Clinics The power clean and squat are essential for developing strength but a poorly con ditioned back can be a weak link that reduces an athlete s ability to transfer force from the legs in both these lifts The result is the athlete will be forced to use Saline nit This also sees potentially harm ful stresses on the ligaments and disks of the back Although an exercise such as the glute ham raise doesn t create the same stress on the muscles as a power clean or a squat the additional work helps correct these weak links that may be preventing athletes from achieving Dr Mel Siff left their ultimate training goals with Russian The late Dr Mel Siff a sport scientist who conduct Olympic ed considerable research on weight training exercises during
9. glute ham developer GHD so that when the feet are secured in place your mid to upper thighs will be supported on the curved seat Your knees should clear the back edge of the seat by at least 3 to 6 inches The exact measurement will depend upon your height The upper body including the pelvic girdle pelvis should hang down over the seat Adjust the vertical height of the rear upright so that when your feet are secured the tops of your heels are about 6 inches below the level of the top of the seat If you find that the last movement of the exercise 1s very easy when in this posi tion raise the foot height 1 2 notches the higher the position the more difficult the exercise but in no case should the heels be higher than the top of the seat You are now ready to do the exercises as follows 1 Lie face down over the curved seat of the GHD and grasp the hand grips for support Insert your feet from the sides between the rear padded rollers so that your entire foot is flush against the back plate and your toes are pointed downward 2 Drop your body over and down the front portion of the curved seat Your trunk should hang straight down and there should be a 90 degree angle in your hip joint Place your hands across your chest then behind your head when the exercise becomes easier 3 Keep your back straight in its normal position by contracting the midsection muscles isometrically and raise your entire trunk via hip joint extension b
10. ldn t tip over Because the car seat Charniga used was padded and had a much sharper curve than the pommel horses the Russians were using he noticed something unusual I noticed that when I did the exercise the curved surface of the car seat helped me flex my knees more so that I could get a greater range of motion Although you can t directly attribute all his lifting success to one exercise it should be noted that in 1974 after Charniga began performing the exercise he snatched 352 pounds only 5 pounds off the American record in his bodyweight division In 1979 Charniga visited Russia and found that every gym he looked in had a glute ham station and that the exercise was an integral part of the training of Russian weightlifters He saw that weightlifters would often perform some variation of the exercise twice in a workout once before the workout with light weights as a warm up and again at the end of the workout with J heavy weights as a strengthening exercise This sensi a After visiting Russia over 30 years ago American weightlifter Bud Charinga designed a per sonal glute ham bench using a pommel horse and a car seat Da e m eae ri E aa An 7 Ken Clark one of America s ble practice was also followed in the US In fact six greatest M i time national weightlifting champion Ken Clark weightlifting whose picture appears in the BFS Total Program book champions began every workout with sever
11. m this starting position curl up and twist your shoulders to the right or left until you are almost in a sitting position There should be a 90 degree separation between the shoulder girdle axis and the pelvic girdle axis Alternate the direction of the twist with each repetition Sit Ups with Hip Flexion This variant of the sit up develops the hip flexors and major stress is placed on the lower abdominals Position your pelvis so that you sit on the far side of the rounded seat Lean backwards until there 1s a slight arch in your lower back This is the starting position Cross 1 800 628 9737 www biggerfasterstronger com 9 your hands on your chest and sit up until your trunk is approximately 45 degrees or more to the horizontal For strength do 2 3 sets of 10 repetitions use weights if necessary For strength and endurance do 2 sets of 20 repetitions For endurance do 1 set of 50 repetitions To do the side bend lie sideways on the GHD so that when your feet are secured sideways between the rollers your pelvic girdle is directly above the seat Lower your trunk shoulders as far as possible beyond the horizontal and then raise your trunk as high as possible Keep your body in a side facing position through out the movement Because of the greater range of motion this is an advanced exercise and should not be attempted by beginners To prepare for this exercise you should do standing side bends and floor side bends This e
