Below is an article I wrote for Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness that is included in the Feb 2010 magazine.
Training Hamstrings: Only for the Truly Dedicated
When I attend a bodybuilding competition, whether it's a small local show or WNBF Worlds, the first thing I look for to see whether or not a competitor has a serious chance of winning is their hamstrings. Not their arms, not their overall symmetry. Hamstrings. Why? Because looking at this single bodypart can tell you oh-so-much about the competitor in question.
First, hamstrings are one of the last bodyparts to "come in" on most experienced competitors, meaning that getting rid of the last remnants of fat that cover them happens much later than, say, the fat covering your chest or abs. For me personally, my hamstrings don't show up until I have dieted for over 20 weeks. So, when I see someone with detailed hamstrings, I know they paid the price for them in terms of dedicated diet and cardio. This speaks volumes to me about the work ethic of that competitor and the effort they put into their contest prep.
Second, let's face it - hamstrings are just about the last bodypart most regular gym-goers look at or train. Adding mass to your hamstrings is just not something the typical non-bodybuilder is overly concerned with. Why do heavy stiff-legged deadlifts when you can do another set of bicep curls and stare at your blood-engorged arms in the mirror? When someone shows up with thick, hanging hamstrings, I know that person was putting forth the effort to display a complete physique.
Below is my hamstring routine and a couple of tricks I have learned about training them. While I would never say that my hamstrings are "good," they have improved dramatically since I first got serious about bodybuilding. I hope that when others assess my physique, my hamstrings are an indicator of how seriously I take this lifestyle and how hard I am working to bring a comprehensive package to the stage.
Brian Whitacre's Hamstring Routine
2 leg days over a 2-week period
Day 1: Quad focus, hamstrings secondary
- Heavy Squats (at or below parallel)
- 3 warm-up sets, 3 working sets of 5-10 reps, 1 finishing set of 30+ reps
- Lying Hamstring Curls
- 1 warm-up set, 3 working sets of 6-10 reps
- Sumo Smith Machine Squats
- 3 working sets, 6-10 reps
- Standing Single-leg Hamstring Curl
- 3 working sets, 8-10 reps
- Bulgarian Split Squats
- 3 working sets, 8-10 reps
Day 2: Hamstring focus, quads secondary
- Heavy Stiff-legged Deadlifts
- 2 warm-up sets, 3 working sets 4-10 reps
- Leg Press
- 1 warm-up set, 3 working sets 6-10 reps
- Seated Leg Curls
- 3 working sets 6-10 reps
- Leg Extensions
- 3 working sets 8-10 reps
- Glute Ham Raises
- 3 working sets to failure
Brian's hamstring training tips:
Heavy stiff-legged deadlifts build mass. You can do as many sets of lying curls as you want, but similar to how heavy squats build your quads, moving heavy weight with good form on stiff-legged deads is the best thing you can do to add some serious mass to your hamstrings. I am never going to be one of the strongest guys in the WNBF, but even I typically work up to 400+ lbs for 4-10 reps in the off-season. Get your form down, focus on the task at hand, and get that weight moving.
Flex for success. Let's get something straight – I hate it when people pose in the gym. Nothing says "egotism" like someone hitting a front-double bicep in front of the entire gym crowd. Personally I only pose when I have a room to myself or am at home. But for hamstrings, you can flex in between sets without calling any attention to yourself. After your set of stiff-legged deads or leg curls, put your lower body in a rear-relaxed position just as you would on stage, and flex those hams and glutes as hard as you can for 30 seconds. After your next set, flex your hams as you would in a rear lat or rear double bicep (no need to pose the upper body). Flexing in between sets helps to bring in additional detail to your hams and ensures that you will be confident when posing onstage.
