#3. LOW WORKOUT INTENSITY
Argument
Another common mistake is not applying enough intensity to your hams workout. You can rarely see bodybuilders that are ding forced reps or drop sets aimed at their hamstrings with the same intensity as when they do leg presses. This is probably due to the fact that most of them chose to push the hams workout to second place, not paying the same attention to these muscles as they pay to developing their quads.
Solution
- One of the best approaches is to train your hamstrings on a separate day, thus providing them with the necessary focus.
- You won’t get far if you do drop sets only for the seated or lying leg curls. Instead, you could try performing a drop-set during the last set of your one-leg curls
- Another approach is to pay more attention to the negatives. This is best achieved by finding a partner for your workout.
- If you are not training with a partner, you can overcame this problem by increasing the weight when you are doing leg curls with both legs, and decreasing them for the one leg-curls.
- You can also extend your ham set by adding a rest-pause. After you had reached failure make a 10-20 seconds pose. Follow with 4 additional reps till failure, make another rest-pause and continue with 4 more sets.
#4. STRENGTH GAINS ARE IMPORTANT
Argument
Many guys fail to see the importance of emphasizing the strength gains. Most of the bodybuilders are completely aware of their best results in doing squats and leg presses, and with they try beating them with each next training session. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to apply for exercises like Romanian deadlifts. Many perceive them only as stretching exercise, without focusing on progressive strength gains, and are willing to do same number of reps with the same weight in each next workout. However, this results only in increased blood flow in your hams, contributing little to their growth.
Solution
- Don’t cheat yourself of the gains you can achieve by doing this mistake. Instead, try following the simple principle of either increasing your rep range or increasing the loads with each workout. Keep a workout log. In this way you can follow the progress you are making.
- Also, try to avoid performing all the exercises in the 10-15 rep range. Choose one ham exercise in your workout and apply the pyramid principle by increasing the load, and decreasing the reps.
#5. AVOID PERFORMING FAST REPS
Argument
As in many things in life, going too fast often translates in coming up short. When you perform the reps at fast tempo, you also reduce their range of motion. If you have this approach, chances are that you only go through the midrange of motion with the leg curls, which results in missing the key stretches and contractions.
Solution
- Try performing the leg curls with slower rep tempo. Each rep should take up to 5 seconds. Two for the positive, and three seconds for the negative portion of the rep.
- This will allow you to focus on performing complete stretches and contractions. Make sure that you take a slight pause at contraction, keeping your ankles closely pressed to your glutes.
- When perform machine exercises, choose the ones that employ smaller ankle pads or foot cuffs. This will allow you to execute fuller range of motion. Conversely, you should avoid those that employ over-sized pads since they will shorten your range of motion.
- Another approach would be to target each leg separately. Choose an exercise that allows an unilateral activation of your hams.