12. mal abdominal training A word of caution Because the range of motion is So much greater on a glute ham developer during the first few weeks of training on them you should not work the abdominals to failure or perform multiple sets you could easily pull a muscle As you become accustomed to these exercises you can increase the number of sets and begin adding resistance and don t be afraid to pack it on The spherical surface of the padded seat on the glute ham developer enables the abdominals to be trained through out their full Now that we ve discussed the need for going range of motion beyond the core lifts for optimal development let s look at some valuable exercises that athletes can perform on a glute ham developer 1 800 628 9737 www biggerfasterstronger com 3 PART fil The Exercises As stated in Part H the workouts in the BFS program consist primarily of what strength coaches often call economical exercises which are exercises that involve multiple muscle groups The bench press is an example of an economical exercise because it involves the pectorals shoulders and triceps The glute ham developer allows you to perform many important economical exercises The following are descriptions of the exercises that can be performed on the GHD The Glute Ham Raise To correctly execute the glute ham raise exercise you must first do the fol lowing Adjust the horizontal position of the movable back portion of the
13. nts and still allows for a good spinal effect NOTE Do not do any exercise in the inverted position and do not hold the position for extended periods of time iV Equipment Maintenance Part IV Equipment Maintenance There is always a risk when you use any sort of training equipment To minimize risk when using the glute ham developer please follow these guidelines l Inspect equipment daily for loose or worn parts including nuts and bolts Replace parts at first sign of wear Failure to replace worn parts may result in injury l Be alert to the possibility of injury Do not be careless Zi Children should not be allowed to play on or around this machine If you have any questions on the proper use of equipment do not hesitate to call Bigger Faster Stronger Inc 800 628 9737 and talk to one of our coaching experts on staff Enjoy your glute ham developer Subscribe to the publication coaches and athletes trust Bigger Faster Stronger Magazine What you get e NOW 6 BIG Issues a year e Free online membership e Training advice from elite strength coaches e Inspirational success stories e Liability and safety articles e Practical nutritional advice e Incredible action photos e BFS Product Catalog e Much much more 2 WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE Recommended Way S 1 Online at biggerfasterstronger com 2 Call BFS 1 800 628 9737 A eh Now subscribers can get FREE access to the M
14. our head Level 5 Move the foot ankle pad one notch closer to the front pad but lower the pad two notches back to the original level Perform the exercise with your arms folded across your chest Level 6 Perform the exercise with the same settings as Variation 5 but place your hands behind your head Level 7 Move the foot ankle pad up once notch and perform the exercise with your arms folded across your chest Level 8 Perform the exercise with the same settings as Variation 7 but place your hands behind your head Level 9 Move the foot ankle pad one notch closer to the front pad but lower the pad two notches back to the original level Perform the exercise 1 800 628 9737 www biggerfasterstronger com 7 with your arms folded across your chest Level 10 Perform the exercise with the same settings as Variation 9 but place your hands behind your head Level 11 Move the foot ankle pad up once notch and perform the exercise with your arms folded across your chest Level 12 Perform the exercise with the same settings as Variation 12 but place your hands behind your head This is the final advanced setting that only advanced athletes can master Because of the adjustments possible on the GHD it can also be used for execution of many other exer cises including all those that can be performed on a Roman chair By using the GHD correct and more pre cise execution of these exercises 1s possible Keep in mind that
15. ries especially to the anterior cruciate ligament ACL The spine is exposed to great compressive forces in many sports says Poliquin I ve found that athletes who are weak in the hamstrings glutes and lower back not only are more likely to injure the lower back but also are espe F cially prone to tearing the ACL Because the glute ham exercise Semimembranosus increases muscle mass and strength in the back glutes and ham strings those athletes who include this exercise in their programs are Biceps 1 800 628 9737 www biggerfasterstronger com 1 better able to withstand the compressive loads on the spine and those forces that occur with sports such as football and alpine skiing says Poliquin BFS Founder and CEO Greg Shepard says that the value of such exercises is clear from the reduction of injuries reported by those who attend BFS Clinics which teach a number of assistance exercises such as the straight leg deadlift and glute ham raise After one year schools that have sponsored a BFS Clinic average a 50 percent decrease in injuries says Shepard Paul Chek one of the world s fore most experts on strength training exercises for the spine says that the glute ham exercise 1s superior to the back extension for rehabilitation Chek explains that because it works both functions of the hamstrings the glute ham exercise is a more functional exercise than the seated back extension machine and is considerably less
