Dr. Squat - Dr. Fred Hatfield

If glute ham raises and leg curls aren't available, the best alternatives are sled dragging and sprinting.

If you have a good swiss ball, you can perform a hip extension and leg curl on it. You need a good sturdy ball though, not the balloon type found in most gyms. Paul Chek sales the best one. Got one from him 10 years ago, still firm and holds air well.

No, you lay on the floor on your back, out your feet uo on the ball so that your achilles is resting on the ball. Extend your hips until your hips, torso, and feet are in line, then flex your knees until your toes are on the ball and your knees are almost fully flexed.

If using two legs isn't challenging enough perform it one leg at a time. It's different than a glute ham in that it's an open chain movement, but it generally works the same muscles.

The resistance curve for band curls is horrible.... To be anyway effective, you would essentially have to do partials at 3-4 different portions of the ROM.

As a rule of thumb, bands are less effective for flexion movements compared to extension movements as a result of said strength/resistance curve.

I said nothing about using it for the squat. As I asserted, for extension movements like the squat, it's an incredibly effective tool.

But for flexion movements, they're near worthless.

In the flexion of the knee, the strongest portion of the movement is the beginning.... I.e., from a straight leg to 15-20 degrees. The band is providing it's least amount of resistance/tension at the beginning. The middle portion of knee flexion is lightly weaker than the beginning, yet there will be more tension from the band as it stretches.

As the curl motion is completed over the last 10-20 degrees of flexion, the muscle is at it's weakest with regard to it's strength curve/fulcrum/line of pull, meanwhile the band is reaching it's maximum tension.

Hence, to be effective you have to work it in small ranges of motion to have optimal band tension.... hardly worth the time or effort, plus it's incredibly difficult to use and document progressive overload using the band in such a manner.

Found that using a Versaroll works well for the movement Todd is talking about. It's long and flat...much more stable than a regular swiss ball.
http://www.power-systems.com/p-2906-versaroll.aspx

The hamstrings not only extend the hips, they flex the knee. For optimal hammie development, that function should be trained.

Obviously, it's not as big a priority for a power lifter as a sprinter, football player, etc., but can still aid in strength and therefore lift totals.

Hamstrings are huge in powerlifting. They have a significant role in the squat and deadlift. It's pretty universal that beginners have weak hamstrings.

I think body builders do well since they actually train hamstrings. Most athletes focus on quads unless they have a coach that actually knows what he/she is doing.

www.wildirongym.com
www.tinyurl.com/WildIron

Well, too, while curl machines are useful..... plenty of PLers spend plenty of time on the glute-ham-gastroc bench which works the knee flexion and hip extension portion of the hammies.