What is the best way to stretch hams so that I can squat with good back form?

[luke]

I'm getting back into weights and want to start squatting again, but I have limited flexibility.

I cant do a full squat, whilst keeping my back locked in place, it always rounds as the bottom of the squat.

I figure that it is my hamstrings that are limiting me, because if I get on my toes and move my knees way forward over my toes, (which shortens the length my hamstring has to stretch out to at the bottom of the squat) I can keep my back locked.

So what are the best ways to stretch the hamstring?

Also, I have heard that when stretching your hamstring, if you feel the 'pain' in the back of the knees then it is trying to stretch your ligaments which is bad. When ever I do a hamstring stretch, it always pains in the upper back of my knee (a good stretching kinda hurt) along with pain in the middle of the ham. Is this normal? Do I need to worry?

 

[Goosey]

Stiff legged dead-lifting my boy

Do 3 sets of 10 directly after you squat

Leave the stretching to pussy cats.

 

[luke]

Stiff legged dead-lifting my boy

Do 3 sets of 10 directly after you squat

Problem is I cant yet do a full squat to start with.
And, from memory, the day after doing RDL or SLDL the hamstrings are twice as tight!

 

[dave]

You hamstrings are most likely not the issue. The issue will be your hip flexor strength not being adequate enough to maintain a anterior pelvic tilt. Some hamstring flexibility helps if you have woefully inadequate flexibility but I very highly doubt this is the case.

Belts are also good to help you engage your abs to stabilise the pelvis and allow your hip flexors to work more efficiently.

So ab work and hip flexor work.

 

[Oli]

You should get some rm williams. they help you squat mad good.

 

[catastrophic]

Luke where do you train?

 

[walt]

Stiff legged dead-lifting my boy

Do 3 sets of 10 directly after you squat

Leave the stretching to pussy cats.

andy i remember you recommending me hamstring curls 3 sets 20 reps?

 

[Goosey]

andy i remember you recommending me hamstring curls 3 sets 20 reps?

If I said that I must be bonkers.

If one had a good machine where the strength curve of the machine was even and one was set-up correctly I'd say one set possibly two, to muscular fatigue would be plenty between the range of 8~10

 

[luke]

You hamstrings are most likely not the issue. The issue will be your hip flexor strength not being adequate enough to maintain a anterior pelvic tilt. Some hamstring flexibility helps if you have woefully inadequate flexibility but I very highly doubt this is the case.

Belts are also good to help you engage your abs to stabilise the pelvis and allow your hip flexors to work more efficiently.

So ab work and hip flexor work.

Ok, thanks for that, how does one go about working on the hip flexors... any recommended exercises?

Luke where do you train?

I've only just started (or trying to start) getting back into lifting after over 6 years off, and and just doing it from my garage, have a barbell and weights, thats all atm.

 

[walt]

If I said that I must be bonkers.

If one had a good machine where the strength curve of the machine was even and one was set-up correctly I'd say one set possibly two, to muscular fatigue would be plenty between the range of 8~10

actually i think it was only 1 or 2 sets, but high reps.

 

[dave]

Ok, thanks for that, how does one go about working on the hip flexors... any recommended exercises?



I've only just started (or trying to start) getting back into lifting after over 6 years off, and and just doing it from my garage, have a barbell and weights, thats all atm.

Any kind of leg raise (bent if you hamstring flexibility restricts doing proper straight leg raises). You do not swing nor curl your way up. Your back stays flat against the pad/hand (if on floor). You bring your legs up to 90 degrees or thighs parallel with floor otherwise your back will lift. You brace your abs to control your back and that allows your hip flexors to directly control the movement. Weight your legs to make it harder using a dumbbell between your feet or anything else you can think of.

It is best to do it hanging or braced against something rather than on the floor as that allows better movement and you have to work against gravity more.

See here (scroll down page for hip flexors) for more exercise and video of what you can do. Choose whichever just make sure you can do it an weight it.

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/HipsWt.html

 

[Rambodian]

Haven't read any of the former replies, so I will just tell you what I do before I squat. I do stiff leg deadlifts, but I only use a moderate weight and focus on stretching the hamies out by standing on a block of wood. This has helped me immensely with butt wink, but it hasn't eliminated it completely. I now focus on going to the depth that my butt wink kicks in (which is about half way between parallel and ATG) and than powering up from there, it is a bit weird because I am very use to going ATG with my squats in a high bar Oly squat, but now I am in between a Oly squat and a power squat. My legs are slightly wider, and I don't go quite as low, but I'm working on it. I still go way below parallel, so I am still going deep. Worth a try mate.

EDIT: OK, I read the thread and hip flexor issues may be the cause, I am going to try some of the execises also....Thanks Dave

 

[dave]

It is a balance. If youy have tighty mctight hammies like me you need flexibility (full range SLDL are great for this and you just work your way down over time). But you will also find your hip flexors will not be up to scratch. Learning to use them during the squat is a good thing too so pushing your ass out and squeezing your muscles in.the crease of your thigh/pelvis will help. You can work on this before squatting to get you thinking of using them.
Don't forget full range if motion on all hip flexors exercises and static stretching for them post workout especially if you sit in a chair a lot. We want them strong not tight.

 

[almando]

dont worry about the pain behind your knees when stretching your hammies, thats the tendons stretching, if it feels like a good stretching pain it probably is.
you won't be putting any strain on your ligaments. ligaments hold bones to other bones and are not attached to muscles.

I stretch my hammies simply by touching my toes while standing. let your upper body go limp and let that weight pull on your hammies, breath deeply and each time you breath out you should drop a little bit lower into the stretch.

For hip stabilizers a good exercise is straight leg raises.
lye on you back on the ground. Raise one leg at a time, as high as you can, with the knee straight (it might help to stretch your hammies beforehand).
make sure you DO NOT tense your abdominal muscles but placing a hand on your abs and feeling for contraction. it took me a couple of weeks to be able to do this since I had a dominant rectus abdominus.
good luck with it.

 

[dave]

The burning feeling behind your knees when you stretch is a nerve not the tendon. And yiu do not over stretch nerves as they take a long time to heal. You slowly stretch a nerve over time. To stop the pain push your foot forward when you stretch that reduces the stretch on the nerve and allows you to focus on the muscle.