16. s possible via spinal flexion usually about 45 60 degrees For maximum isolation of your spinal muscles erection spinae there should be no hip joint action From this flexed rounded position of your back extend straighten your spine until it is in line with your pelvic girdle and legs and it is slightly arched hyperextended For strength do 2 3 sets of 10 repetitions For strength and endurance do 2 sets of 15 repetitions For endurance do 1 set of 30 50 repetitions Back Raises with a Full Twist Position your entire pelvic girdle on the seat of the GHD and secure your feet under the rear rollers Lower your trunk so that it hangs over the seat Place a light bar across your shoulders and hold it at the ends 1 800 628 9737 www biggerfasterstronger com 8 with out stretched arms In this beginning position the hip joint extensor muscles are knocked out to a great extent and the major load falls on the spinal muscles From this starting position raise and twist your shoulders to the left or right until your trunk is in line with your pelvic girdle and legs horizontal or level with the seat of the GHD There should be a 90 degree separation between the shoulder girdle axis and the pelvic girdle axis There should not be any arching of your lower back if there is any it should be minimal Alternate the twist with each repetition This exercise primarily develops the rotary action of the spinal muscles For strength do 2
17. s should be used when first learning this exercise The weight of the upper body is quite sufficient Once the total exercise becomes easy and you can do the required number of repetitions you can then hold plate weights behind your head and shoulders Sim When the glute wa ham exercise A becomes easy im you can hold A weight plates across your chest to increase the difficulty Advanced Variations ifficulty Setting Wi E 2 gt WE F e U e vO p re ee F a e yas a j ak ji Low D No weights should be used when first learning this exercise The weight of the upper body is quite sufficient Once this technique becomes easy you can increase the difficulty by placing your hands behind your head Although you can increase the difficulty of the exercise by holding weight plates across your chest we prefer to increase the difficulty of the exercise by adjusting the foot ankle pad horizontally and vertically Here is a 7 _ sequence that has proven the most effective Level 1 Move the foot ankle pad up once notch and perform the exercise with your arms folded across your chest Level 2 Perform the exercise with the same settings as Variation 1 but place your hands behind your head Level 3 Move the foot ankle pad up once notch and perform the exercise with your arms folded across your chest Level 4 Perform the exercise with the same settings as Variation 3 but place your hands behind y
18. that the popular Olympic champion and world record holder David Rigert had erectors that looked like semi submerged truck tires Russian athletes emphasize developing the glutes and hamstrings with squats power cleans and specialized exercises such as the glute ham raise Just how important are these muscles Canadian strength coach Charles Poliquin has designed workout programs for more than 400 Olympians and he says that approximately 40 per cent of the power for sprinting and jumping comes from the glutes and 25 percent from the hamstrings It s imperative that all athletes concentrate on strengthening these muscles with assistance exercises such as the glute ham raise says Poliquin Thanks to powerful exercises such as the glute ham raise Russian weightlifters such as David Rigert were as strong as they looked Bruce Klemens photo The glute ham raise enables an athlete to work the entire length of The Anatomy of the Hamstrings the spine and both the knee and hip extension functions of the ham strings This is not possible with the back extension benches found in ee most gyms Says Poliquin The design of the glute ham developer SEE Semitendinosus Maximus lt allows an athlete to strengthen the erectors especially in the middle portion which in most sports is exposed to high forces Another plus for the glute ham raise is that it is one of the most important exercises for preventing back and knee inju
19. the Roman chair is made for people of average height Because of this tall and short people cannot do certain exercises effectively and if they do them they usually do a modified version of the exercise which gives different development In addition even some average height people cannot do certain exercises precisely on the RC because it cannot be adjusted for proper positioning and this can lead to injury The glute ham gastroc raise can be executed using different numbers of sets and repetitions depending upon your objective In general for strength you should do approximately 5 sets of 5 repetitions For strength and some endurance you should do 2 3 sets of 8 12 repetitions For maximum endurance do 1 set of 25 35 reps WARNING The glute ham gastroc raise exercise should be performed ONLY on the GHD Although the GHD may look similar to some Roman chairs RC the RC MUST NOT be used for execution of this exer cise When you use a Roman chair you cannot secure your feet In addition it does not have the rounded seat and cannot be adjusted for proper execution Trying the glute ham gastroc raise on the RC or in other ways leads to different movements different muscle development and the possibility of injury Back Raises Adjust the rear support so that when your feet are secured your entire pelvic girdle hip area is situat ed on top of the curved seat This is very important Lower your upper body down over the front curve as far a
