Posts Tagged ‘hamstrings’

How to do Box Jumps

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024
female athlete performing box jumps

Box jumps are a great exercise for your legs, and can be performed on just about any variable flat surface. They hit your posterior chain – calves, quads, glutes, and hamstrings – pretty hard.

Box jumps can be used for cardio workouts, neural activation training (NAT), high-intensity resistance training (HIRT), and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) circuits. They are often used in CrossFit WODs (Workout of the Day) and are a staple exercise in plyometric training. Plyometrics have a wide range of athletic and real sporting applications; they are used, for example, to increase jumping ability, leg strength, hip drive, and explosiveness.

Box jumps are a simple movement. They require you only to jump from one flat surface up onto another flat surface, then either step or jump back down, depending on the purpose of the exercise. These are our tips for performing them safely and effectively.

(more…)

Share the Swole!

The Top 5 Best Hamstring Exercises

Tuesday, June 4th, 2024
strong hamstrings as a result of the best hamstring exercises

Why do we need to figure out what are the best hamstring exercises? Because serious fitness enthusiasts and athletes want to be able to lift maximum weight off the ground with minimal effort. It makes us feel good to be able to pick up virtually anything and to be able to perform necessary feats of strength in emergencies. Especially when most guys in the world struggle to pick up even 100 lbs off the floor.

The number one way to make all these things happen? Train your posterior chain – hamstrings, lower back, and glutes (your bum) with complex free-weight exercises. Let’s take a look at a few of the best hamstring exercises to focus on effective posterior chain development.

(more…)

Share the Swole!

How to Perform Reverse Hypers or Reverse Hyperextensions

Thursday, May 23rd, 2024
athlete with a strong lower back from Reverse Hypers

In weight lifting, the lower back does not always receive much attention, unless it is injured. Experienced athletes know enough to include deadlifts, stiff legs, good mornings, glute-hamstring raises, and pull-throughs into their routine, but maybe that’s not always enough. That’s where we introduce a game-changing exercise called Reverse Hypers (aka Reverse Hyperextensions) into our training program.

The posterior chain is used in many pulling and lifting movements, so making it a priority to strengthen the lower back will help prevent serious injuries in the future. Aside from those listed above, one exercise that can help strengthen, rehab, and prehab the lower back, is the reverse hyper. Additionally, the reverse hyper strengthens the entire posterior chain including the hips, spinal erectors, glutes, and hamstrings.

Let’s take a few minutes to examine why reverse hypers are so good for you, how to perform reverse hypers, and how to execute the movement without specific reverse hyper equipment.

(more…)

Share the Swole!

Best Bodyweight Hamstring Exercises: Strengthen Your Leg Power

Friday, April 14th, 2023
living room yoga man performing bodyweight hamstring exercises

The hamstrings are a big muscle group located in the posterior thigh region of the human body. Many people tend to only perform static stretches on them, which has its benefits, however, you need to incorporate some sort of resistance training like bodyweight hamstring exercises to get them strong and flexible.

Your hamstrings play an essential role in various activities, such as walking, running, and jumping. Bodyweight exercises are an excellent way to strengthen your hamstring muscles without the need for special equipment.

This article will go over the best bodyweight hamstrings exercises and some of their benefits. 

(more…)

Share the Swole!

Which Muscles Are Used During Deadlifts? Possibly More Than You Knew

Wednesday, November 6th, 2019
Which Muscles Are Used During Deadlifts

Do you ever wonder which muscles are used during deadlifts? Well, you need to start with understanding the muscles that get affected by the ‘King of all Exercises’ to know about their role in your workouts. There are many grips, foot positions, bars, and acceleration techniques that can be used to target different muscle groups in different ways. Let’s examine the techniques and learn which muscles are directly affected when deadlifting.

(more…)

Share the Swole!

Top 6 Leg Training Mistakes

Friday, July 24th, 2015

Don’t Waste Time Training Legs the Wrong Way!

Leg Training Mistakes
Your legs are the foundation of your physique. With their bulging tear drops, incision-like cuts, and shredded striations, prize leg development can win you a contest. Lagging leg development can also lose you a contest. Additionally, having strong legs makes it that much easier to develop a strong upper body. Here are 6 mistakes most athletes make when training their legs. These tips apply both to active bodybuilders and newbies, so pay attention!

The Top 6 Leg Training Mistakes

  1. Not Training Legs At All

    A lot of people completely avoid leg training. Why? Personally, I find it hard to understand. But there’s obviously a reason why they do; theories are they already have some preconceived notion that their legs are developed beyond what they are in actuality, or they see leg training as “hard”.

    It’s true that leg training can be painful, and you generally are sore afterwards, but many bodybuilders grow to love that soreness, as with other muscles. Avoiding leg training is a critical mistake, and you can’t build a house without a foundation.

    (more…)

Share the Swole!






How to Overhead Squat

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

How to Perform Overhead Squats

How to Overhead Squat
How to Overhead Squat

Among the best exercises for strength, size, speed, and power, are squats – no exceptions. Front squats, jump squats, and overhead squats are all great alternatives to the king of squat exercises – the barbell back squat.

Squatting will help you develop powerful legs and a rigid core, have no doubt, but when we get creative we can mix and match exercises for an even more effective exercise that trains the whole body.

Sometimes we must think about our upper body as well and there is no better way to look and feel jacked, than to build massively strong shoulders. And there is no better way to feel sexy as a female, than to have sleek, strong, healthy shoulders. It is also equally important to build structurally invincible shoulders to proactively protect yourself from injury.

Combine everything together that I’ve just mentioned, and you get the overhead barbell squat. Let’s see how to do them correctly.

(more…)

Share the Swole!






How to Front Squat

Friday, June 25th, 2010
Olympic Style Barbell Front Squat
Olympic Style Barbell Front Squat

How to Perform Front Squats

The best exercises for speed, strength, size, and power, are squats – bar none. Back squats, front squats, overhead squats… they are all great, and will help you develop powerful legs and a rigid core.

Front squats are just about the best alternative to back squats, so let’s see how to do them correctly.

Barbell front squats are just about the same as back squats except the bar is placed across the front of your shoulders, using one of the two styles detailed below.

(more…)

Share the Swole!