King Grub
2013-10-24, 09:41
The dorsal muscles of the lower torso and extremities have often been denoted the 'posterior chain.' These muscles are used to support the thoracic and lumbar spine as well as peripheral joints including the hip, knee, and ankle on the dorsal aspect of the body. This study investigated relative muscle activity of the hamstring group and selected surrounding musculature during the leg curl, good morning, glute-ham raise, and Romanian deadlift (RDL). Twelve healthy, weight trained men performed duplicate trials of single repetitions at 85% 1RM for each lift in random order, during which surface electromyography and joint angle data were obtained. Repeated measures analysis of variance (RMANOVA) across the four exercises was performed to compare activity from the erector spinae (ES), gluteus medius (GMed), semitendinosus (ST), biceps femoris (BF), and medial gastrocnemius (MGas). Significant differences (p<0.05) were noted in eccentric muscle activity between exercise for the MGas (p<0.027), ST (p<0.001), BF (p<0.001), and ES (p=0.032), and in concentric muscle activity for the ES (p<0.001), BF (p=0.010), ST (p=0.009), MGas (p<0.001), and the GMed (p=0.018). Bonferroni post hoc analysis revealed significant pairwise differences during eccentric actions for the BF, ST, and MGas. Post hoc analysis also revealed significant pairwise differences during concentric actions for the ES, BF, ST, MGas, and GMed. Each of these showed effect sizes that are large or greater. The main findings of this investigation are that the ST is substantially more active than the BF among all exercises, and hamstring activity was maximized in the RDL and glute-ham raise. Therefore, athletes and coaches who seek to maximize involvement of the hamstring musculature should consider focusing on the glute-ham raise and RDL.
J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Oct 21. Muscle activation during various hamstring exercises.
J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Oct 21. Muscle activation during various hamstring exercises.