20. though a further stretch may be better for spinal health This requirement isn t possible with ab roller devices Se uk Pa or for that matter most conventional exercises When you train on a flat surface such as a floor you begin in a neutral position and this restriction makes it impossible for you to get a full stretch of the rectus abdominus For an athlete who plays tennis or Do if the rectus abdominus is not trained throughout its full range of motion it will not be able to contribute maximum power espe cially when the athlete arches at the top of the serve Another problem with starting from the neutral position is that the abdominals will not learn how to properly contract when you bend backwards One reason some athletes develop back pain is that their abdominal muscles simply do not know how to protect their backs In volleyball the abdominals are stretched through a full range of motion and as such must be trained through a full range of motion Courtesy BES foremost authorities on abdominal training has said the abdominals become stupid Developing Athletic Abs One answer to flat surface training is the glute ham developer The glute ham developer allows you to exercise on a spherical surface thereby conditioning the abs through their full range of motion The sturdy design of the glute ham developer also allows you to safely perform abdominal exercises with the heavy resistance necessary for opti
21. ut another crunch or devote any more time effort and money in search of the perfect waistline under stand that a little training knowledge can go a long way towards get ting you a six pack that is as powerful as it looks Although most coaches and athletes are aware of the impor Tag Bozied used the glute ham developer to strengthen his torso muscles for baseball He went tance of abdominal training for their sports few know how to train on to play the abdominals for maximum results If you re an athlete who is tired professional baseball of performing countless crunches with little or no results to show for your effort it s time to take an even closer look at the glue ham developer Although primarily associated with the glute ham raise and back extension exercises the glute ham developer offers athletes several ways to develop powerful abdominal muscles for their sports These exercises are described in Part III But first let s address the myth that you must perform isolation exercises for the abdominals The Truth about Abdominal Training Far too many experts on abdominal training stipulate trunk exercises that attempt to isolate the abs and minimize all involvement by the hip flexors as if the latter are some sort of enemy to trunk strength and health said the late Dr Mel Siff The hip flexors like the hip extensors and back extensors are meant to work in patterns of appropriate collaboration with the
22. xercise can also be used to work the leg abductors To do this adjust your side facing body position so that support is on your upper outer thigh and your entire trunk hangs over the edge of the seat Lower your body below the horizontal and rise up This is a difficult exercise and should not be attempted until you have mastered the side bends For strength do 3 4 sets of 5 repetitions For strength and endurance do 2 3 sets of 10 15 repetitions For endurance do 1 set of 25 35 repetitions Horizontal Trunk Twists Also known as the Russian Twist this exercise requires that your pelvic girdle buttocks be on the seat when your feet are secured in the rear pad When seated in this position lower your trunk until it is horizontal in a Straight line with your pelvic girdle and legs Raise your arms so they are perpendicular to your trunk This is the starting position Rotate 90 degrees to the right or left Return to the initial position throughout the entire exercise Although elite athletes have been known to perform this exercise holding 45 pound weight plates be warned that this is an advanced exercise and is not recommended if you have weak abdominal and spinal muscles When you have developed adequate strength in these muscles by performing the beginner level exercises described in the BFS training manual and are ready to take your abdominal training to a higher level start with no more than 5 pounds For strength do 4 5
23. y contracting the gluteus maximus and hamstring muscles Rise up slowly or at a moderate rate of speed until your trunk is in a straight line with your legs or slightly above 4 Maintain this straight body position by continuous contraction of the hip exten i sors and then execute knee joint flexion You will experience a maximal contraction of the hamstring Rise up until a line through your trunk and upper thigh is about 45 degrees to the horizontal The exact height is determined by individual preference 5 Keep your trunk straight and slowly lower your body to the starting position Repeat Execute the exercise at a slow to moderate speed There should be no jerki ness quick snaps of your back or fast changes in speed during the movement Also there should be no movement in your spine A slight amount of hyperextention in the mid or final position is acceptable But do not arch to raise your trunk Pull with the gluteals and hamstrings It is very important that you do not buckle in your midsection when knee joint flexion occurs Your trunk and thighs should be kept in a straight line during this last 1 800 628 9737 www biggerfasterstronger com 6 action If you cannot hold the spine rigid it means your midsection muscles are weak Therefore sit ups and back raises should be performed to strengthen them before doing the glute ham gastroc raise in totality it can still be performed to the halfway position No weight
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