Muscles worked
In the glute ham raise your hamstrings do both of their jobs in the same rep: they bend the knee and extend the hip. That is unusual, as most hamstring exercises are either a hip hinge or a curl. Your glutes help extend the hip, the muscles along your spine keep your upper body straight, and your calves work as your feet press into the footplate.
Common mistakes
- The bench is set up for a back extension. If the footplate sits too far from the pad, your hips end up over the pad and your glutes and lower back do most of the work. Move the footplate so your knees, not your hips, are at the pad.
- You throw yourself up out of the bottom. A jerk of the upper body takes work away from your hamstrings. Change direction calmly and pull yourself up at an even pace. If you cannot manage a full rep yet, do only the slow lowering and get back up with a little help.
- Your feet are passive. Press the balls of your feet into the footplate, so your calves and hamstrings work together.
Variations and alternatives
- The Nordic hamstring curl needs no bench, just something to hook your feet under, but it is heavier.
- The back extension trains hip extension without the knee bend, an easier place to start.
- The slider leg curl also combines hip extension with a knee bend, lying on the floor.
Sets and reps
The glute ham raise is heavy even with just your bodyweight. Three sets of 5 to 10 reps suit most people who can do the full movement, with a couple of minutes' rest. Leave one or two reps in the tank on each set, see reps in reserve. The guide to sets and reps has more on planning.
Once you manage 10 reps on every set, lower yourself more slowly or hold a weight plate against your chest. That keeps progressive overload going once bodyweight feels light. If it hurts behind your knee or in your lower back, rather than just feeling heavy, stop and get a doctor or physiotherapist to look at it.