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Curing hamstring dominance
Hello. I am a casual runner 4 miles ish a couple o times a week as my main activity is hockey - squad training, club training, fixtures each week. I have seen a sports masseur who tells me that I am hamstring dominant and my glutes aren't working at all. I have a few things to try (including retraining my brain to want to use my glutes - v. confusing) but wondered if anyone had any fun and effective glute strengthening exercises I can try. I'm also looking at stability ball and pilates to improve my posture. Thanks. A.
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Good old squats!? I think. And step ups?
How do you retrain your brain to use your glutes??!
Amanda - I had chronically inflammed hamstrings the last two years (they took it in turns, the right one in 2006 and the left in 2007). Problem wasn't correctly diagnosed in 2006 but last year I met a great physio who did rehab with me to strengthen the glutes and change my running style so that I used them before the hamstrings. I still do the exercises as it's easy to revert. The easiest one is lying flat on your front with a pillow across your stomach/as far down as your sticky out hip bones (this stops you using your abs instead), tense the glute and lift your leg straight up slowly, hold briefly and lower slowly repeat x 10, change legs, repeat, do three sets.
Next turn on your side, leg next to the floor bent at the knee, arm next to the floor supporting your head, upper leg straight. Keeping upper leg straight raise it slowly ensuring that your foot, hip and shoulder stay in line, hold briefly, lower slowly. Repeat x 10, swap sides etc.
As above but turn upper legs foot upwards.
Persevere (though I'd recommend getting exercises from a good physio to ensure you're doing them right).
Roberts - the trouble with squats and step ups is that you can compensate really well for weak glutes and you just reinforce the use of the hamstrings if you're not careful.
Hi Amanda, does that mean that once you have retrained the brain to use the glutes then you can more effectively do squats and step ups? Or do you need to wait until they are stronger from the isolating glutes exercises?
How do you change your running style to use the glutes first? Is it to do with running with correct posture?
Hi guys, thanks for your quick replies.
My understanding is that I need to make my brain use my glutes first so that I can later do squats etc properly rather than continue to rely on my hamstrings.
The brain training involves the same exercise as explained by Little Miss Happy - lying on my front and raising each leg but really concentrating on firing the glute before raising the leg. If you reach back you can feel the order that the glute / hamstring is working on lifting the leg. Eventually it should become habit rather than conscious. The other thing that has been suggested is to consciously fire the glute when walking so clench as the heel strikes the ground to use bum before leg when moving forward but being careful not to wiggle or mince too much! Perhaps I should become a walk-racer!
Correcting my posture runs hand in hand with changing my running style. Apparently the glutes are our power houses so with a better posture and correctly firing glutes I hope to see some all round hockey / running improvement. I've been told to expect it to take about 6 months with perseverance so being able to deal with the frustration will be a big challenge too.
Thanks again. Amanda
Ooops my last post was supposed to be a question to little miss happy!
I was told that I need to get my glutes firing but I didn't really understand, but I think I'm starting to understand now
Hi
Ive had trouble with my hamstrings since finishing the 2007 Dublin marathon in October.
Ive been seeing my phisio, he has given me stretches for my hamstring but didnt say anything about doing my glutes. I will try exercises for glutes as my hamstring is not getting any better. Thanks
Roberts - yes, once you've got the glutes strengthened the squats etc are easier.
Thanks Siance - nice to see you. I'll probably add that to my repetoire.
Dawn - do you know what the problem is with your hamstring and have you rested it enough to get better? Also did your physio say that it was caused by weak glutes?
My running posture is unbelievably different now. I had custom orthotics for bad over pronation on both sides, after correcting my running by learning to utilise the glutes correctly and improving my running posture my podiatrist couldn't believe the difference. I'm now neutral on the left (just have a leg length discrepancy) and supinate slightly on the right. All sorted by effective rehab once someone had correctly identified the problem (though it took a long time to find the right person to do that).