Glute Ham Raise with Extended Arms
Master the Glute Ham Raise with Extended Arms to powerfully strengthen your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
Description
A challenging lower body exercise that mainly targets the hamstrings and glutes, while also engaging the lower back and calves.
How to Do Glute Ham Raise with Extended Arms
- 1Setup
Position yourself on a glute-ham developer (GHD) machine with your feet secured on the footplate and your knees just behind the edge of the pad. Ensure your hips are free to move without obstruction.
- 2Setup
Extend your arms forward at shoulder height, parallel to the floor, and maintain a straight line from your head to your knees. Brace your core tightly to stabilize your torso.
- 3
Slowly lower your torso and hips towards the floor by allowing your knees to extend and your hips to flex, keeping your arms extended. Control the descent until your body is nearly parallel to the floor or as far as your flexibility allows.
- 4
Initiate the ascent by powerfully contracting your hamstrings and glutes to flex your knees and extend your hips, pulling your body back to the starting position. Maintain extended arms throughout the movement.
- 5
Focus on using your posterior chain muscles to drive the movement, avoiding excessive arching or rounding of the lower back. Exhale as you return to the top and inhale during the controlled descent.
Tips
- Maintain a rigid torso throughout the entire movement, engaging your core as if preparing for a punch, to prevent unwanted spinal flexion or extension.
- Control the eccentric (lowering) phase for at least 3-4 seconds; this builds strength and muscle control, especially in the hamstrings.
- Visualize driving your heels into the footplate as you ascend, which helps to activate the hamstrings and glutes more effectively.
- Keep your gaze fixed forward or slightly down to help maintain a neutral cervical spine alignment, preventing neck strain.
Common Mistakes
- ×Rounding the lower back during the ascent compromises spinal integrity; fix this by actively bracing your core and initiating the movement with your hamstrings and glutes.
- ×Using momentum or bouncing out of the bottom position reduces muscle activation; fix this by performing each repetition with a slow, controlled tempo, especially during the lowering phase.
- ×Failing to keep the arms extended throughout the movement makes the exercise easier and less effective; fix this by consciously maintaining straight arms, which increases the lever arm and difficulty.
Variations
Band Assisted Floor Glute Ham Raise
Strengthen your glutes and hamstrings with the Band Assisted Floor Glute Ham Raise. This effective exercise builds lower body strength and stability.
Glute Ham Raise
Master the Glute Ham Raise for powerful glutes, hamstrings, and a strong lower back.
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